What is a Solopreneur?

Solopreneurs are the kinds of people who value flexibility and autonomy. People who prefer to guide their careers by the kind of work they want to be doing, instead of the work that a manager tells them to do.

A Solopreneur might employ freelancers or contractors, or even have a small team, but the business, the work, and the mission of the Solopreneur all relies on one person’s vision and brand.

When I look back over the past 10 years of working with Solopreneurs, I noticed that all Solopreneurs fall into one of 4 categories:

1. The Freelancer

A Freelancer is someone who provides a service. They might sell their time by the hour, or price by the project. They often sell on proposal, and build their audience by talking about their craft, and sharing case studies of their work.

2. The Maker

A Maker is someone who produces a product. They sell something that others purchase through their website. They create good systems, and find new audiences by nurturing advocates and champions of their products.

3. The Thought Leader

A Thought Leader is someone who shares ideas. They express their ideas to an audience of people who gain benefits when they learn these ideas. They grow their audience by producing books, speeches, courses and programs to deliver their intellectual property.

4. The Agent

An Agent is someone who sells on behalf of others. Their brand is a subsidiary of their parent brand, and they often communicate with their audience in the name of their overbrand. Insurance agents, affiliate marketers, and commissioned salespeople are Solopreneurs, but also agents of others.

I started as #4. Then I moved into #1 for a number of years. Recently I moved into #3.

No matter how you identify right now, the one constant with Solopreneurs is change.

Solopreneurs are the most agile of all entrepreneurs, the most capable of pivoting into something new, and the most likely to remake themselves at a moment’s notice.

That’s why I like working with Solopreneurs so much – there is always an exciting whiff of possibility in the air, and a willingness to stop what’s not working, in favour of something that works much better.

If you’re a Solopreneur and you need some help untangling your marketing, or you want to set up a system that brings you more clients and customers automatically, let an experienced digital marketer take a look at your tools and systems, and give you some advice on how to level up. Book a free call with me here: https://caelanhuntress.com/call