3 Obstacles You Will Encounter When Becoming a Solopreneur
Life can be challenging, especially when you're a solopreneur.
Every solopreneur's experience and obstacles will be different. There will be different paths, different roads, and different rewarding experiences.
But while everyone’s entrepreneurial journey will be unique, certain commonalities will likely overlap. We’ve identified three obstacles you will likely encounter as a solo entrepreneur. We’ll explore each below:
Time Management
You may have been a decent time manager beforehand, but when you become a solopreneur, it’s a whole new ballgame! There will be countless tasks thrown onto your plate fast and no manager telling you what to do and how to prioritize. Moreover, you’ll still want to enjoy the freedom that being an entrepreneur or solopreneur allows.
Even the most organized individuals will need to focus on building the time management skills necessary to work productively under such conditions.
You will need to be able to motivate yourself to work each morning and keep yourself from becoming distracted. While you may have increased freedom, you must prioritize your tasks as nobody else will hold you accountable except for you.
In Entrepreneur Magazine, Ross Jenkins notes that “Time management is absolutely key to having a sustainable, successful career as a freelancer.” We concur.
Getting Your First Customer
You're ready and raring to go! You've built a site (AtomPay enables you to create a shareable link to checkout so you can skip this step!) and maybe even designed some Internet Ads. A week later, you’re still waiting for your first customer or client. This happens to many new solopreneurs, and it can be the most stressful and frustrating thing you’ve ever dealt with. And you are not alone! In a recent survey by The Mighty Marketer, 94% of freelancers find marketing to be a challenge.
After you’ve invested time, money, and energy into getting your business ready to go, it’s disheartening to sit around waiting for a prospective lead to pull the trigger and convert.
Since you’re brand new, no one really knows about you, and you don’t have the social proof to convince new customers to interact. You may need to do something to grab their attention; (writing content is one example of a way to get in front of an audience.)
Once you get that first customer, treat them right by providing great value, and you’re bound to snowball and keep growing. Stick with it and provide exemplary service.
General Anxiety
Congratulations! By becoming a solopreneur, you’ve eschewed the safe route, which takes a lot of bravery.
That is not the case when you’re an entrepreneur, and your business lives or dies by every decision you make. You are the sole person responsible for its success or downfall, which is a lot to get used to.
It’s normal to feel anxious when you are experiencing something new. The first time you start a business, you will be nervous, overwhelmed, and may even be a scatter-brained wreck. Don’t let it stop you!
And perhaps most importantly, make sure that you are getting adequate sleep. “Most entrepreneurs don’t get enough,” said Jonathan Prichard, Founder, and CEO of Mattress Insider. “Try improving your sleep habits for a week and see how different you feel—more energized, more productive, and happier. Your business and your life as an entrepreneur will improve.”
With time, you'll get more comfortable, and as you start to get a few small achievements under your belt, you'll begin to feel just more confident and comfortable.
Overcome These Challenges and Succeed with AtomPay
At AtomPay, we understand the challenges solopreneurs like you face. We’ve also seen what happens when committed entrepreneurs stick with it and overcome obstacles: They succeed!
As your business grows, you’re bound to deal with a lot more than these three entrepreneur obstacles. When you do, just keep going and don’t quit!
Ready to start selling? Signup for AtomPay free!