Solopreneurship

Being a solopreneur does not have to equate to being a lonely-preneur or an alone-preneur.

 It just means that you are independent and in charge of your business destiny. Don’t get me wrong, it can be lonely and leave you feeling alone at times, but you can fix that!

When I decided to start this business, I wanted to be free to work from home or while traveling. Being a writer would allow me the freedom to do just that. As long as I had a computer and the internet, the world would be my oyster. Or so it seemed.

All was great at the beginning. I started networking and finding clients. I joined associations and created my new brand. My office was set and I could roll out of bed and start working. It was just what I asked for. The challenge became the schedule and finding motivation to get to work and stay on task. When you don’t have a boss watching to ensure you get to work on time, it’s easy to open the door to procrastination. That character comes a knockin’ quite often in the form of dirty dishes that just have to be washed, a sunny day that insists you take advantage of it, and a nap- just because you can. It doesn’t matter that a project deadline is looming….there’s still time to get it done. 

Well, let me tell you, that starts to eat away at your self-confidence and allows insecurity to start creeping in. So, how do you pull yourself out of that? Here are a few things that I have done to secure the gate so that procrastination can’t always get to the door. 

• Find one or two fellow “preneurs” that you can call on regularly. Commiserate and collaborate on how you can help each other stay motivated in your work. 
• Set up a daily work schedule with breaks woven in on your calendar or planner. This is how you “pretend” you are going into the office….down the hall in your house. 
• Perhaps there is a shared business office rental space that you can go to once or twice a week for a change of scenery. (Tip: Call one of your local colleagues and invite them to join you there.)
• Set a timer and do focused work in 20 minute chunks. (When the timer goes off, I like to run down the hall – literally- and into the kitchen to do as much cleaning as I can in 5-10 minutes and then run back into my office. Set the timer and start all over again.)

This is not a foolproof plan by any means, but is a starting point. For me, it is all about creating the habit of creating and sticking to my schedule. Sometimes I give myself a little leeway and work at night instead of during the day. I plan most of my client meetings all in one day so I am not interrupted or having to change gears or focus. I make time to meet with colleagues to offer support and to get support as needed. 

The long and the short of it is that solo means one and if I were you- I’d consider it a #1. You are the best at what you do and even though you alone own and run your business you should definitely reach out to others and work independently together!