You Want to Go From Salary to Solopreneur (Or You Already Have And Need Help Quick)

Being your own boss is an amazing experience.

It’s one like no other.

Some days you can work in your pyjamas and have a fully cooked meal for lunch. Other days you have a ‘get done’ list five pages of A4 and could kick yourself for just getting through a couple.

Some days you can work from Starbucks or out walking the dogs, other days you have no idea what your name is.

Some days you can take some time and visit family, other days you have no idea if they belong to you.

I’m just teasing. (Sort of!)

Being your own boss is one of the most exhilarating, fabulous, extraordinary, remarkable journeys ever taken, and it’s also can be one of the most tiring, overwhelming, frightening and frazzling.

So whether you’re just thinking about, or you’ve started and are now thinking ‘What the hell have I done?’ this is for you.

What’s Your Big Idea?

Back in 2004, I gave up my salary and took the solopreneur path.

It’s been a rollercoaster, one ‘helluva ride! Some days have been remarkable. Other days have been the pits.

Unlike others, I didn’t hate my last job.

I loved it. Unlike others, I wasn’t in a rat-race, I worked in non-profit.

For me, it was the bug, and when you get the bug you have to go for it. Yes? Or at least play with it.

Why?

The passion.

You can’t stop

Salary to Solopreneur: The Passionate Solo Biz Owner

I’m going to assume you have a passion (or you have you so many ideas you have no idea which one to choose?) Yes, people start businesses they aren’t passionate about, but they don’t last very long.

There is name for people like you (and me): it’s called multi-passionate or scanner.

I spent years trying to work out which ONE of my passions I should CHOOSE and run with. The business books tell us to niche it down. But I believe we only have to niche it down enough to discover where we will make a profit.

Profit?

But we’re talking about passions!

Yes we are, but we need to speak about profit at somepoint.

If you’re thinking of ditching a regular income that feeds you, pays for the roof over your head, buys you new shoes and underwear, you have to be able to afford it.

But, you want to make a difference and change the world, right?

So do I, and believe me if you’re keeping the wolves at the door every day, you can’t do it, it’s too draining. You can’t change the world when you’re worried if you will pay the bills.

To change and rock the world, you need to look after yourself, first.

I would put myself in the ‘people helping’ business. And if you’re the same, I know that you’re probably choosing that path not just because you have an amazing service, but also because of your values.

You believe you can help others.

Because of that, don’t ever (my first tip) feel guilty about looking after your own needs first. You can turn passions into profit and keep brilliant values. Making money to help feed, cloth, and keep you and your your family safe is nothing to feel ashamed about.

Many of the people I know who are choosing to follow their passion, ‘kinda forget they are running a business.

It’s a massive mindset shift going from salary to solopreneur. 

In fact, it’s my opinion that the mindset is the biggest part to master.

Plus it’s a huge learning curve.

There are many people who want to create profit from their passions: they begin the journey and realise quickly that they aren’t keen on ‘selling themselves’ which means no marketing, no customers, no money.

Then they realise that they actually know diddlysquat about marketing and entrepreneurship.

They then realise that all the pieces of the jigsaw just don’t fall together, they maybe don’t have the technical skills and waste hours on the ‘how to’ and trying to teach themselves.

Where some sites say ‘you must follow your passions’, I say ‘you must follow your passions, and be well informed and educated on how you are going to make money’.

That means doing your groundwork and research, finding out all you can about your ideal customers and serving them.

Passion alone doesn’t make a business. Finding the right people who share the same, or want to buy into your passion and what it can do for them does.

Working with solo professionals, there is a common theme, set of problems, feelings, discussions that keep coming up, time and time, and time again.

1. How to stay motivated, deal with your emotions.
2. Lack of any sort of planning, goal setting, organising time.
3. So many unknowns, so much to learn, apply, so much noise.
4. Feeling overwhelmed, frazzled, lack of support and networks.
5. The realisation that everything is down to you, everything.
6. Nobody really talks about the mindset or confidence needed to work alone.
7. Scared that the passion was just a hobby, missing key business/marketing skills.

Where Are You At On The Solopreneur Path?

1. Are you at the exploration stage? Wondering if it is an option for you? You may have one foot in employee land and the other in entrepreneur. Do you need to talk it out? Need to work out what you are passionate about and how to make it pay?

Check out the blog for posts for solo business owners, click here.

Or read these ‘If I had to start over’ articles from solo business owners who are just like you.

Susan Daffron ‘The Book Consultant’

Eugen Oprea ‘My Online Business Team’

Theresa Delgado ‘Business Etiquitte Basics’

2. You’ve started and you’re overwhelmed, stuck, and frazzled.You aren’t bringing in the pennies and have no idea how to piece all the pieces together (marketing, mindset and techie part) all together.

Get some help click here