Today we’re welcoming Gloria Martinez to the blog, with a guest post on how to build and grow your business as a solopreneur. She shares her thoughts on marketing, building an online presence, and delegating the tasks that you’re struggling to do yourself. Over to Gloria…

Building and Growing Your Solo Business

Perhaps you operate your business as a writer, coach, craftsperson, or online retailer. Although you may love the freedom that working for yourself gives you, it can be difficult to be the driving force behind everything. While there’s no official guidebook on how to run your own company, there are established practices you can follow to make both work and life easier.

Check out these ideas, and see if they can help you increase profits and reduce stress.

Find New Ways To Market Your Company

While there are tried and true methods of promotion, it is helpful to consider new avenues to get your business out there. Using social media is a free method of marketing, and you can even interact with your customers in the process. Another option is to consider joining your local chamber of commerce. Doing so can give you greater visibility within your community, allows you to network with other business owners and solopreneurs, and can grow your customer base by providing you with referrals.

Finally, consider attending trade shows that are relevant to your industry and making connections there. You’ll likely meet a variety of individuals, from potential customers, other vendors, and perhaps even find opportunities to collaborate or expand your company in the future, if you so choose.  Although this might not happen overnight, participating in these events could open up the door to something bigger.

Create a Website for Your Business

An online presence is necessary for the 21st century. Most people know this, but it’s surprising how many solopreneurs feel a social media presence is enough. It’s not. If you don’t already have a website, make this a priority. A website provides potential customers with a contact point, and your website is your chance to show what you offer, why it’s beneficial, and how to purchase your product or services.

If you plan to sell goods online, a Shopify website might be the solution you are looking for. A Shopify web developer can provide you with the chance to sell goods related to your business while customizing the theme that you’re using with your website. Plus, using Shopify can make it easy to manage orders and even track your analytics.

Outsource Rather Than Hire

If you are operating on your own, it can be tedious to hire employees. Rather than take additional time away from your job, keep things simple by outsourcing. Seeking help from qualified individuals has many benefits. Using freelancers can save you time, especially if you have tasks you find especially difficult to learn or manage on your own, such as writing or web development. Trying to do everything on your own can cause your business to suffer and even cause you to lose time. Outsourcing allows you to stay in control and ensure optimized performance since you have an expert helping you.

Starting a business on your own is a reason to celebrate, but it does come with growing pains. Knowing how to utilize best practices for small business owners can help your company grow and thrive for many years to come.

About the author:

Gloria Martinez loves sharing her business expertise and hopes to inspire other women to start their own businesses and seek promotions in the workplace. She created WomenLed.org to spotlight and celebrate women’s achievements.

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Have you joined our FREE resource library for solopreneurs? It’s packed full of downloads, workbooks and guides to help you run your online business. You can get access here. 

Featured Image by Unsplash.