20 Tips For The Budding Solopreneur

 This article explores four themes and a total of 18 tips: A) Tips For Some of The Best Tools For Solopreneurs, B) Tips For Using Social Media, C) Tips To Grow Your Solopreneur Business Quickly, D) Tips to Turn Your Side Hustle Into A Solopreneur Business.
 
A. Tips For Some of The Best Tools For Solopreneurs 

When you begin your new adventure as a solopreneur, you may notice there are a ton of different tools out there that promise to be the very best. It is important to sift through all the noise and find which ones will actually help you become successful, no matter what industry you are in. some of the best tools for a solopreneur to use include:
 
PDF Expert 
If you need to send and receive a lot of documents for your new business adventure, then PDF Expert is a good tool. This will allow you to receive and send out PDFs while making it easy to quickly edit inside of that document. This saves a lot of hassle and will ensure that the other party receiving the PDF can still get it without formatting issues.

 
Password Manager 
Keeping track of all the passwords that you need to manage through the day can be a challenge. You should not use the same one for each account that you get into. But if they are all different, how are you supposed to remember them? Use password manager, you can keep all of the passwords in one place. It will safeguard all of your information and can even generate secure passwords. You can even use it over more than one device so you won’t have to worry about it later on.  Both Google Chrome and Microsoft Outlook have automatic password protection tools.  There are also Apps you can use such as Password Padlock.

 
A Task Manager
This is one of the best tools that you can use to stay organized while getting work done. There is a ton of work that needs to be accomplished when you are a solopreneur. And staying organized and on top of it may seem almost impossible. Instead of trying to keep it all memorized in your head, you can use this task manager to help out.
A particular option that many use is Microsoft Outlook which is a great organizational tool that can make you more productive. You can attach documents to a task, create recurring tasks, and so much more while keeping it all in one place.  You can also link One Note, Teams, Zoom, Skype and emails. If you are worried about how to stay organized as a solopreneur, then this is a cool tool to choose. The best resource for Microsoft Outlook is Priority Management’s Working Sm@rt Suite. You can find a Priority Management Office near you here.

 
Autoresponder
An autoresponder is a service which allows you to automatically send out emails to several if not hundreds of people,  or to several groups of people at the same time or in a sequence.
Autoresponders are like having your own personal assistant. It gives you a way to automatically keep in touch with your customers at one time, keep your email list current, gives people a way to unsubscribe to your list; adds people to your email list; ensures you follow CAN-SPAM Act guidelines with double opt-ins. Essentially an autoresponder will help you be more productive, run your business more smoothly and give you extra time to work on more important activities such as developing a product or program.

You will be able to automatically send out emails in a sequence, for example an 8 part training course you want to send out one module at a time. You can set it up so that modules go at the appropriate time and date. You can set up ways to capture potential customer names and email addresses for instance by offering a free eBook, Mindmap or Resource file.

However, you must have permission from subscribers before you sign them in, or they give their emails through a promotion that is linked to your subscription list; once you prepare an email the sending process is automatic. And when you get the hang of using an autoresponder you will find it is an easy way to communicate to people on your list

To get started you will first have to sign up to an autoresponder service. I use www.Getresponse.com  and www.Mailchimp.com  (free but limited for the up to 1000 on your list). Another Autoresponder my colleagues use is www.Aweber.com
As a solopreneur, it is important to have the right tools available and ready to go from the beginning. With the tools above, you will be well on your way to running your business and seeing the success that you desire as a solopreneur!

eBook Creator
An excellent tool for creating eBooks is Scribble. I have used Scribble to develop eBooks for sale and promotion. Not only does Scribble create eBooks, you also have the opportunity to integrate a book store, audio books, flip books, blogs and much more. Scribble is one of my go to programs. You can find it here.

Product Creation
The best program that I used to help me understand and create products is Trevor Carr's Breakthrough program. It is packed with training, a helpful support group and solid helpful hints. If you have never prepared or packaged products before Breakthrough is a must. You can find it here.
 

B. Tips For Using Social Media 

Social media will become one of your biggest assets when growing a business. But you need to know how to use it properly. Many solopreneurs have big ideas of growing on social media, but they find that things do not go as planned and then they are stuck with a lot of work and no response. The three best tips that you can use to help grow your solopreneur business through social media includes:
 

Do Not Post Too Often 
Finding the balance in terms of how often to post is important. You do not want to ignore your page for days at a time and then post a bunch and then abandon it. But you also do not want to post fifty times in a day because this will annoy potential customers and they will stop even looking. With some good analytics, you will find the perfect mixture of when to post and how often during the day. It is fine to experiment a bit to find the right amount for your business.
 

Pick Relevant Material 
When you make a post on social media, it is important to pick material that is relevant or that your followers will find useful. The right content will make all the difference, though it does depend on the type of industry you are in and the products you sell for what will be considered relevant content. Think about what you would enjoy seeing on a social media page for a company and work from there.
 

Interact with the Customers 
It is important to spend some time interacting with others on your social media page. You do not want to just put something up and then ignore the page until the next day. Your customers may ask you questions or comment under a post and a little interaction can help make it feel more personal.
To make this work, you do not need to be online all day waiting for a comment to respond back to. Pick an hour or so a day that you can do this and give your best answer.  It does not need to be perfect. But your customers will appreciate that you are giving some effort.

Social media can be a great tool for a solopreneur to help them reach their potential customers and start to grow. And when you use the three tips above, you will find that it is easier than ever to make social media work for you.
 

C. Tips To Grow Your Solopreneur Business Quickly 

As a solopreneur, you are likely looking for a lot of different ways to grow your business quickly. You want to get your name out there and turn this from a side business into a full time one. Or maybe you quit your regular job to do this and now you want to get the ball rolling. The good news is that, even as a solopreneur, it is possible to quickly grow your business by using the following tips:

 
Build Your Network 
Anyone who is looking to grow their business and see results will know the importance of building up a network. You need a good network, including potential clients, industry leaders, and more to help you. Do not avoid adding someone to your network just because they are not a potential customer or because their industry does not seem to relate to yours. They can still provide you with a wealth of knowledge about getting started. And many times they will send over potential clients if they think you will be a good fit. It is beneficial to you and others in your network to form these connections.

 
Share Your Knowledge 
As a solopreneur, you already have a wealth of knowledge available. The thing that will really position you for growth though is what you do with all of that knowledge. You can share a lot of your knowledge with your clients or find another unique way that you will stand out from the crowd in order to position yourself as the expert in the field and get ahead.

 
Learn Something New 
Sometimes learning a new trick or a new program will make all the difference. As a solopreneur, you do not want to stretch yourself too thin by offering too many things to your clients. But by learning a new program or another important aspect of your industry, you may position yourself better to really help your clients out in a way that the competition can’t. Think about what will be the most beneficial in your industry and focus on learning that.

A solopreneur is in a unique position to offer niche services and really reach their clients in a different way than a business or an entrepreneur can. When they take the time to grow their networks, share what they know, and even learn something new, they can quickly grow this small business into something that makes a good income for them.


Join A Business Group
Most communities have associations and organizations that cater just to businesses. These could be like the Chamber of Commerce, a faith based group, or a private group. Find a business group that fits with your business direction, where members are non-competitors, and is local. A local business group gives you the advantage of developing social relationships with like minded businesspeople and resources for immediate help. 

Also don't forget to join like-minded solopreneurs on social media. For instance join a Facebook business group, or find a mentor that will help you grow in your niche. 
 
D. Tips to Turn Your Side Hustle Into Your Business 

If you have worked on a side hustle that is doing well, you may decide that it is time to start your own solopreneur business. this is a fun step to take, but to make the transition, you need to be prepared and organized. Some of the tips that you can use to turn a side hustle into your own solopreneur business includes:

 
Find a Business Name 
Set up the business entity the way that works best for you. Many solopreneurs work as a lone proprietor, though an LLC can help to protect you in case of a lawsuit. You need to figure this out to help when tax time comes. Open up a business bank account so you can keep your business finances separate from your personal ones. 


Domain Register
If you are going to establish a website or any other web service, you will need to have Domain name. A domain register services is a company that handles the reservation of a domain name as well as an assignment of an IP address for that name.

Domain names are alphanumeric aliases to access websites – for example the Fontanie Magazine domain name is Fontaniemanagazine.com and it’s IP address is 71.17.38.236. It is easy to register a Domain name. However you don’t own the Domain name. You are just leasing it to use. As long as you continue to pay the registration fee you can keep using it. The Domain Name Registration Firm I use is www.Godaddy.ca

 
Freelance Platform
Freelancers work for themselves and who contract their services out. They could be a writer, photographer, or an expert in any field.  A variety of companies, organizations and government agencies hire freelancers.
The jobs vary from short term to long term or part-time and full-time projects. It is projected that there will be in the neighborhood of 86 million freelancers by 2028. As a self-employed individual the freelancer is responsible for all administration such as billing clients, setting work hours, time tracking, paying their own taxes. Since don’t use Freelance Platforms but Freelancers often use www.Fiverr.com , www.Upwork.com  www.Elance.com

 
Payment Processor
Simply put a payment processor relays information from your customer’s credit or debt card to your bank or vise versa.
One of the roles of the payment processor is to make sure there is enough money in the customer’s account to cover the cost of the purchase. If there is, the transaction goes through. Every time you use your credit card and pay a bill the payment processor goes to work. In the internet marketing world payment processors often include such firms as www.PayPal.com  www.Square.com www.Stripe.com   and www.ClickBank.com . Btw I use all four.

 
Web hosting Service
In a nutshell a web hosting service is an on-line service that enables you to publish your website or web application on the internet.
Web hosting now meets the different needs of websites and customers. They could include ‘Shared web hosting’ Dedicated hosting, VPS Hosting, Cloud Hosting, Reseller Hosting. The different types of webhosting relate to the kind of technology used for the server, the level of management provided and the services offered. Many Web Hosting Services will also register your Domain for your Website.  I host Fontanie Magazine on www.Weebly.com  for an annual fee. I have also used a free Google web hosting service at www.Sites.Google.com. Other paid hosting services I recommend are www.HostGator.com  and www.Bluehost.com. 

 
Research the Market 
You may need to research the market a bit more to find your niche. Doing something as a side hustle is a little different than making enough to earn a full income. Since you have had a chance to dive into the market already, this can put you in a unique position to know what niche would be the most profitable and you can jump right in there. Do some research and decide where your market is.

 
Create Your Network 
In the beginning, you may need to rely on word of mouth quite a bit to get things going. Having a strong network in the community can help with this. Rely on your friends, those you meet at church, and others you encounter at the park, at networking events and more, to help turn the business into a success. Your network will be important as time goes on so consider who would be an asset and think of ways you can help them out too.
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Think About Marketing 
As a solopreneur, you will not have a large budget to use as a marketing tool to help. This does not mean you are completely out of hope when it comes to showing off what you have.  You may need to be more creative though. A good social media presence is important so think that through ahead of time. Consider word of mouth and other options as well.

You may have started out as a side hustle to make a little bit of money. But these side hustles can quickly turn into a successful solopreneur business when done well. Follow the easy steps above and you will soon have your own solopreneur business up and running.

 
In Conclusion

I have tried to provide you with a number of tools you can use to make your life easier as a solopreneur. This top eighteen list is a beginning for you. Master them and you will become a master solopreneur. In the event that you want more information and education on becoming and strengthening your skills as a solopreneur just press the button below and receive a free e-Book Home Office Stress (as found in the Storefront)
 
Thanks for reading, and as always keep safe, stay healthy and become the best version of yourself.
 
Richard Fontanie

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