Solopreneurs Do Not Have to Go It Alone
Just because you work alone doesn't mean you are alone. There are many options for you, all designed to take advantage of existing opportunities.
Although you are a solopreneur,
you don't have to go it alone. As a marketing coach who works with self-employed professionals, I counsel many people who enjoy the idea of being a one-person company. Unfortunately, many of these people experience feeling lonely, stifled creativeness, and missed opportunities.
To overcome this unwanted consequence of going solo, you first must be aware that this is a common side effect and also be determined to counter it. A suggestion I was given many years ago and now offer to my clients is to get dressed each morning as if you were going to meet with a client. It doesn't matter whether your office is inside or outside the home. Doing this not only puts you in the right state of mind, but it also allows you to take advantage of any sudden opportunity to meet with others. If you are at home in your robe, you may put off such an occasion, opting to do it another day, if at all.
Now that you are appropriately dressed, get out of the office. Go meet with others. Network. Have a cup of coffee or lunch with other businesspeople. This not only bolsters your creativity, but it also helps satisfy your need (business and otherwise) to interact with others.
If you work in an office, do you talk to others in the building? Do you go to lunch with them? Do you make it a point to interact with them, or do you close your office door and sequester yourself? I once worked alone in a rather large office. I couldn't have been more lonely. But I chose to resolve that. Now I have an office in the same suite as my wife. Occasionally interacting with her and her employees has proven to be the right antidote. My energy, creativity, and productivity have skyrocketed.
Another idea is to have regularly-scheduled meetings, whether they are networking events, meetings with a "board of advisers," community events, or other functions that get you "out and about." You should not underestimate the need for this and the results it offers. Remember, business is a contact sport, and to be successful, you must be in contact with others.
I love being a solopreneur; I just don't see any reason to go it alone.
