Seven Years As A Solopreneur

April 1, 2009 I was laid off from my corporate marketing job. It was the height of the great recession and other employment options were non-existent. On that day I decided to follow my dream of self-employment and begin my creating my own career path that would not tie my future job status to someone else's company. Becoming a professional speaker and master of ceremonies was a long-time dream, and something I had planned to eventually pursue. With a young family to support, making such a leap had seemed too scary, but with no other employment options I began to build my own solopreneur existence, and I have never looked back. As the job market continues to be awkward, there are more and more people who are making the move to becoming solopreneurs (some by choice, others by circumstance). This is not an easy existence, and while I have worked hard and had some great opportunities, each day I start over at the bottom of the hill. I have learned a lot in seven years. Here a few important lessons I have discovered. Eight Tips For Solopreneurs 1. You are in sales. No matter what your product or service, if you work for yourself you are responsible for revenue generation. Sales is the life-blood of every business, and to lose sight of this is a recipe for failure. Doing good work is not enough in our noisy world. Anyone can access social media and claim credibility in your industry, so thinking reputation alone will generate new business will limit your future. Invest the time to learn sales and marketing skills, and then take action. Selling is hard work (that is why sales professionals in the largest companies earn so much money), so be ready for the time and energy you will have to put in to generate results. 2. Most friends in your network will not help you. We are taught that all opportunities come from people, and thus we falsely believe the people in our networks will refer us business or hire us to serve their company's needs once we launch. The reality is that most people you know are not thinking about you or your business. While people generally intend to help others, the reality is many of your friends are caught up in their own day-to-day lives and do not remember you are trying to build your company. Do not expect a huge line of people who will be active in supporting your efforts. 3. A few contacts are worth their weight in gold. While not everyone will be a recourse to help connect your business to success, there will be some people who will move mountains to see your find new customers. These rare souls who go out of their way to refer you, promote you via word-of-mouth and social media, and who buy your products (sometimes when they do not even have a need for your service). The people are to be cherished. The weirdest part is that the ones you think will be your supporters often will disappoint you, and the most random friend will become your champion. 4. Get involved in your industry association. Solopreneurs are busy and often feel they do not have the time or the money to participate in their industry trade groups. I found my involvement with the National Speakers Association to be the key to my success as a speaker. It is not that my membership in the association got me any direct business, but my activity exposed me to information and to other people who were living their lives in the business. Having friends who are successful in your area of expertise means you do not have to reinvent the wheel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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