How to Be a Successful Solopreneur for Beginners

With a full year of remote working under our collective belts, working from home is no longer a tech trend but something millions of people have discovered is possible for their business. Despite many offices reopening across North America, some people are choosing to remain remote workers or create a hybrid model of home and office work. For those wondering how to be a successful solopreneur in this new normal, the good news is it no longer requires a permanent location.

Here’s a look at what 2020 taught us about virtual work and how running a business will change moving forward. 

Work from home trends

While many of us may have wondered about running a business from our home office, now that we’ve had a taste of remote work and all the complexity it brings to the work-life balance, we can say with confidence there are some things that worked and some that most definitely didn’t.

A recent Pew survey revealed younger people and parents have a harder time working from home than others. For those between ages 18 and 49, focus and motivation have been negative factors. And for parents, interruptions are the main issue preventing a successful working from home experience.

The biggest factor in ease of transitioning from traditional office working to remote working seems to be having an adequate workspace. Those who had home offices already available found it easier to attend conference calls and meet deadlines than those who did not.

Companies are reporting remote workers to be up to 40% more productive than in-office employees, and employees are reporting company productivity to be the same or higher since the pandemic.

How to be a successful solopreneur

For those just getting started in the entrepreneurial world, there are two big lessons that can be learned from this year of working from home.

First, embrace communication tools like Slack and Zoom—but implement boundaries.

While working from home has benefits, such as cutting commuting and relaxing the dress code, there’s such a thing as “Zoom fatigue.” Jumping from video call to video call is draining and not always necessary to achieve effective communication.

Before booking a video chat, consider whether the goal could be achieved through an email, instant message, screen recording or some other way that doesn’t rely on real time connection.

Second, make sure your office is comfortable and effective for getting work done.

While having a nicely decorated space may seem like a luxury, keep in mind you will be spending the majority of your day here. Having a good office set up is important for both productivity and professionalism. Consider investing in a work desk, ergonomic chair and proper lighting. Also ensure your work space is quiet and has an excellent Internet connection.

Working remote doesn’t have to mean working from home

Depending on your industry or living situation, operating from a home office full time may not be ideal. The good news is there are many options for the solopreneur including utilizing meeting rooms and coworking spaces. 

Running a business without the overhead of a physical office space is financially freeing, and coworking spaces make it possible to still have a professional setup with much less commitment.

The features coworking spaces offer differs from place to place, but most come with excellent Wi-Fi, good locations, security and all the amenities you’d require to conduct business.

These spaces also allow for collaborations, community and connection, which many find helpful to running productive and successful businesses.

As the world slowly recovers from the pandemic, the way we work may never return to pre-pandemic ways. Now that we’ve had a taste of just how simple it is to run a business remotely, it will also push innovation as we’re realizing we don’t need to meet everyone in person in order to collaborate effectively or to do great work.

Remote work also allows us to work with a much wider scope of people and in more places than we ever thought possible. In addition, this enables people to enter the workforce who haven’t been a fit for the traditional approach due to a variety of factors including accessibility, mobility challenges, stage of life and much more.

No longer limited by location or having a physical presence, solopreneurs are positioned to bring their business to the world, in just a few clicks.