Ecology of life. Business: A survival guide for those who prefer to do everything on their own...
Know what you want from your business
Not every business can be run by one person. Before deciding whether to hire a team or work alone, you need to understand what is best for you. If you want to work on a large scale - a team probably can't hurt. But if the main thing for you is the freedom to do business the way you want, there is no need to change anything.
However, sometimes the only way to find out is to try both options. Larry Keltto, publisher of Blogthusiast and author of The Solopreneur Life, is one of those lone entrepreneurs himself, although he did try to scale his business by hiring a few employees in the 1990s. In an interview with Small Business Trends, Keltto said:
“My business became more profitable, but I was not happy about it. I spent too much time managing other people and sales, and it kept me from doing what I love so much.
Be prepared to sacrifice profit
One of the main disadvantages of a solo business is that often such enterprises do not bring in as much money as more traditional ones. It is impossible to do as much on your own as the whole team can do. If you feel like doing everything yourself, be prepared to sacrifice some of your potential income.
Maintain Your Own Responsibility
Since only you are responsible for all operations, you should rely only on yourself in terms of the speed and quality of task completion. You will have to find a way to maintain your own accountability, perhaps through some kind of reward system or a very strict schedule.
Do not limit yourself because of personality traits
Contrary to popular belief, almost anyone can become a successful solo entrepreneur. You don't have to love solitude to successfully run a business on your own. Keltto says:
“There seems to be a stereotype that solo entrepreneurs are all introverts. In my experience, I can judge that among such businessmen there are no more introverts than the average in the population.
Respond quickly to new opportunities
One of the main advantages of running a business on your own is that you do not need to consult with other people when making important decisions. Therefore, as soon as you spot an opportunity that seems good for your business, grab it immediately. Use your advantage - and one day it may help you beat other businesses.
Let your freedom be your strength
Here is another important advantage: you do not have to answer to anyone but yourself. You will have to maintain accountability, but you don't have to be held hostage to traditional business practices just to please the rest of the team. So if you work better on a non-standard schedule or in unusual conditions - you can do whatever you want, and it's a sin not to use it.
Constantly learn from your own experience
The sole proprietor is responsible for all aspects of his business. But when you start a new venture, it's impossible to be an expert in everything. Therefore, you will have to keep an open mind and be ready to learn about new aspects of your business on the go.
Develop a wide variety of skills
Most solo entrepreneurs start a business because they already have some skill set. Perhaps you are talented in carpentry or web design. But in order to successfully run a business on your own, you also need to have a little understanding of marketing, accounting, and many other things. You must work hard to develop skills that were not given to you by nature.
Use advanced tools
Fortunately, there are many tools that can help a businessman with those tasks for which he does not have a special talent. Use online platforms to get your head around things like taxes and planning. Don't do everything manually.
Automate everything you can
Billing, mail sorting and mailing marketing communications- tasks that are easy to automate so as not to waste time and resources on them.
Celebrate achievements with others
A well-known disadvantage of doing business alone is that you have no one to celebrate success or the transition to a new big milestone with. So if you've done something you're really proud of, don't forget to celebrate it with your friends or family.
Look for outside support
It's good to have someone to celebrate success with, but the same can be said for hard times. When you need advice or just want to talk, don't hesitate to ask family, friends, or mentors for help.
Focus on the goal, not your hobbies
Keltto explains: “In the world of solo entrepreneurs, the phrase ‘do what you love’ comes up a lot. But you should be driven by the desire for the goal, not passion. Passion is an emotional, irrational euphoria that happens at the very beginning of a relationship. When a business is based on passion, it is very difficult for it to survive the first major setbacks. Love can quickly turn into hate."
Set financial goals
Finance is the measure of success in any business. And even if you have to sacrifice some part of the profits to keep the business independent, you still need to regularly set goals for income and growth.
Consider your personal needs
However, money is not everything for single businessmen. You need to stay happy and healthy. Keltto says:
“Single entrepreneurs must consider the state of their body, mind and personal relationships. Your health in these three areas determines how successful (and sustainable) the business will be in the future.
Plan your breaks
If you want to create a schedule that will help you stay healthy and happy, it's important to include regular breaks in your schedule. Keltto says:
"It's typical for solo entrepreneurs to work all the time, or at least think they should work all the time. But that quickly leads to burnout."
Work on your workplace
If you regularly work from home, make sure to organize a space that is not only comfortable, but also optimized for high productivity - this is very important for a successful business.
Consider coworking
If you prefer to be surrounded by other people while you work, there are many coworking spaces at your service. Just choose the one that is more affordable and offers a plan that suits your needs.
Find like-minded entrepreneurs online
There are many online communities that will allow you to regularly interact with people who work in the same industry or share your interests. Find some forums, Twitter channels, and other communities to help you share your ideas and meet others.
Be prepared for intermittent income
Doing business alone can not only lead to some decrease in profits, but also make it unstable. Whether you're sick, taking a vacation, or just facing a sales slump, you'll earn less than a good month. It's helpful to have a backup savings account or other source of income just in case, to stay afloat during difficult times.
Be patient waiting for success
A business that you manage on your own will take a little longer to grow to the stage where you feel comfortable. If you have just started and are already facing unexpected difficulties or low profits, do not rush to quit. To grow successful business on your own, it may take much more time than when working with a team. If this is what you really want, you should work hard and show a little patience.published
There are not many people in the world who like to "jump" from one job to another. Most often, just the opposite happens: a person clings to a position to the last, even if much does not suit him there. Stability comes first for almost everyone.
But sometimes a moment comes when, for one reason or another, you need to quit - whether the employee himself decided so or the boss wanted to, or maybe he got laid off. Most often, this moment is unpleasant, except when it is done for the sake of moving to another, more advantageous place.
Some groups of people have more rights than others. Single mothers also fall under this category, more precisely, those who can legally be recognized as such. In the event of a reduction or dismissal at the request of the boss, they are many times more likely to remain in the same organization and in the same position.
In such situations, a problem often arises due to the fact that one of the parties does not know all the nuances ...
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How can you make your dream come true without attracting investors and business partners?
Starting your own business is the dream of many. Some believe that due to own business will make a profit and do nothing, others - that they will be able to freely realize themselves.
First you need to set yourself a goal, decide why you need a business. Depending on whether you want to quickly earn a lot of money, or want to realize your dreams and ideas, the strategy for further actions depends.
A business plan can help a lot here when you see your idea outlined on several sheets of paper. Here, shortcomings and controversial points will immediately become visible, you will have to revise some plans or even radically revise your strategy. But do not think that the business plan ends the discussion of the project. You have to analyze a lot of different factors.
You will also need investments, you will need market analysis and...
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Do you prefer to do everything alone?
You can think of a great project, but you will never realize it if you try to do the work yourself, which requires the participation of two, five or twenty people.
You can not build a multi-storey building alone. You can't make ten million on your own, unless you're a brilliant stock player or hit the jackpot in the national lottery.
Most of the cases are not designed for singles. If you are going to cut wood with a two-handed saw, you will need the help of another person. You will not be able to simultaneously drive a tank and shoot from its gun, so the tank crew also consists of at least two people - a driver and a gunner. If you are building a house, then you will not be able to move the stretcher without a partner.
These simple examples You can multiply and multiply, but why? All this is clear even to a child. However, quite often we do just the opposite, consciously choosing the path of greatest resistance.
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The issue of repairing an apartment or house is relevant for many families. Some women simply “wash down” their husbands in order to get things off the ground, and some girls simply live on their own and in order to carry out repairs they have two options, either do it yourself or hire professionals. At the same time, every girl should understand that in repairs she can do a lot herself, and only builders should be invited to do some work.
Where to begin
There's a designer in every girl and woman, so if you're about to redecorate your home, it's time to wake him up. Look through magazines and websites, think about what you would like to create in your room, try sketching on paper.
If you have just purchased apartments in new buildings with finishing and are going to settle down there, then apart from your design talents, you will not need anything else. If you are doing repairs in the apartment you live in, then you ...
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The world belongs to men. This still biblical maxim is undeniable, despite emancipation and feminized slogans. No one says that a woman has fewer rights, but she still has a harder time in life than He does. So should a woman travel alone? Stupid question.
A woman is a weak creature with a very fragile mental organization. No matter how hard the girls try to demonstrate their stamina, steadfastness, self-confidence and the ability to cut their throats to all life's problems, not one of them will refuse to hide from all the sorrows of the world behind the broad back of a rock-man. But this does not mean at all that a woman cannot do without a man in some situations.
Solo travel has become increasingly popular in recent years. There are various reasons for this. Someone has begun to feel blues and needs to be distracted and be alone, while someone's partner is too busy at work and cannot part with annual report and throw your body on a red-hot...
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Earning in such a beautiful business will bring only one pleasure. Wedding decoration is a well-known service in which you can earn quite decent money. So why not try yourself in this area, especially if you are a creative person and like to surround yourself with beautiful things?
Justification of the business idea
Many will say: “Who needs this service, because you can organize everything yourself?”. In fact, a lot of people do not spare money to make their wedding the best. And that takes a lot of time interesting ideas and talent. Not everyone has this combination.
Therefore, we can safely say that this is a great business idea for a small business and even for a business alone.
By approaching this process creatively, creating unique compositions and coming up with original ideas, you have every chance to receive regular orders from future newlyweds.
Wedding decoration with flowers
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Happiness together? © Thinkstock
Sociologists, psychologists and educators are sounding the alarm: more and more women are abandoning a full-fledged family, preferring the life of a single mother. And not always in the ranks of single mothers are divorced women.
The situation when a woman quite consciously refuses marriage, choosing such an “independent” life for herself and her child, is becoming more and more common.
Why do women choose the fate of a single mother?
What are the roots of this decision? Distrust of men, desire for independence, just stupidity?
After analyzing the forums, we have selected the five most common arguments in favor of the life of single mothers.
Single mother, position one: "I chose a healthy male"
At first glance, this is a rather strange position, but let's not rush to conclusions.
Here is what one of the single mothers, who chose the “gene material” for a long time and diligently, says:
By nature, I am very amorous and almost always - into something ...
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Can a single woman adopt a child: an expert's answer
Recently, the number of single mothers has increased greatly. It used to be a persistent stereotype that women who raise children alone are often uneducated and live on the verge of poverty. Today, many professionally successful, well-educated women choose to experience the joys of motherhood by following the path of adoption.
With or without husband...
Unmarried ladies who have made the decision to adopt just as much want to experience the joy of motherhood and raise their own baby, just like married women. But, unlike many married couples, women without a spouse face a rather difficult process, which will take a lot of time and money. But still, many women not only feel free and easy to be alone, but also want to retain this status for themselves during the entire process of adopting a child. More often...
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Move your brains
Guest from the futureMale
Here's a business idea for you to get started. You come to your manager and offer him to re-register you as an entrepreneur. What's the catch? The company pays for your salary insurance premiums, this is 30% of the accrued amount. And then 13% of personal income tax is minus from your amount. That is, if your salary is 10 thousand, then the company will pay 3000 insurance (30% of 10 thousand), 1300 personal income tax (10 thousand - 13%) and give you 8700 in your hands. Total, costs 13 thousand, + extra charge for vacation pay another 10 % approximately, that is, 14300. Suggest that you will provide the same services, but as an entrepreneur. The entrepreneur pays 6% of income. That is, instead of 8700 you will receive the same 14300 in your hands, of which you will pay 6%, or 858 rubles of tax. That is, in this way, you automatically raise your salary from 8700 to 13500 approximately.
But there will be no paid vacations, sick leaves and decrees. Why will there be no paid holidays, sick leaves, decrees? IP aren't people? They...
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He does not have a staff - he mainly works with outsourcers from different countries. At the same time, giants such as Microsoft, Intel and Nokia were interested in its applications.
Alexey's business is focused on developing applications for mobile devices - smartphones, tablets, netbooks and other gadgets (a list of some applications can be found here). At various times, his team consists of two to ten people, professionals in their field, working under a contract. “We do not keep a staff of lawyers, logisticians, office managers and other “budget eaters”. We work without an office, remotely, so the team is distributed throughout Ukraine, and partly in Russia, although there were also temporary employees from Moldova and Vietnam. We are mainly engaged in projects to order (at the same time, customers are mainly foreign), as well as own developments. According to the classification of SMEs, we are rather "very M", because we do not have and are not expected to have any excess income, and earnings allow us to pay ...
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After five hours of labor, I make my first dozen pearl, bead, cream, and chocolate cupcakes. Shikita nods in approval and...
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I'm sitting on a high bar stool in a huge kitchen, and I'm still nodding a bit before the Roses and Wedding Cupcakes morning workshop. But a dozen women who came to the seminar are determined and tie aprons, lay out rolling pins and brushes with professional seriousness. The hostess of the Fair Cake Company, Shikita Singh, is in charge of the process. She does a thousand things at the same time: she talks on the phone, mixes dyes, gives instructions to two assistants, caresses the attention-demanding terrier Jack, checks that all the chisels and boards of the students are laid out exactly in a line, and models a cream rose from colored confectionery paste.
After five hours of labor, I make my first dozen pearl, bead, cream, and chocolate cupcakes. Shikita nods approvingly and snaps a photo of the students' cupcakes. Some of them are seriously considering starting their own cupcake baking business and cupcake decorating courses. But the majority came to the master class out of love for art. Women talk to me about...
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Hello dear friends! This is Alexander Berezhnov, an entrepreneur and one of the authors of the HiterBober.ru business magazine.
Today we will talk about starting your own business without investments from scratch.
In this article I will cover this topic in detail and give answers to the most common questions:
Is it possible to open your own business without investments and how to do it right? What kind of business is profitable to do so that your investments amount to a maximum of 3000-5000 rubles? (7 proven business ideas) How to organize your business quickly and start earning the very next day, and not wait for the result for months or years?
All the information you will learn is based on my practical experience or the experience of my entrepreneur friends.
Therefore, dear readers, study this material and feel free to implement your favorite thoughts, approaches and ideas!
1. Why is it profitable to open a business without investments?
Dear reader, as you may have guessed, the biggest benefit is...
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Moscow, 5 February. In Moscow, a single mother with children can be kicked out into the street. A woman is no longer able to pay a foreign currency mortgage for her "kopeck piece" in Reutov. She owes a huge amount to the bank. Today, the Meshchansky Court of Moscow considered her case, reports MIR 24 correspondent Alexei Dashenko.
The closed court session lasted ten minutes. The defendant's side, that is, Svetlana, suggested that the guardianship authorities be brought into consideration. The woman is the mother of two minor children. All of them can be on the street.
“The bank objected, but the court considered it possible to involve the guardianship and guardianship authorities in the consideration of this case. However, they (the bank) did not substantiate their position, why they objected, they simply stated: “We are against involving third parties,” said Tatyana Breeva, the defendant's lawyer.
The trial was postponed for a month. The bankers quickly left the meeting room, but Svetlana Khalevina told why she had to take a foreign currency mortgage.
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The number of solo entrepreneurs reaching seven figures has increased by 33% since 2011.
After Kathryn Krug developed back problems from long hours on the computer, she raised $1.2 million on Kickstarter to produce BetterBack, a posture support device. And that marked her success.
Krug soon appeared on television, and the publicity helped her business grow. Her first 365 days of business earned her a total of $3 million.
Now she is working on a new generation of the product, which is scheduled for release in January.
As Krug's business flourishes, she is in a good position to ask the very important question: "What is my vision for BetterBack and my life, and how do I get there?"
Krag's example demonstrates a surprising trend in our economy: the growth in the number of new companies with minimal cost, run by one person and generating millions of dollars in revenue.
The U.S. Census Bureau found that 35,584 “firms without an employer,” that is, those with only one owner, earned between $1 million and $2.5 million in 2015, up 33% from 2011.
The number of such firms reaching six figures is also on the rise, which means that we will soon see more companies whose owners gain experience and cross the million dollar mark.
Why is this business growing? The reason for this, of course, may be the proliferation of automated digital and mobile tools, as well as the expansion of online platforms that make it easier to hire contractors.
But besides this, the behavior of the entrepreneur also changes, and this is the main factor.
Instead of adjusting to an industrial era business that depends on an army of workers, such entrepreneurs choose to travel light.
When they need to expand their individual potential, they usually turn to contractors or firms that bill for their services or outsource tasks.
As these firms grow, freelancers grow with them.
Eventually, many high-growth startup owners come to a tipping point.
They need to decide whether they should continue to develop without hiring traditional workers, grow into a traditional business with jobs, or still prefer something in between the two.
The beauty of running a micro business is that it's up to you to decide which path is best for you.
Happy entrepreneurs who have made a million tend to take the next three steps to realize their vision and choose the right path.
First, they often measure the temperature of their emotions by asking themselves what they want to achieve in their business and whether they are going in the right direction with their best efforts.
And then they often revise their answers to reflect changing conditions.
Second, they set specific goals and stay true to them until the time comes to update them.
And, in the end, at the right time, they are ready to reinvest in a business or other activity.
In Krug's case, when her sales soared, she wondered if she should put some key employees on her headquarters, as so many other companies do.
But by hiring an employee with probationary period at three months old, she soon became disillusioned with the situation. The worker was unable to complete his projects.
Krug could train her worker or hire someone else, but the traditional boss-slave relationship just wasn't for her. In addition, she was annoyed by various administrative issues.
Daily meditation with her husband helped Krug realize what really matters to her and focus on her concept.
Krug realized that she wanted to grow her business at a rapid pace and respect the freedom to live the way she wanted. Which does not mean a traditional office where she would be required to manage subordinates.
Although she works around the clock, she enjoys a mobile lifestyle where she can work from Tokyo, Sundance or the pool in Miami at any time.
Ultimately, Krag chose to rely on contractors to grow, as it worked out so well from the start.
She worked extensively with contractors and consultants, such as product development specialists, who helped her create BetterBack.
They were also motivated to work because they wanted to build a successful business themselves.
Even with her business skyrocketing, Krug didn't change the lifestyle she loved because she made a conscious decision to run the firm in the way that was best for her.
She has spent the last six months working all over the world. This choice is available to everyone. more entrepreneurs in the era of sole proprietorships.
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