How to Succeed as a Solopreneur

Create a great brand that looks, feels, and sounds like you.

An increasing number of people are going out on their own — literally solo — and creating highly specialized businesses that service a very specific market. These are the people we love working with at DesignGood. If you’re a solopreneur, you are, quite literally, your brand. When someone visits your website, gets your newsletter, or reads a social post, it’s important that your brand looks and sounds like you. And because we’re living in an age of distraction, you have very little time to communicate and connect. So there’s a lot to be said for eye-catching design and copywriting that clearly communicates who you are and what you do… Stat!

When you invest in working with an experienced studio to create your brand and your voice, it can help you get to where you want to be faster. A professional looking brand builds credibility and shortens the path to recognition, which will get you on your dream clients’ radar quicker. The key is creating an authentic, high-vibe brand that will make finding — and sustaining — success as a solopreneur easier and more meaningful.

Make sure your audience clearly knows what you’re great at doing.

People will hire you because you’re the best at something, and because they feel connected to your business, your brand, and your story. A potential customer should be able to visit your website and instantly get a sense of what you do and how — and why they should hire you to do it for them. If at all possible, you should be giving them a sense of what it’s like to work with you. If you have a set process or method, share that with them on your site or on your deck.

Your ideal site visitor should get the message that “this business works with people just like me.” When crafting copy for your site, start with some soul-searching. (You can begin with our High-Vibe Entrepreneur Method Workbook.) Keep your audience in mind and address their problems – and how you can uniquely solve them. Demonstrate your expertise and, if you can, offer proof. (This can come in the form of statistics, testimonials, case studies, or a portfolio or gallery.) Be clear about process and deliverables, and what your potential client can expect to walk away with when they work with or buy from you. And be sure to include a call-to-action (Start here! Let’s work together!), to let them know how to take the first step.

Be authentic with your communication. (Be you).

It's always tempting to look around at other people in your industry and take bits and pieces of what they’re doing to try to make your own. It’s certainly wise to study your market and the people that came before you. However, make sure you’re still communicating with your audience in your unique voice.

Every single interaction a client has with you — through your website, social media, via email, on the phone — is also an interaction with your brand. And every part of a brand should work together seamlessly. Prospects should get a sense of who you are just by scrolling through your social feed. Your email newsletters should sound the same as in-person meetings. Your presentation materials, pitch deck, or product packaging should have the same visual personality as your website. Because you and your brand are one and the same, when you communicate in a way that’s in alignment with who you are, your clients’ experience of your brand will be consistent and cohesive. This builds their trust in you and your business.

You don't have to work alone. Create a team you can trust.

Just because you're technically the sole owner of your business and you don't have full-time employees, you can still call on a network of talented freelancers and contractors. Don't let tasks that weigh you down keep you from doing the things you’re really good at doing. After all, your clients are paying for you and your expertise. If you hate doing your books and invoicing clients, hire a bookkeeper or a virtual assistant. You can use the extra time to better service your audience or work on your next newsletter or social post.

Stay focused on doing the things you’re great at and that only you can do. Find help for everything else. It’s just smart business, and it keeps your energy high and high-vibe.

Make sure you’re working with the clients you love.

There was a reason you got into business to begin with. There was something you loved doing, or a type of person you loved helping. But we get it... Sometimes you’re worried about money and if the next big project is ever going to appear.

It can be tempting to take whatever work comes along. But have you ever noticed that when you say “yes” to a client that isn’t aligned with your values, it either A) doesn't go well, or B) drains the life right out of you? The world needs the best version of you showing up on the daily, and that person appears when you’re truly working with the people you were meant to help. The best way to ensure that the money and the work will be there is to be doing the work you’re meant to do for the people you were put on this earth to serve.

In all of your outreach efforts, make sure you’re coming from a place of service and putting the needs of your customers first. People don’t want to be sold to. If they can “read” your authenticity, they’ll choose to do business with you because they feel a connection with you and how you operate. And while you’re happily working for clients you connect with and who value you for your specific expertise, you’ll be creating a reputation for doing great work. It’s a positive feedback loop that benefits you, your clients, and your brand.

Everyone starts somewhere on their entrepreneurial journey, and it’s important to remember that your success isn’t based on your number of Instagram followers or visits to your website. It’s about calling in the right people to your business. The ones that are looking to you to be the expert and guide. The way to be seen is to be you!

‍If you’re out on your own as a solopreneur, or you run a small business, we’d love to help you create your high-vibe brand. Send us an email or schedule a call with me to get started!