Succesful Solopreneur

What is Solopreneur?

Although many start ups or new businesses beging with the intent to grow the company, hire employees and create equity in the organization, there is another choice available to those who prefer the concept of creating a business where they are the sole owner, shareholder, employee and beneficiary of the equity that is generated.
is calle Soloprenuering.

The objective of these "Solopreneurs" in growing their business is not to hire employees, but rather to expand their passions, talents and abilities to a point where they can create a prosperous livelihood simply doing what they love to do.

But the question is simple: would you prefer to be a solopreneur, rather than an entrepreneur? How does your business work, how do you manage different clients, responsibilities, etc, being a single founder, possibly with no other persons to help you with the tasks? And also, ask yourself if it's convenient being a solopreneur in the first place?

Pros if being a Solopreneur

Being a Solo-Preneur provides a good amount of attractive pros; low overhead, lots of freedom, ability to choose where you work, no employee hassles, no dress code, no boss and full fees. These and many other pros entice a significant amount of people to fly solo or at least to consider it. I have spoken to a few professional women who have often talked about how easy and apparently less stressful the idea of going solo would seem. Not having to deal with employee issues, hiring headaches and training new recruits seems like a much easier path. In many ways this is true but it is only true for a small group of very independent mavericks who tend to thrive on their own.

Cons of Solopreneuring

Along with a good number of benefits, going solo has an equal amount of possible cons; no steady paycheck, limitless distractions, possible isolation, taxes, administrative tasks, start up costs, lack of feedback and lack of support. Many people who excel as individual professionals in an office foolishly believe that they can go on their own and have the same work load but gain the benefit of keeping 100% of the profit. This is partially correct but it is also true that in addition to your regular workday as a solo professional, you will have many other tasks to handle as well. Bookkeeping, supply purchasing, technical support, billing, administrative tasks, emptying the trashcan are all now in your hands. There is a big difference between being a high performer in an office with administrative support and doing the same thing on your own. To be a solo operator and not see yourself as a business owner but rather as simply a soloist is the kiss of death.
It's takes hard work !.

Here are some tips to keep you afloat!

Become a Guru:

The word guru, meaning "teacher," comes from the ancient Indian language of Sanskrit. Study, practice, become skilled in your craft, perfecting it.
Before you can become a guru, you need to be taught by a guru of your own.
You don’t have to be the best at what you do. But you do have to position and market yourself better than anyone else.


Keep your overhead costs very low :

Keeping overhead under control is a good reason to stay in a home office or other startup space as long as it permits. Do Not Allow Overhead Cost Drain You Financially.
Market through networking. Not only is networking the most effective means of marketing it is also the cheapest. Keep your overhead costs low by attending as many free networking events as you can.
Target your direct mail as much as possible. You don't want to pay to fill up someone else's recycling container.


Hire an assistant

OK, so this isn’t exactly a “Solo” idea but it is an excellent path for many micro operators and has several benefits. First of all, it allows you to focus your work on “money activities” and to funnel the lower level tasks to your assistant. I'm happy to I join the Canadian virtual association. If you intend to be a big fish without hiring full-fledged specialists, the best bet is to hire one or more assistants who can support you in accomplishing more.

Be a lover of Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, microblogging and Social Media:

As solopreneur have no intention of letting technology get the best of yours. "It's an exciting world out there. You just need to believe you can accomplish whatever you're willing to work hard for."

It's tough. I started my first company on my own, had a sales pals for a while and a few coders on contracts as well, but as a mainly solo gig it's been tough to balance all the tasks you need to do. The tasks that tend to suffer the most are the business and promotion sides of things. It's fortunately been able to stay at a steady pace for a long time on almost no promotion, just word of mouth, but I'm sure that first start up with another solid partner it could have gotten a fair bit bigger by now.

When started my first startup solo a couple years ago, the combination of running my other seond project company by day (splitting my time) and being the only person to do everything certainly factored strongly in its early demise. Got to about 10,000 users but couldn't take it to the next level because there was simply not enough time in one day.

My second and most succesful startup is a partnership, and while I'm still splitting my time with my main company and I'm also the only programmer, it's been way better because it's two and not just one of us. After these experiences, I'm now definitely sold on solopreneurs recommendation of having more than one founder. The key still is to find the right co-founder, but I think unless you want to work 16-hour days (which isn't sustainable!) then you need 2+ people involved.

Getting a proper job

It is said that if you engage yourself in the job you love then you will never work a single day of your life. If you find your dream jobs then it will not only provide bread on your table but it will also give you emotional stability. It is important that you design the proper job category for you to get your dream job. Although there are employment agencies to help you get work opportunities, it still lies on you to obtain the career that suits you and that you will love.

The most important thing about working is to find something that your really enjoy doing, instead of just wishing your working days would be over and you could retire.

If you have a regular job, you have a boss and company making the rules and telling you what to do, but it might not actually be as much work (depending on the job) as working for yourself. If you work full time, hopefully you have some nice health benefits. However, you could get fired or downsized, and then where would you go?

If you work for yourself, you may be your own boss but you might work longer hours and work harder than if you had a regular job, and the money may or may not be steady. You might have to work up to the point where you can work for yourself while holding a regular job.

but transitioning to online work can be a lot like starting your own business, because in many ways, that’s exactly what you’re doing. You have to be discipline. Part of that means expecting and preparing for an unprofitable period while you get your footing. Even if you do line things up and you actually don’t experience any lag time between your old job and your new career, having the peace of mind that comes with making sure your finances can take a hit will help during dry spells.

You should also take a good look at your lifestyle and think about your goals in pursuing a remote career. If you want to do it to make your schedule more flexible and balanced, take some time off work and see if flexibility and balance is actually something you value. It may be that routine suits you best, which might change the type of web work you target.

What's up with answering the question about getting a proper job when you are struggling as freelancer or working online? Be positive and that will take you to a proper job.

I think one needs to find a good solid drive first before they even jumpstart on a venture. So, what’s your drive?

One-Person-Enterprises -series-2

Sideline entrepreneurship
Self-employment as side job option is to be disregarded issue in third world countries. Despite this it holds a lot of potential for individual self-realisaztion, job and social safeguarding as well as soft entry strategies into entrepreneurship. Self-employment has changed considerably in the last few years.
The popular notion of a businessperson - typically a man - at the peak of his career making use of years of workplace experience to launch his own enterprise and employ others no longer describes conditions for many. Self-employed labor is becoming increasingly diverse. The proportion of female workers in this category is
increasing. From 1990 to 1998, the number of self-employed women rose by more than 50%, from 591,000 to 891,000. In 1998, 13.7% of women in the labour market in Canada were self-employed, and more than 35% of self-employed people were women. The majority of these (59%) were between the ages of 20 and 45.

The types of work done by those who are self-employed are also changing. The vast majority of self-employed jobs created from 1990 to 1998 (75%) were non-incorporated businesses without paid employees. In 1998, 55% of self-employed jobs fell within this category, and more than three out of four self-employed women had a job of this type.

The quality of self-employment jobs can leave much to be desired. While self-employment can potentially result in a good job, a significant portion of the self-employed, particularly women without employees, are at the low end of the scale in the job market. In 1995, the before-tax average revenue of persons whose main source of income was self-employment was $30,800, or 91% of the average income of salaried employees. Those without employees earned even less, about 68% of the average income of salaried employees. Nearly half of the self-employed made less than $20,000

in 1995, while the proportion of salaried workers with similar low earnings stood at only 25%. Among the self-employed without employees, 55% earned less than $20,000. In addition, the gap between the earnings of men and women was greater among the self-employed than among other employees. For full-time work, self-employed women received 64% of the average revenue of self-employed men, compared to a figure of 73% among salaried employees.

what about investigating the possibility of entering into a partnership with a company that does business across Canada as Contractor or Employee? Do you know how important are credentials/education?

For information on other individual occupations, check out explore types of jobs. below some Self-employment common areas of work

Information technology
Home computers, small businesses who cannot afford full-time IT people and organisations which need to augment their computer staff for different projects present fantastic opportunities for those who want to be self-employed. Job roles include:

IT consultant;
IT trainer;
Web designer.
Opportunities for new graduates are reasonable, especially in web design/development and IT training, but less so in contracting.

The artsGraduates in fine art, craft, visual and design disciplines

sometimes become self-employed by choice, more often through necessity. Examples of jobs include:

Graphic designer;
Illustrator;
Printmaker;
Metalwork/silversmith designer.
Income from sales and commissions may not be enough to live off.

Many people take part-time jobs to support their practice.

Health and exercise
This category consists of:

practitioners who could stay within the National Health Service (NHS) (check NHS Careers) but prefer to work for themselves, all or part of the time;those outside the mainstream health service who combine part-time

NHS work and private referrals;
those providing complementary treatments;
those offering sports related therapies.
The range of jobs is wide, for example:

Dentist;
Counsellor;
Osteopath;
Podiatrist/chiropodist;
Sports therapist.
It can take time to build up a practice. Jobs covered by the Health Professions Council (HPC) usually require a year in the NHS before setting up on your own.

The mediaA significant number of those working in the broadcast and printed word industries are self-employed, freelance or on short term
contracts. It is common to have to ‘pitch’ for work. Job areas include:

Film/video editor;
Magazine journalist;
Make-up artist;
Runner, broadcasting/film/video;
Writer.
Talented graduates can progress rapidly in this area. For others, it is an uncertain process, accompanied by unpaid work, unemployment or under-employment.

The performing artsSelf-employment is the ‘norm’ for all performers and some technicians. They need to be pro-active, approaching venues or putting together ensembles. Examples of jobs include:

Actor;
Musician;
Theatre stage manager.
Luck and being in the right place at the right time can count as much as talent and hard work, but getting a foot on the ladder could be a lengthy process.

Business and the lawSelf-employed consultants provide expertise across a variety of

commercial services. Locum work (short-term cover for time-bound periods) is also possible. Job roles include:

Accountant - chartered accountant; chartered certified accountant;

chartered management accountant; chartered public finance

accountant;
Barrister;
Human resources officer;
Management consultant.
It is rare, but not unknown, to make an impact without a previous

professional background.

One-Person-Enterprises -Part time self-employment-2

The great thing about becoming a "solopreneur" is that, in most cases, it doesn't require a big outlay of cash or a lot of overhead. In fact, most businesses can be started with just a computer and a telephone.

But while you don't need a lot of "stuff" to build your one-person business, there are a few must-haves if you want that business to thrive.

The top 5 of those "must-haves" include:

1. A Marketable Idea

Starting a business because it's what you want to do is fine, but just because you like doing something, doesn't make it a viable business idea. It's imperative that you do a little market research and make sure there is an audience that needs the services you plan to offer. Identify the problem you plan to solve for people, and make sure there are enough people with that problem to support your business. It's also a good idea to survey the competitive landscape and see who else is solving that same problem. With the Internet, you have an extremely valuable market research tool at your feet. Take the time before you start your business to use it.

2. A Passion for the Business

Starting and running your own solopreneur business is one of the most creative and rewarding endeavors you can undertake. However, it does require a significant investment of time and energy to get the business up and running. So be sure to start your business doing something you're passionate about; something you truly enjoy. Additionally, because solopreneurs have to wear many hats, it can be a bit draining at times. Having a passion for your business is what enables you to get through the challenges of start-up and grow a successful business.

3. A Powerful Reason Why

One of the worst reasons to start a business is to make money. That may sound like a crazy thing to say, after all, if you don't make money you really don't have a business, you have a hobby. But what I mean is that you better have some other reason you want to be a solopreneur. For me, it was because I wanted to be able have a career and spend plenty of time with my kids. When I faced challenges during the early years of my business, I knew the reason I was creating that business was so I could be there for my kids. I didn't want to have to go back to a corporate job and that was an extremely strong motivator for me.

4. A Willingness to Move Through Fear

If you want to live a safe, comfortable life, don't become a solopreneur. Choosing to become a solopreneur inevitably puts you into all kinds of situations you've never been in before. It challenges you to grow and stretch, and very often you have to do things that may scare you. It's important to recognize that being uncomfortable is just a part of your growth, and that your business can only grow to the degree that you do. Be willing to take calculated risks, try new things and step out into totally new areas and both you and your business will grow and prosper.

5. A Team

The name "solopreneur" is a bit of a misnomer. Every successful solopreneur I know is not creating that success "solo." While they may not have a staff, they have virtual or part-time support that makes it possible for them to focus their time doing only what they're good at. So while you may be the only person working directly with clients, you will want to outsource such tasks as bookkeeping (unless you are a bookkeeper), customer service, clerical and administrative tasks. Ideally, you should be spending your time on revenue-generating activities, such as serving your clients or creating new programs, and marketing, and outsource everything else. With the proliferation of virtual assistants, and ready access to inexpensive contract and freelance help through services such as Elance.com and Craigslist, there's no reason even a brand new solopreneur can't start outsourcing from the start.

By Debbie Lachusa

The Best Way To Beat Recession: Take control of your life

Why Starting a conventional business Is more difficult?

The fear of failure and fear of criticism are holding people from starting a business. The following factors of the conventional business contribute to the fear psychosis.

Starting a conventional business needs huge investment
Area of operation plays an important role
You need a good and on demand product to sell
Tough competition and Government regulations affect your business
You have to toil for 12 to 15 hours daily
You need expertise.
And the last, but not the least, the risk factor is always there.
The Advantages Of An Online Business

On the other hand the online business is easy to start and you can start it with a minimal investment and no risk factor is involved. The only thing on which you have to be strong enough is that, you have to make it a success.

You can start selling affiliate products and there is no compulsion to have your own product.
You can do your online business with or without a website. But having your own website will have a world of difference and owning a website won't cost you much.
Requires minimal investment for your advertising campaign
You can do it part time until you reach a financial stage to go full time
You can choose your own time and pace
Need not compromise your present source of income and there is no risk
You can put your online business on auto-pilot mode, thus saving a lot of time and energy
The Best Options Available To Start Your Online Business

People don't understand that starting a business is as simple as that, in today's internet world. You need not be a technical savvy to start your online business. You can start your online business and side by side you can learn a lot from various free online sources. The only qualification you need is the initiative. Starting your business after learning everything is impossible and you will never start your business. Success is doing your work consistently, together with a learning process.

Author:
Every successful people had done the basics of success, to achieve their feat. To be a successful person, you have to do what it takes to be there. Throw away the fear of failure and fear of criticism and remember that every successor had crossed that hurdle.Start soon without further procrastination. Convert your spare time into a productive time. I'm available to help

Freelance-gigs III

Telemarketing-Cold-calling campaigner
Many companies and organizations outsource their cold-calling campaigns to third parties. Those third parties hire full-time and temporary workers -- many of whom work from home -- to place those calls with specific goals in mind.

You may be required to persuade contacts to book an appointment, commit to making a donation, or agree to try a product or service. Your calls could also be focused on debt collection.

Typically you'll receive an hourly base pay, plus performance-based commission. While some training is provided, applicants are expected to have some high-quality customer-service and/or cold-calling experience.

Internet Live guide
Learn how you can make $5 to $10 per hour, which can be paid to you via debit card or direct deposit.Use your subject-area expertise to make money assisting others who are in need of that knowledge. for instant Chacha.com is a new search engine that is similar to Yahoo or Google, but users have the ability to request the free help of a live guide. That live guide is sitting at home making money while he or she assists with the online search

About.com offers qualified applicants the opportunity to become guides if they have proven expertise in a topic area. As a guide, you're responsible for publishing a full-length article every 14 days and you must update your blog at least three times per week. Anyone can apply, but you must pass a 17-day self-guided online training program to familiarize yourself with About's tools and demonstrate your knowledge of the process.

Successful guides never make less than $500 per month, according to About.com, and some guides can earn upwards of $100,000 a year for popular, high-trafficked sections. Visit the getting started guide on About.com for details.

On JustAnswer.com, users agree to pay for experts to answer their questions. If you have an expertise -- from gardening to genealogy -- you can agree to answer questions for a price. The site then pays you based on accepted answers.

Online Tutor

If you have expertise in English, math, science or social studies, you could make money as an online tutor.

You must be able to convey key information to students of all ages -- generally fourth grade through college level -- in an online environment. That means teaching mathematical formulas and chemistry equations to a kid through cyberspace, rather than face-to-face instruction.

Visit www.tutor.com to learn how you can make $10 an hour or more working five hours to 30 hours a week from home. To find other online tutoring opportunities, or to learn how to start your own online tutoring business, do a Google search using the keywords "online tutor" and research dozens of options based on your availability and subject-area expertise.

Writer or Editor

A handful of Web sites pay for articles, but unless they're commissioning your original work, you won't make big bucks. Associatedcontent.com pays around $10 per approved/published piece. Helium.com is another option that rewards prolific writers, and both sites are a good way to build an online portfolio of published work while making some money at the same time.

Myessays.com allows essay writers to sell their original work starting at $10 for a short paper, and up to more than $100 for comprehensive work. Writerfind.com lists a range of freelance opportunities for experienced writers to pursue on their own.

Another option is freelance writing for magazines, trade publications, newsletters or local newspapers. If you've developed a specialty or have a particular interest in a single topic -- film, fashion, food, travel -- many Web sites and small publications work only with freelancers and regularly look for writers to do reviews on products or new releases, ranging in topic from electronics to beauty.

Contact the editors of the publications you'd like to work for. (Their names and contact information can typically be found on the masthead or Web site.) Ask for their writers guidelines and be ready to submit samples of your work. (This is also where links to your work from the two sites listed above can come in handy.) We hire freelance writers for our company's magazine, which is published three times a year. All of them have come to us unsolicited with their writing samples and story suggestions.

Compensation varies based on your experience. Novices might have to accept free products or press passes for their work. Experienced writers can expect to make anywhere from fifty cents to $2 per word. For multiple articles, you might settle on a flat rate.

Apply for freelance work on sites such as Cyberedit.com, which hires professional writers for a range of projects including resume writing and document proofing. Editfast.com also hires experienced editors, writers and proofreaders.

Freelance translator

If you are a native speaker of a foreign language, then becoming a freelance translator could be a great opportunity. This is another business you can start on your own if you have the skills and are able to network effectively to land a client. A major corporate client can keep you busy full-time and smaller businesses would likely offer project work here and there. Several companies need documentation translated for international partners and hire freelance translators through companies like Welocalize, Language Translation, Inc. , Accurapid.com, Telelanguage.com, Sdl.com.

Most companies require applicants to take a written test and sign a non-disclosure agreement. Precision and accuracy is a must. Companies who hire freelance translators prefer candidates who are native speakers of the target language, have experience with professional documents, software or multimedia translations, and are members of a professional translation association. The most in-demand services include translation from English to Spanish,English to French, English to Chinese some German, Russian and Italian.