The idea of travelling the world, earning a living and being completely free is so appealing to you, right? Although this might sound like glitz and glamour from the outside, it takes a tonne of hard work and dedication to earn this type of lifestyle. With all that being said, becoming digital nomad is by no means impossible. Many people have built an online empire from scratch and they are thriving as a result. As a solopreneur there are a few things you should know before you take a leap into this sort of lifestyle. As you set out on this journey, you have to give your whole heart and soul into your business. Without determination, passion and enthusiasm you aren’t going to discover the results you’re looking for. Before you take the leap towards solopreneurship, you might want to consider the following eleven ideas. (Image Credit: Artem Beliaikin/Pexels)
You Need To Be In It For the Long Haul
If you’re looking for a quick win for your solopreneur strategy, then that just isn’t going to happen. You need to be in it for the long haul and be 100% committed to the business idea you have. Most small businesses fail within the first year; you cannot allow this to happen to you simply because you aren’t patient enough. You need to map out the next three to five years of your business venture and work towards these, rather than just aiming for a quick buck.
Money Will Be Tight
Unless you’ve got a tonne of savings behind you, money is going to be extremely tight when you’re first starting out in this business. You need to consider how far your funds can stretch, which may mean making some much needed cutbacks. You might want to consider a data only SIM for your phone, as this has no minimum contract. This means that you can work anywhere you want and only pay for the data you use. Thinking about the small details like this will set your business off to the best start possible.
You Need to Adjust Your Mindset
You may feel completely confident in yourself right now, but are you ready to commit to your new venture? You will be surprised at how many limiting beliefs come into play when you are first starting out. Your mindset has the ability to make you want to quit your dream job. Do you want that to get in your way? Before you start anything, you need to make sure you have a crystal clear and confident mindset. If you wholeheartedly believe that you can start making money from your business idea, then it will most definitely happen.
You May Need a Mentor
If you think you can do this all by yourself, you might be sadly mistaken. When you set out to become a solopreneur, you need to open up your mind and become well rounded at your craft. The truth is, you may need a mentor to help you find clarity for your business idea. Hiring a business coach may seem like a significant investment right now, but this will ultimately help you to accomplish your goals. Make sure you do your research as this will really help you to find someone who is the right fit for you. There are so many business coaches out there who aren’t trained in their profession, so make sure you take your time before investing in a coach or mentor.
You’re Going to Have Rough Days
There are going to be days when you want to throw in the towel and give it all up. You are going to have more than one experience of this, so you need to be prepared. As soon as these negative thoughts and feelings start creeping in, you have to revert back to the goals you set in the very beginning. This should give you a burst of enthusiasm and a fire in your belly to carry on. Every single entrepreneur has had down days during their lifetime, but you can’t allow this to consume your thoughts or become a bad habit. Think carefully about why you’re pursuing your chosen career and you will easily be able to push through those rough days. Make sure you’re giving yourself time off to rest and recuperate too, because this will really work in your favour. Time off is always time well spent when you’re a solopreneur.
You Can’t Focus on Your Competitors
As a solopreneur, you need to spend less time worrying about your competition and more time focusing on your strategies. If you try and copy other people’s work your clients are going to see right through this inauthentic persona. You need to stay true to yourself and be the best you can possibly be. Of course, in the beginning stages you may want to carry out some research about your industry. However, try to keep your mind focused on your goals rather than looking at other people’s. When you focus on your competition too much, you will start to get overwhelmed, especially if they have been working in your industry for a while. Do what you do best and success will come for you!
Make Sure You LOVE What You Do
If you aren’t 100% committed to what you do, then you’re probably not in this for the right reasons. You need to love every single aspect of your work, even when you’re having a rough day. This goes back to that quick fix mentality too; you can’t expect success to come to you at the drop of a hat. There are going to be days when you want to give it all up, but that passion and true love for what you do, will easily help you keep going.
You’re Going to Make Mistakes
The moment you make your first mistake as a business owner will be a huge eye opener for you. Every single business owner has been there, so please don’t let this prevent you from carrying on with your dreams. It takes a lot of heart and soul to get to where you want to be, but unfortunately you are going to make a mistake at some point in your career. The way you handle it and pick yourself back up afterwards is going to be the make or break moment for you. Just remember, every single business owner has done the same thing in the past. You’re definitely not the first brave entrepreneur to go through this type of learning curve.
