Solopreneurs need persistence

Solopreneur success isn’t determined solely by having a great product or service or even knowing the most about what you do.  Those things are of course critical

to success but they aren’t the only things.  One of the biggest traps we can fall into is to have too many ideas which are either not implemented or half done.  Most of the time ideas don’t produce revenue until they are fully implemented, so even one small idea completely implemented will usually bring in more sales than several that are half done.

This is a huge challenge for many solopreneurs and in fact for most people with the entrepreneurial spirit.  We thrive on ideas and our heads buzz constantly with them.  We have more ideas than we know what to do with!  A shortage of ideas is usually not the problem when I work with a client who wants to add to his or her business – usually the problem is picking which one to implement first.  It’s easy to think this is just the normal state of affairs for everyone, but it’s not.  This is one trait I find in almost all the solopreneurs I talk to.  Ideas come to us constantly – there’s a reason there are products made for taking notes in the shower!  Too many ideas is a great problem to have because it can be solved with some focus.

People who are drawn to being a solopreneur business owner love challenges and new ideas.  Jumping from project to project without finishing any of them is what is called “bright, shiny object syndrome.”  We are in the middle of something which has become more boring as we churn through the details and BAM a new idea pops into our heads and we’re all over the thrill of something new.

One of the key factors in solopreneur success is to be able to resist bright, shiny object syndrome and finish projects.  If you decide to abandon something, do it conscientiously and not because you dropped the ball when something better came along.  You won’t have more products and services to offer if you don’t see your ideas through to completion.  An obvious result is suffering revenues, but an even bigger impact is that your great ideas are not helping anyone.  If you need motivation to get you through the boring patches of completing a project, think of all the people who need what you are offering and aren’t getting it because you haven’t gotten it done.