At the first look, being a solo company owner seems like a great idea. There will be no boss to answer to and no employees to look after as well. You can handle all the clients and address their needs according to your wish and abilities. The only limiters to your success are the time restrictions and possible lack of creativity.
From afar, such an idea might seem like a utopia. However, maintaining a solo proprietorship comes with its own set of challenges and problems. Hence, we have compiled a list of the biggest challenges that you might face as a solopreneur. Moreover, we will also present possible solutions to the suggested problems.
Too Much to Handle
Any business can remain sustainable only with a steady flow of clients and cash. Maintaining a steady flow of clients is one of the major challenges for any business. Likewise, it is a daunting task even for a business with dedicated teams to find new clients. Unfortunately, as a solopreneur, you do not have the luxury to depend on someone else to help you find your prospects. As a result, it can quickly become overwhelming and challenging. Solopreneurs have to be more efficient and develop additional skills to keep everything in line, such as project management, doing taxes correctly, and invoicing. Hence, it is necessary for solopreneurs to recognise when they need help and ask for it.
Lack of External Support
Being a solopreneur means that you would have to work hard and work all the time efficiently. It means that you would not have anyone along with you that shares the same drive as you. You would not have anyone to share ideas with and, in turn, gain new perspectives. Solo proprietors have to handle the entire business on their own. Any inefficient handling technique will not have the possibility of correction at any other point as there would be no support system. In such a dire situation, it is recommended that solo proprietors join online communities of like-minded people or even seek out a mentor for guidance.
Finding the Right Tools
Technology is intended to ease the efforts required to achieve a task. As a result, it is an essential requirement for all businesses to improve efficiency and save time. However, it is more important for solo proprietors as they have to do everything by themselves. Getting an opportunity to save time and resources with great technology and tools can be a huge help for solo owners.
The right tools can help the solopreneurs manage everything from finances to customer relations. In a conventional business environment, the owner can consult their tech support for help and recommendations about the best tools available in the market. Then, they can buy the right tools at the right time based on their recommendations. However, solo flyers don’t have that kind of luxury. Moreover, they cannot rely on anyone else to understand the technology. They have to understand the technology and train themselves to use it efficiently.
Keeping Up the Pace
The primary reason for the steady growth curves of the larger firms is that there is strength in numbers. The growth curves are even steeper in the smaller firms and startups. When a small bunch of dedicated people are all working at a similar pace, goals can be achieved much faster than when a single person attempts to do so. Survival in the business world depends on your ability to adapt and look for help when you need it. One of the best advice for solopreneurs would be to understand that a one-person company cannot keep up with businesses with multiple employees and sources for support and help indefinitely. Going solo might be liberating in the short run, but solopreneurs have to recognise when their business needs to evolve and potentially bring more people into the loop.
However, going solo does have its own set of advantages. Despite the series of challenges presented, some of these advantages can help you overcome some big obstacles in the business world. These businesses can execute tasks and make difficult decisions much faster than other businesses. They are also liable to take smart risks and seize opportunities that other businesses might miss. Failure is less intimidating for a solo flyer than an entrepreneur with several employees working under them. Regardless of the industry that solopreneurs wish to work in, they have to be agile, organised, and efficient in order to succeed.