So you ditched the corporate grind to start your own thing? That’s awesome! But let’s be real, going solo in the small business world, is a wild ride with some unexpected bumps.
Remember how you always knew what was going on? The latest Google update, the newest marketing strategies, the industry gossip? Now that’s on you. It’s easy to feel totally out of the loop when you’re not sitting in those big office meetings anymore. You have to actively hunt for every piece of news, subscribing to multiple newsletters and basically becoming your own research department just to keep up with the trends in communication strategies or SEO. It’s a lot of work to stay current!
My brainstorming buddy is… me!
The water cooler chats and office drop-ins that suddenly sparked a brilliant idea, or having a colleague to instantly bounce a tough project problem off of are now gone. When you’re alone, brainstorming is a little quieter. That energy and enthusiasm you get from a group when an idea catches fire? You have to generate all of that yourself. It can get lonely, and sometimes you just want someone else to look at your half-baked marketing campaign idea and say, “Yes, that’s genius!” or “Wait, let’s tweak this part.”
It’s all you
When you were corporate, you were one cog in a giant machine. Now? You’re the whole machine! You’re the chief executive, the marketing guru, the accountant and the coffee runner.
Every task, every deadline, every mistake and every victory is 100% your responsibility. The weight can be intense because there’s no one else to hand things off to.
While it’s hard work, that feeling of building something incredible entirely on your own terms is totally unbeatable. The wins are all yours, and that freedom is the reason you jumped ship in the first place, right?
Stay connected and motivated
So how do you fight that isolation and keep the energy up? You have to build your own network! I’m fortunate in my small business to have a partner who is available to take on part of the load and provide input along the way. But, there’s a little more to it than that.
Join online communities, find a mastermind group of other small business owners, or hire a coach or accountability partner. These steps will help you feel more in the know and motivated. Schedule regular calls to bounce ideas around—you need that outside perspective to break through mental blocks. Plus, seeing how others are tackling the same challenges gives you that necessary shot of camaraderie and helps keep your finger on the pulse of what’s working in the industry. Don’t try to go it completely alone!
If you made the decision to break from the corporate world to become your own boss, congratulations. You now have the power to make your own decisions about work-life balance, the products you sell and how you sell them.
Are you a small business owner? What’s the best part of driving your own success?
Writing for you. 