What to Skip in Your First Solopreneur Year

Hey honeys and hustlers,

Earlier this week, I shared the first episode of Elevator Pitch, a new series on Honey & Hustle. I sat down with Dionne McGee to give constructive feedback on the elevator pitches of 6 business owners at various stages in their entrepreneurial journeys. To complement this episode, I thought I might share 3 things I would recommend that entrepreneurs skip in their first year as full-time business owners, and 3 things I highly recommend.

P.S. If you’d like to be featured in the next Elevator Pitch, submit yours here!

Skip These

• Aiming for thousands of followers. Followers don’t equal customers. And while this saying gets passed around a lot, I think it can be really easy to fall into the trap of believing that more followers equals more reach, and more reach means more opportunities to convert those followers to customers. It doesn’t. Even if you’re aiming to be a UGC creator or online content creator, more followers won’t guarantee you more brand deals or higher-paying brand deals. Your first year is better spent focusing on relationship-building and relationship-nurturing with potential clients, supporters, and customers.

• A fancy logo. “But what about the brand?” What brand? You barely know what people in your target audience think of you because you simply haven’t been in the game long enough. Maybe an unpopular opinion, but I stand by it. A fancy logo is cool, but there’s a pretty good chance it will change or be updated in the future anyway. A good name and clear message > a fancy logo.

• Outsourcing. You likely don't have systems in place to do this adequately, or the recurring revenue you need to do this sustainably. It’s overwhelming to realize that you could work 24/7 and still not get everything done sometimes because you’re wearing so many hats at first. Boundaries and priorities are your friend.

Don’t Skip

• A good website or landing page. It doesn’t have to be super fancy out of the gate. But it should be easily searchable, work well on mobile, have your contact information, a list of your services, and examples of your work in your portfolio. Getting website visitors to convert to conversations is about clarity and accessibility.

• An LLC. I didn’t officially form one until 2019, 3 years after I started my business, but my point still stands. The LLC allows for grants, a business bank account, loans, and a W-9 (which is the form you use as a contractor).

• A business bank account. The whole point of an LLC is to limit your liability. Keep your business and personal accounts separate.

• Learning where your target audience/customers/clients hang out. Both digitally and in real life. Knowing that you are showing up where your people are is important. Sales are easier when you can be confident that you are communicating with someone who is interested in what you do.

Short, sweet, and to the point today. Happy Thursday, I’m rooting for you.