Photo Credit: Yannick Menard
So, you want to build a business, and you want to do it all by yourself. Why not?
After all, you have already accomplished so much on your own. You’ve proven you are a solo-flying force to be reckoned with, and you’ve had enough people meddling in your business. Literally and figuratively. You’re going to start a solopreneurship.
Solo. A-la-You. Go get ‘em, solopreneur!
And you’re doing it. The months are flying by and you’ve moved from your first few clients to your first few times saying “thank you, but I can’t take any more clients at this time.”
You’re literally living the dream - you had a vision, and then you elbow-greased it into reality.
But… you thought you might have a little more time to enjoy your success. Things are going great, but every time you think you can take a weekend off it turns into a Sunday off.
Or, no, maybe a Sunday afternoon off.
Okay, Sunday evening off? Once you take care of this one… last… thing…
By the time Monday morning comes, you’re pretty sure your to-do list has the same items as last week. And more.
But you’ll catch up, right?
Oop! You’re late for a meeting! But you have a deadline this afternoon and… good heavens, when did the fiscal year end? How is it tax season already?!
How do the other solopreneurs do this?
There are successful solopreneurs all over the world. What do they know that you don’t? Were they born with an extra hour in the day?
Nope. None of us are so magical that we can take on a three-person task all by ourselves.
The magic we do have is each other. It’s easy to put too much emphasis on the “solo” part of solopreneurship, but the only way we can supercharge our efforts is by harnessing the power of other professionals.
That’s what it takes to make a “genius” business run like, well, a genius is running it. I don’t care what other people have told you: nobody does it all alone.
When you get a flat tire, do you patch it yourself?
You do not. The garage does that for you. That’s where they have patches. And new tires. And the professionals that know how to do all these things.
It’s no different for your business.
At tax time you hire a professional. Even if you do your taxes yourself, you still use a tool other people made.
You know that form you need to file those taxes? Someone else made that document.
You’re always part of a larger group of networked professionals, working together, whether you realize it or not. Being an effective solopreneur means recognizing when your solo powers have hit their human limit and then finding the right people to fill the gaps.
Don’t worry, you’re still a solopreneur. You don’t have to hire anybody full-time, and you don’t have to surrender any portion of your ownership.
If you believe that building a business yourself means doing it as alone as possible, then I have great news for you:
Every successful person through time has built their empire by collaborating with other people.
Don’t wait until you burn out. Find whatever help you need - or want - to turn your work back into play. Maybe it’s a bookkeeper, a marketing strategist, or a coach to help you put things in better order.
Maybe it’s a personal trainer or a masseuse. Because your business only works if you have your health.
Find whatever collaboration suits your business, and your personality. Not to give up on the solo, but to extend yourself.
Because, in the end, it’s still all you, baby. Working with other people doesn’t dilute your brand - it empowers you and your business.
Here are a few things that can help you out:
For your health, here’s some at-your-desk Yoga With Adriene
For your finances, here are Stanley-Young’s own Bookkeeping Services and Income Tax Services
For a helping hand, offload your simple tasks on a budget with Fiverr marketplace
Written by Lyle Mustard
