Five Steps Solopreneurs Can Use To Move Their Business Forward

For solopreneurs, authorpreneurs (yes, authors, you are business owners) and other small business owners, time is a precious commodity and is of the essence. Solopreneurs are kept busy helping their clients succeed, sometimes in detriment to nurturing their own businesses. Solopreneurs put their own business-building activities on the backburner. Authors know they need to focus on writing and editing their latest novel. BUT, all entrepreneurs need to take time to nurture their own endeavors. Just as you make your client’s businesses priority #1, your business deserves the same. 

In thirty minutes or fewer a day you can take one, or more, of these steps and regain control of your business tasks in an effective and efficient way. Imagine how great you will feel knowing that you devoted time to your own business success! Keep in mind, that neglecting your own business marketing and growth will keep you on the roller coaster of income feast or famine. 
 

5 steps solopreneurs need to take to grow their business
 

Whether these steps are in your area of expertise, or whether you need to outsource make a concerted effort today – or at least this week – to implement these strategies. 

Put time into writing. I know that writing – good writing – takes time and this is especially true if your area of expertise is not writing. If you’re a solopreneur, petpreneur or author you need to focus on writing content for your business in the form of blogs and on social media. If you have the skills and time to create your own content, set aside thirty-minutes a day to work on writing a blog post. Determine how many posts a week you want to write and how long it will take you to write one then dedicate thirty-minute time blocks to get blog posts written. 

You will then want to set aside time to share the blog on your social media sites. Remember, your website and your blog are the hub of the spoke of all your content. 

Connect with other solopreneurs.

When you’re self-employed or working from home because of the coronavirus pandemic you may be working in isolation. That cane take its toll even if you are an introvert. There may be in-person, socially-distanced networking events where you live, and if there are mask up and attend. If you’re not comfortable doing that (I know I’m not) jump on a Zoom with colleagues. I am suffering Zoom burn-out, but I know it’s crucial to stay in touch with other entrepreneurs and to network even if I am not leaving my house. 

Email a colleague and set up a thirty-minute chat. Look at the thirty minutes as a business-nurturing event, not that it’s taking away from getting your work done. 

Connecting with someone who is facing the same isolation you are or who is struggling to run a business is gratifying and you can bounce ideas off one another, be accountable to one another or even trade services in a manner in which you both benefit. 

Email someone you have always wanted to connect with. Tell that person why you’ve wanted to connect and ask if they’d be willing to jump on the phone or Zoom. If you can interview them for a project you’re working on – offer that opportunity. 

Don’t reach out to someone simply to “pick his or her brain” because imagine how you’d feel if someone just reached out to you for free advice. 

Respond to connections.

If someone sends you a connection request on Facebook or LinkedIn, accept it they are a fit. If you connect, send them a message –- not a canned message and not a “buy me” message. Send a getting to know you message. 

 

Get up and get out!

Seriously. Get out of your office. Don’t eat your lunch in front of the computer. Don’t spend the entire day in your office chair without a break. I set a timer that dings ten minutes before the top of each hour and I get up and move. I may walk on the treadmill, or take my dog for a walk or move the laundry from the washer to the dryer. 

Taking a break every hour helps keep me from having a backache at the end of the day and that break refreshes me and I jump back into tasks with a fresh eye. 

When I take my lunch break I get away from screens, eat my lunch and read a book or a magazine. My eyes need a break at least for thirty-minutes. 

Market your business.

Every business owner needs to market his or her own business regularly. If you don’t there will come a day when a cornerstone client leaves – for whatever reason – and if they haven’t been marketing their own business, the loss of that client could hit the bottom line hard.  

Spend at least thirty-minutes per week, more if you have it, marketing your own business. It could be attending a Zoom event, sending out follow up emails, making phone calls or simply working your own social media. 

Don’t let the loss of a client have you operating in panic mode. Steady, consistent marketing of your own business is necessary for your survival. 

When is the last time you focused some of your efforts on your business? Don’t you think you and your business deserve at least 30-minutes a day of your undivided attention? 
 

If you’re looking for ways to market yourself and your business and do it in an effective, efficient manner or to learn how to create your own content – sign up for my occasionally-sent email! I don’t want to clutter your inbox too frequently because I have content to create, too!