“1 is the loneliest number.” I heard my brother say that once.
If you’re in business and you’re a solopreneur, then you know it can get pretty darn lonely out there. Working by yourself with no bosses, managers, supervisors or co-workers can sound incredibly exciting until you realize how isolating it can be. No one to bounce ideas off of, tell you that you just made a huge mistake, help you make the decisions or figure out your next step, well . . . that can be a serious challenge. Especially, if you’re a new entrepreneur.
Everyone wants to go into business for themselves, but no one wants to do it all alone.
Everyone (well almost everyone) wants to go into business for themselves, but no one wants to do it all alone. It’s true entrepreneurs, more so than most, appreciate the idea of solitude (a time to be one with their grandiose thoughts, ideas, and innovations), but being a solopreneur doesn’t mean you have to do everything by yourself, all the time. You may have full responsibility for your business, but that doesn’t mean that you’re all on your own, so here are a few tips to help you move from isolation to inspiration when you look around and notice that you’re the only 1 in the office.
1. Build a Supportive Network. This is different from going out and networking, where your job is to build relationships to find clients and collaborators to extend your professional network. Your support network serves another purpose however. These are individuals that you can connect with to provide you with feedback, insight, and encouragement when needed. You should have at least one other person that you can contact right in the middle of what feels like “business craziness” to help you through, delay, or avoid some type of catastrophe (relatively speaking).
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2. Find Collaborators. Once a week you need to get out of your office, connect with other people and change the scenery, with the goal of finding potential team members, collaborators, and or strategic alliances. Two solopreneurs are better than one, right? Collaborating with others is a great way to expand your reach and work in conjunction with someone else while in alignment with your goals and objectives. Think in terms of what you are trying to achieve and find others with a similar vision. Working collectively and collaboratively not only provides more brain power but it lightens the work load.
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3. Join a Mastermind Group. Early on when I first started my business, I was fortunate enough to join a mastermind group of fellow entrepreneurs. This tight-knit group met once a month to share ideas, brainstorm and support each other in business. It’s important that entrepreneurs connect with like-minded individuals that can assist them in moving their vision forward.
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4. Establish an advisory board. Get some more people behind your vision. An advisory board can consist of all types of individuals that have something they can positively contribute to your efforts. Having a team of advisers that can help you think strategically is an asset to any business.
Biz Practitioner
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