Wednesday 6 April 2011

The Solopreneur Juggling Act


There are so many hats for the solo-prenuer to wear that it can be a juggling routine. There are so many balls in the air and each one can take on many forms:
... marketing... online, offline, in person... networking events, which ones, what is the goal, does it fit with the business... work on billing, invoicing... planning new products... recapping the quarter, updating plans for the next quarter... online seminars, in person development... client attraction, client retention, client relationship building and the list can go on and on, creating massive hurdles that can be difficult to overcome. The solopreneur needs to be the master of many functions.

Try the following tips to push past the juggling act and into a smooth routine process that can help develop efficiency and a more productive work environment:


Plan time to respond to emails and voicemail. Do not look at every message as soon as it arrives in the inbox.
Plan a time to focus on specific parts of the business. An hour a week for marketing or recapping if that is what is required.
Be selective and plan which networking events to attend. Use tools such as LinkedIn to see who is attending the event or call then organizer to understand the guest list. This can help with planning who to meet or if the guests at the event match your target audience.
Set ringtones to specific callers. This way there will not be a chance to miss calls from the school or personal emergencies, leaving other calls to go to voicemail if you have set that plan in place.
Determine if activities are focused on the business or are they simply distractions taking away from productivity.
Do not be afraid to suggest appointment times for clients and prospects. Providing an open calendar will cause changes to business activity commitments.
When creating project plans, include obstacles and how to overcome them should they arise.
Plan time to review trends, stay on top of emerging opportunities and do follow up on project planning.
Enlist in experts to take work away such as a book keeper or a virtual assistant, leaving more time to focus on actual business with your expertise.
Take time to re-energize, regroup and reflect on accomplishments, giving a fresh perspective to moving forward towards your goals.

The list can go on, as any solopreneur knows. Try a few and see what works and, step by step, the juggling will stop.

Lora Crestan has over 20 years experience in personal and business development including retail management, leadership development and marketing communications. By applying her coaching skills with you to your business, both you and your business reach new heights. Go to http://www.solsticegroupcoaching.com and learn more.

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