My Solopreneurial Journey -2

I wrote my first article on the solopreneurial journey six months ago.  I am nearing the end of the 1-year mark with my company and I’ve learnt more now. Hope these points are of help to you:

Be Woke

I try to be as “woke” as possible about everything. I read the news, learn about trending topics, understand how technology is shaping up bizarrely and list down all the skills I have to continuously acquire. I need to know what’s happening in the world, every random general knowledge I come across is somehow ridiculously helpful especially when I have to pitch my projects or work with diverse industries.

I constantly update myself about what my competitors and peers are doing. How much are content projects earning other writers? Are mine priced too low? What strategies do I employ to better my business? With whom do I collaborate? What’s hot and happening right now? What’s viral? Should I engage in it too, just to get brand presence? And so on…

Internet Gurus

I would like to quote Carl Jung here:

“In all chaos there is a cosmos, in all disorder a secret order”.

Find out if the strategies and tools you learn on the internet actually work for you. They may generally work for millions and not work for you. In 2019, digital presence is mandatory is what many marketers say.

Yet, I know a guy who runs a successful video subtitling business and is on a first-name basis with the media hubs in Mumbai. He even deleted his stagnant digital assets when digital marketing was flourishing. Another perfumer/ Director of a perfumery has been able to run his business successfully for ten years now just by meeting his clients personally. There is no online marketing involved. He has one basic static website with his factory’s profile on it.

At the same time, asking questions and seeking help is not going to hurt your image. Your gut instinct tells you what you need to do. You can check with your peers if the direction you’ve thought about is where you want to head. I try to learn from people who have had similar experiences as mine. I try to understand if their solutions would work for me. Sometimes it definitely won’t so, don’t get flustered.

There is no clear manual on how to run a business. Everyone’s struggle is unique. There will be many generalized suggestions and superficial information you can consume. Some may work and some may not. You can try to validate your experiences with others. You may learn that there is no set strategy. Many founders may also have a stroke of serendipity that would have boosted the business for them in spite of them having put in a lot of effort and analysis.

For me, serendipity is the secret order but that doesn’t mean I discount my hard work. My instinct usually tells me what to do and it is right most of the time. I just don’t listen to it properly.  One way I control serendipity is by networking well, collecting good karma to add to my kitty and putting 100% of my soul in the work I do. Read more about it below.

Emotional Intelligence

Your EQ has to be high if your brand’s coolness quotient has to increase. You may have been a loose cannon before but check yourself now. Loose lips will definitely sink ships. What ever you say publicly or on the digital media can be turned against you and cost you your business and clients.

If you are taking a stand you better have a good reason to back your decisions. You will definitely have to watch your language cos’ the crowd may “stan” you  or troll you. You can be someone’s role model and someone else’s Trump. Be wary of what you say…at least keep the language free of slurs and offensive disses as much as you can when you are reppin’ your company and brand.

I believe in women empowerment but I don’t dig feminist extremists.  Whatever my opinions and beliefs are, I make no bones about it but express my thoughts in a non-offensive manner as much as possible. If I have to take a controversial stand, I still do it but back it up with proper and tangible justifications. Just don’t be impulsive when you speak/write, think before you say something and articulate it smartly. There is also a level till which you can take diss from others/ clients. Know when to voice out against such hate.

Haters gonna hate

I get to hear criticisms about how I run my business and how my projects are “ridiculously pricey” though my charges are on par or below the market price. I have also had fall outs with a couple of peers because expectations have been different or that our collaboration did no good for our respective businesses. I had to take them in my stride. Gossiping or backstabbing is going to lose you respect in your own circle.

You will get your set of admirers eventually after all the hard hustle. It is okay to gain a few haters here and there,  have quarrels/beefs and be unpopular. Ultimately, you have to run your business so focus on that.

The sky won’t rain money

I had to face some challenges financially. I was not even making half of what I was earning as a full-time employee. The amount of projects were less.  I had to accept projects for less money to build my profile. I used to work for endless hours on a project that would pay me peanuts. I used to chase payments through the month for projects I had completed a long time ago. I have worked on projects that fell through for me and  earned nada for those. However, I know I will get that moolah, baby. I know I will get my returns, probably not financially, but in other ways. So, understand that you reap what you sow, but it cannot be as direct as money. You may get your returns in other ways.  Keep your eyes open to recognize, acknowledge and be grateful for that.

Secret Formula

You would have heard people say that passion drives business. It is just partially true. Here is a formula that works for me passion+discipline+grit+perseverance+relationships = successful business. Find out the secret formula for your business too.

Passion lets you research on the subject, commit to your business better and wake up everyday all motivated to grind. However, 75% of your business has bitter stuff in it. You eat your greens and then you get the dessert. It takes a high level of discipline to maintain your work-life balance; manage your time; avoid procrastination, stress and frustration to drive success. The discipline will make you tackle your work-related challenges head-on and that is the nasty 75% bit.

Businesses take time to grow, become famous and profitable. You have to take the climb and be matured enough to handle your successes. You need grit and perseverance when your business is not doing well or when a few projects get dropped. People may not take you seriously, you will lose out on important clients and sometimes you will feel bogged down and you might want to quit. I am not the person who says quitters are losers. Sometimes it is good to quit but keep that as a last resort. See if you can save your business from sinking in other ways first.

It is more likely that you get your first set of clients through your networks. Having strangers do business with you is tough. You may have to nurture them for a long time before you convert them to customers. Constantly nurture your relationships with friends, acquaintances, peers, colleagues, competitors, existing and potential clients before signing a deal with them.  At the end of the day, you can use a lot of jargons and professional theories, but the equation you hold with your customer alone works. It could even tread on the dangerous path where the lines between personal and professional may blur. So, use your common sense, ethics and discretion to manage such relationships smoothly and healthily.

Good Karma Pays

I bagged two projects because three of my acquaintances returned favors. Had I not been good to them, I would have been an unemployed mess till date. I am seriously grateful to have them in my life. It is completely okay to do things for people for free or without any expectations. At least, the favours I had done for them earlier were of that sort. Who knew they would come back to me many months later with juicy projects? I am sure then it holds true that bad karma bites your back and snitches end up in ditches. So, speak, behave and share wisely. Give generously, if not your money, then at least your time, efforts and favours.

More about my journey on post 3.