How to Shift From Solopreneur to Entrepreneur
Running your own creative online business doesn’t have to be hard. But for some reason, many entrepreneurs get caught in the cycle of doing everything themselves.
And I get why it happens. It’s easy to think that just because you can do everything, you should.
But I’m here to tell you that running yourself ragged by trying to juggle everything is only going to lead to burnout.
And no one knows this better than Ellen Leonard, a certified health and wellness coach who helps her clients figure out how to manage their stress. She also ran a successful podcast, The Healthy, Happy, and Mostly Sane Entrepreneur, that touched on topics that I know so many of my clients resonate with. Burnout. Stress. Creating healthy boundaries.
So when she asked me to be a guest to talk about how entrepreneurs can achieve balance in their businesses, I was excited for the opportunity. Read on to see what we talked about.
The Biggest Challenges Facing Solopreneurs
We dove headfirst into the subject of how entrepreneurs tend to have this idea that they have to do it all on their own.
And that there’s even a name for it: Solopreneur.
For a variety of reasons, we can get caught into this line of thinking… and I’m wondering… do any of these sound familiar to you?
It’s Hard to Let Go
I’ve found this is the one thing entrepreneurs struggle with the most: letting go. It’s difficult even to imagine handing over the reins and letting someone else do what you used to do.
Why?
Well, maybe you’re not sure anyone will care about your business as much as you do.
And you probably had to go through a ton of trial-and-error to learn everything and get your systems down. Will someone else step in and undo what you did?
Plus, once you hand over the task, you have to shift from being a doer into being a manager. And that requires workflow planning, providing constructive feedback, and other skill sets that might be new for a lot of solo operators out there.
And that’s exactly why I created my digital course, The Hiring Fix. It is a plug-and-play hiring workflow based on my years of experience of perfecting proven processes to attract the best freelancers. So, no need to reinvent the wheel here. By the time you complete the course, you will walk away with a full-blown hiring process that works.
You’re Stuck in a Competence Trap
Another super common pitfall so many online business owners fall into is thinking, it’s easier to do it myself than to train someone else to do it.
And that, my friend, is what we call the competence trap. When you spend your time doing things just because you know how to do them, you end up doing things that a.) you aren’t all that good at, and b.) you don’t like to do.
So you never get to the good stuff. You know, the thing you loved so much that you turned it into a business.
Just because you can do it doesn’t mean you should.
The Secret to Shifting from Solopreneur to Entrepreneur
My very favorite part of our interview was when Ellen asked me this question:
What’s the one thing you wish business owners knew about hiring and outsourcing?
It’s so pointed and so direct — and the best part is that there actually is one thing. One secret to successfully hiring freelancers.
Mindset.
You need to decide that it’s time to ask for help. Recognize that doing everything on your own just might be throwing your life out of balance and that there is an easier way.
Here are two ways that can help you make the shift from solopreneur to entrepreneur.
Let Go of the Guilt
You may not even be aware of this one because guilt can be insidious. So ask yourself, is there any part of you that feels even the tiniest bit guilty asking someone else to do the things you don’t like to do?
I did. When I hired my first freelancer, I thought, why on earth would someone else want to do [insert task I despise here]?
Then I hired someone who not only loved to do it but was also great at it. And since they also provided the same service to other clients, they brought a ton of experience and best practices into my business.
Guilt? Gone.
Embrace the Flexibility
Remember, freelancers are not full-time employees. So don’t think that you’re limited to having only one. You can hire freelancers for as few or as many hours as you need. However, I will caution that from a time and management standpoint, it’s wise to start with one and grow from there.
With hiring a freelancer, you not only get tremendous flexibility but also specialized talent. When you hire a social media manager, for example, you’re getting an expert who keeps up on best practices within their specific platforms.
Steps to Start Growing Your Team
If you’re ready to start growing your team, I have two pieces of advice for you.
Be Realistic
Reflect within and take a personal inventory of your strengths and weaknesses — and what you like and don’t like doing.
It’s okay to admit you’re not great at something. We can’t all be experts at everything, even if it’s within our own business.
And it’s also okay to say that you don’t love managing your social media, or writing, or… whatever it is.
This is all helpful information that will help you start building your eventual dream team. While you may have to keep doing some of these tasks for a while, it can provide powerful motivation toward achieving your goal of eventually outsourcing them to an expert.
Figure Out the Roles You Need
Once you’ve gotten your head around which tasks you’ll be handing off first, it’s time to think hard about which roles you really need.
Many online business owners think they need to start with a VA. But here’s what usually happens. They hire one person to take on the tasks of about five different positions — like social media, writing, design, project management — then they’re disappointed when that person falls short in one or more of these areas.
And it’s not the VA’s fault. I mean, it’s a rare person who has expertise in all these areas.
A VA is not a catch-all position for all the things.
Instead, think about the specific tasks you need done and which position that logically fits into. Maybe you start with a social media manager. Then later, add a project manager.
The idea is to make your plan now so you’re ready to implement it as your business grows. So you can stay happy, healthy, and mostly sane the whole time.
My 3 Tips to Stay Healthy, Happy & mostly Sane Running Your Business
Because Ellen’s mission in life is to help people create a link between wellness and success, of course, we discussed some of the ways I stay healthy, happy, and mostly sane. These are my go-to tips.
Sleep
Without proper sleep, I am no good to anyone. My productivity tanks, and I just don’t function well at all. So I prioritize my sleep schedule with an early bedtime. I’m also an early riser, which gives me time in the morning for my next tip.
Movement
If I don’t get some movement into my day, I’m antsy and just a little all over the place. So I work movement into my morning routine before I start work each day. It’s not only essential for my physical well-being but also mentally, as it allows me to clear my head and focus on the day ahead.
Nutrition
Over the last few years, I’ve moved into intuitive eating by empowering myself to listen to my body and provide it what it needs when it needs it. I try to focus on consuming healthier foods, but I allow myself the grace to not be perfect in that area.
Ready to Find Your First Freelancer?
If you’re nodding your head to anything you read, it just might mean you’re ready to start looking for your very first team member. And if you learned anything from this blog post, I hope the lasting message that resonates with you is that you can ask for help. Even with hiring.
My signature course, The Hiring Fix, was designed specifically for people like you who need a plug-and-play hiring process you can implement right away. It’s a self-guided course with short videos, exercises, templates, and samples to help you figure out which role you need, attract the best candidates, make an offer, and bring them on board.
Sign up today and get started building your team.
