If your business is owned just by you, you are a solopreneur and this life whether you are trading, tutoring or rendering a service can be very lonely. It does not however have to be a lonely one as there is support out there, on and off line.
It is worthwhile to seek this support out and this is why
You Will Not Have to Reinvent the Wheel
These days there are many government and none government organizations that have customer services, have websites with write ups outlining “How To” or “Steps To” do certain things. Some even run events and do live broadcasts. Pay attention to announcements and visit websites and offices in your area or your location to access this information.
Also, pay attention to trending topics in your field. You will be surprised at the amount of information you can garner that will help you solve a problem you are grappling with in your business.
You Will Get a Sense of Belonging
Solitude is part of being a solo entrepreneur but, there are people out there in the community that can provide you with support. Identify a group of people that you can present your problems to in your community.
These groups will know what it’s like to be in your shoes even if they have long passed that stage. They may even offer a better solution than one you have in mind and will encourage you to keep going. So, set time aside to research these groups and join them.
Being part of a community also means participating and showing interest in what other people are posting. Participating may just mean a like, an encouraging word or a repost.
You May Find Financial Help
A business takes money and if you do find a group that will let you borrow money to help grow your business then you should try to join this group. For many of these groups, rules and regulations are stipulated on how much you can borrow, when you can borrow and when you are expected to reimburse the money, among other things.
The financial help also means that you have someone following up on you and keeping tabs. Having someone to hold you accountable is something that is very good for you as a sole trader.
Even though the choice of business maybe your own there will be someone to hold you accountable for any sums of money you borrow from the group. This will drive you, hopefully, to make sure that you succeed.
You May Find Customers
One of the most difficult things in business is finding and keeping customers but in a community you can have access to a larger pool of customers. Depending on the niche you are in and the service or product you can become the go to person for what you are selling.
Be reliable so that people in the group will not hesitate to mention you. This is a very important and cheap way for you to advertise. People buy from people and people tell people about where to shop.
Depending on your reputation in the group, you will get a mention each time there is someone asking for what you offer.
