Launching your own company is a fantastic adventure. If you’ve been working in an office until now, you’ll immediately enjoy the sense of freedom you gain when you become your own boss. However, freedom isn’t the only thing you gain. Stress also plays a major role in your independent career. Indeed, entrepreneurs, and especially solo-entrepreneurs, have one of the most vulnerable audience groups to depression, chronic stress, and anxiety disorders. It’s easy to understand why: Ultimately, you’ve got a lot more new responsibilities. Being an expert in your field isn’t enough to make a living as a solo professional. You need to be able to manage the administrative tasks of your business, reach out to new partners and clients, fill up your tax duties as a company owner, and preserve your work/life balance. For new entrepreneurs, it’s fair to say that things can rapidly feel overwhelming. 

Your business competes on the market against established companies that rely on their team to share the workload. You, on the other hand, are a one-person team. Even with the best of wills, you can’t manage to tackle the additional tasks of running a business on top of your field of expertise. Sleepless nights and caffeinated days are likely to become your new routine. But it doesn’t have to be that way. You can find effective ways of reducing the workload without compromising your performance. 

Urgh, filling up tax returns is a painful experience

Filing your taxes is never an enjoyable experience. But filing your corporate taxes is a completely new challenge. For a start, you need to keep track of a lot of financial operations throughout your business, from transactions to investments. But, more importantly, without an accounting background, you’re unlikely to know how to share the information with your tax office. However, using accounting programs can take the edge off nightmarish bookkeeping processes. With a variety of online tools available, you can even find free solutions that tackle all your financing challenges as a small business, without the hassle of managing complex and involving finance operations. If things get too complicated, or if you’re planning to grow your business and need advice, you can also get in touch with an expert accountant to outsource your tax and bookkeeping duties. 

Keeping up with the to-do list without losing your cool

We’ve said it before. When your team only consists of yourself, there are a million things you need to do! Making sure you don’t forget anything and keep track of your progress is hard work. But if you don’t want to drown in a sea of post-it notes reminding you to do this and that, you need to find a tool that keeps you organized. Trello offers a lot of productivity support for professionals, including a map power-up system that coordinates your to-do lists and tasks. The power-up section adds a geographic dimension to your work, which is especially helpful if you need to set up face-to-face appointments with clients or partners. Additionally, if you’re planning an exhibition, it’s also a fantastic collaborative platform to keep your suppliers in the loop! 

Don’t disturb your day with inquiry calls

Your leads need an answer to their questions. Could you deliver on a Saturday? Do you support their location? Can you help them with a new project? Every customer journey begins with a question, namely, can you give me what I need. Unfortunately, that question can cost you precious time. For a lot of freelancers, it’s an impossible dilemma. Should you answer the phone or carry on with your work?

How about addressing the issue head-on with a virtual reception service? Indeed, a solution such as VHQ can answer your phones and tackle queries while you work. Additionally, your receptionist can also set up appointments on your behalf. 

Keeping your customers informed without time involvement

There is no great website without a fantastic blog. Your content is your best weapon to exist in a crowded market. Unfortunately, creating blog articles is time-demanding. And time is of the essence when you work alone. That’s precisely why more and more independent professionals rely on the services of qualified copywriters to create engaging and exciting new content. Finding the most relevant copywriter for your project can be tricky. You’ll have to decide on the results you want to achieve as well as the budget and timeline. 

Learning how to pitch is going to save your day

Hey, Mr Client, I’ve had this fantastic idea. Please hire me. 

Presenting your services and your business ideas to early customers can be tough. Pitching is a delicate art to master, but it is nevertheless a necessary skill to learn to support your business. Building a compelling pitch is all about understanding your audience and capturing their attention. Typically, you need to establish a healthy balance of business needs and emotional engagement that tells a story people want to know. 

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You can’t work 24/7

I need to finish this. 

I can’t go to sleep now, there’s so much to do. 

I always check my emails during the weekend. 

If any of this sounds familiar, you need a wake-up call. It is tempting to work longer hours and give 110% to keep your business standing, but you can’t work 24/7. You are not a computer. You need to rest to recharge your batteries and stay productive. Therefore, it’s a good idea to set your work hours around your internal clock, so that you can work when you’re at your most productive and creative. What this means is that you also need to schedule resting times away from the desk. 

Diversifying your income stream

Diversification is an essential strategy for long-term survival, especially in today’s uncertain economy. Relying solely on one income source leaves you exposed and vulnerable.

You need to diversify your income stream in order to build a financial safety net and secure your future. You can do so by investing in stocks, real estate or even starting a side business.

Remember: the key to successful diversification lies in understanding and managing risk levels. The investment strategies and risk management expertise offered by Nadine Terman Solstein Capital can provide financial security while expanding opportunities. Let their expertise guide your decisions regarding investments for business expansion.

Stopping the panic attacks when something breaks

Not everything turns out right from Day One. Sometimes, things don’t work. That’s life in business. But keeping the big picture in mind can help you to prioritize your activities and let go of broken campaigns and strategies. You can’t afford to give panic the upper hand. When you feel yourself losing control, take a step back and consider what needs to be done in terms of priority. It will help you to allocate realistic goals. 

Starting a new venture is stressful. However, if you want to keep your sanity throughout this new professional adventure, you have to work smartly from Day One. Indeed, even solo-entrepreneurs need a little help!