The Five Hard and Uncomfortable Truths About Solopreneurship That Most People Don’t Talk About
While freedom and autonomy are great, it’s not all fun and games.
Photo by Riccardo Annandale on Unsplash
Solopreneurship is like being a single parent.
You’ve given birth to a new life.
An idea that started in your mind now exists outside of you. It’s got a life of its own. You’ve given it a name, and identity, and have nurtured it into an individual.
But just like with the joys of parenthood, the joys of solopreneurship come with a harsh reality of late nights and early mornings, health emergencies and emotional burnout.
But identifying and creating strategies to mitigate these downsides is the key to longevity. Let’s begin.
#1: Most people won’t understand you, and even fewer will support you.
They laugh at me because I’m different.
I laugh at them because they’re all the same
When you start a business, you quickly find out which friends and family are supporters or jealous.
Some people won’t like that you’ve taken the steps to do something that they have always wanted to do.
You become a projection of their insecurities and a reminder that they didn’t have the guts to do what you’ve done.
Others will feel like you’re a fool and secretly want you to fail.
Remember, when someone says “you can’t”, they mean “I can’t”. — Amelia Sordell.
When I started a business, people looked at me with a mixture of pity and apathy. Some even referred to it as a ‘hobby’ and it’s good that it is ‘keeping me busy.’
Be prepared for:
Being misunderstood
Patronized
Looked down on
It’s a sad reality that many entrepreneurs face.
It becomes even sadder that when you become successful, the very same people who doubted you will ask how you did it and want to be mentored.
First, they criticize and then they ask.
#2: You’ll have to sacrifice good opportunities for great opportunities.
As a one-person operator, your time is limited and more valuable.
Every hour you are doing something else is every hour that you’re not working on your business.
People seem to think that just because you are your own boss, you have an abundance of free time available.
The asks for your time will go through the roof.
Just remember that every time you say ‘yes’ to a good opportunity, you are saying ‘no’ to a great opportunity.
Don’t become a victim of death by a thousand cuts.
#3: People will feel entitled to your business's success
Since I started my business, the amount of people asking for a job or work is unbelievable.
Rather than add value to my business, they feel like they feel entitled to a job.
I am more likely to give opportunities to someone who provides value up front and I feel cares about my business.
Your motto should be to:
give, give, give, give some more and then ask.
It doesn’t mean I expect people to work for free either.
It could be as simple as sending events or resources that relate to my niche or providing an introduction to people I think could help my business.
An ounce of thoughtfulness goes a long way.
#4: Solopreneurship is lonely AF (as f*ck).
While most people think I live an exciting and sexy life, most of the time I am working from home, stuck behind my desk with no one else to interact with.
Some days I barely leave the house where my skin doesn’t see sunlight.
I have become a pale zombie during Melbourne’s stormy winter
(Just kidding. But only a little bit).
The importance of creating your own community has never been more important. When you work a 9–5, you automatically have a community of colleagues.
The ones you love and the ones you love to hate.
I am talking about you, Karen.
While solopreneurship is a bit lonelier, you have more choices with who you spend your time.
I make more of an effort to attend more in-person events, network and block out time in my calendar to meet new people.
I am a huge extrovert and get energy and ideas from people. I never find networking or meeting a new person waste of time. I feel like my work improves and my thinking becomes stronger.
When you’re forced to articulate what you do publicly, you naturally get sharper. You can test what messages resonate with people and how you can efficiently communicate what you do.
Social connection is the antidote to the loneliness of solopreneurship.
#5: You’ll probably work more than your 9–5 in the short term.
I work 7 days a week.
This is my reality. I don’t work 12 hours every day. But I’ll do anywhere from 6–8 hours per day, most days.
I will occasionally take a Sunday off if I feel my energy levels are low.
I don’t say this to advocate for hustle culture or that everyone should work every day. I don’t think it is healthy but it is the lifestyle I enjoy. I get a lot of energy out of my work.
I’ve also made a deliberate choice to stay obligation free.
I don’t have any children, pets, or a partner. My parents can still take care of themselves. This allows me to be 100% selfish with my time.
Right now, I am still trading hours of my time for money, but I am slowly shifting my business model away from this.
In 2023, I plan to:
Increase my charge-out rates and reduce the number of clients I take on.
Hire a virtual assistant to help build out my business operations and complete administrative tasks.
Scale up my content creation through LinkedIn, Medium, podcasting, and potentially YouTube.
Produce a suite of digital products and assets such as a newsletter and e-book to create more passive sources of income.
So while I might work 7 days a week right now, I am slowly building the exit ramp to work only 4 hours per day, anywhere in the world.
What does this mean for you?
To my fellow solopreneurs, I feel your pain.
I know exactly how it feels to be on this journey together. It is tough.
BUT. If you can learn to…
Accept that you’ll be misunderstood
Say no to good opportunities for great opportunities
Ignore people’s asks for your time
Build a community of supporters and peers
Scale your business model away from your time
… solopreneurship will be a lot more enjoyable.
Good luck.
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