How I Overcome Common Solopreneur Struggles

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There are many challenges that come with being an entrepreneur. There are even more struggles of being a solopreneur. A solopreneur is simply a business owner that works alone. They were all the hats in the business and can often be found behind their laptop working tirelessly to catch up.

As a solopreneur who’s spent the last two years working on building a business on my own, I’ve encountered many struggles throughout my journey. I’ve experienced and overcome struggles like isolation, time-management, and so much more.

If you’re a solopreneur currently dealing with your own set of struggles, just know you can survive any challenge your business throws at you. Below are five common solopreneur struggles I’ve been able to overcome.

Isolation

We all get lonely from time to time, but no one gets as lonely as a solopreneur working long days all by themselves. I’m not going to lie, working by myself seemed like something too good to be true. As an introvert, I’d rather be by myself than surrounded by a bunch of people. However, being alone the majority of the day isn’t as easy as I thought it would be.

One of the greatest solutions to isolation is communication. If you’re feeling isolated, you need to let others know. Whether it’s your friends, family, or peers, you need to talk to the people you love most. Once you verbalize how you’re feeling, you’ll be able to connect with others and schedule regular meetings that get you outside your comfort zone.

Time-management

I’ve struggled with time-management in previous corporate jobs as well, but never as bad as I have since becoming an entrepreneur. Being an entrepreneur puts your focus and discipline to the test. Challenging your time-management and prioritizing skills to prove whether you can get your work done.

Thanks to many suggestions, I incorporated time blocking into my weeks. I know schedule all my important work and assignments on my Google Calendar and stick to it to stay focused and disciplined.

Maintaining momentum

Dealing with a creative funk or losing the passion for your business are common struggles as a solopreneur. Since you’re alone most of the time, it can be easy to become bored with the work you do. If you feel like you’re struggling to maintain momentum in your business, it’s time to re-connect with yourself and your vision.

Finding clarity is one of the easiest ways to find focus. When you become clear about what you want and what you’re willing to do to get it, you begin to realize that maintaining momentum isn’t as hard as you thought it was. Simply take some time to connect with yourself and watch your passion unfold.

Understanding the unknown

Embracing uncertainty has been one of my greatest struggles since becoming an entrepreneur. I like to know when, where, how, and why something is going to happen, and as a business owner, that’s not how things work most of the time.

To overcome this struggle, I’ve had to build routines and systems in my business that allow me to have as much certainty as possible. Although I know that I can’t predict or prepare for everything, I do know what to expect, and that helps.

Bootstrapped business

One of the most common entrepreneur struggles is cash flow, so it’s no surprise that it’s also one of the common solopreneur struggles I’ve had to overcome. Bootstrapping your business simply means building a business from the ground up with nothing but your savings and money coming in from your sales. Yes, it’s tough, but it’s also manageable.

With very little cash flow, I had to learn to manage my money in a way that allowed me to invest in things I needed without jeopardizing my future. I was able to do this by making a list of my absolute business necessities and how much money I needed to make them happen. Then, I got to work. Yes, simple as that.