Small Business
How to Go It Alone
The Wall Street Journal is calling this the “age of going solo.” The reasons are obvious: more people are working independently, because they gave up on the corporate world or were chucked out. A startling 20-plus percent of US workers are freelancers, consultants, contractors or (my personal favorite) “micropreneurs.”
Are you one of them? Could you be? The Journal’s story by Richard Greenwald offers some powerful tips on how to succeed. Read the original article for more, like what to beware of in a professional network.
Think long term
You might see this as a temporary, in-between jobs situation. But it might not be. And if you think of it that way, you won’t be very good at it. And with competition for gigs fierce, your halfhearted approach won’t make you a pile of money.
Learn and teach
You need cutting-edge skills, both to justify your rates and improve your chances of getting a full-time gig, should you want one. Meanwhile, teaching boosts your income, expands your network and looks great on a resume.
Make space
Clearing a spot at the dining room table is not a recipe for long-term professional success. Check out our stories on setting up a home office with $100 and finding outside office space at a discount for tips.
Think like an entrepreneur
Great advice. Don’t just drift around–have a business plan, a focus, a direction.
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A great book on the subject is Go It Alone by Bruce Judson — a “how to” on making the switch to solopreneurship