Being a solo
entrepreneur or sole proprietor of a local storefront, it can sometimes be an isolating experience. If you're like me, you may have had a dream of being in profitable
business for yourself or you may have come from a corporate environment where you had tons of support systems and then one day you transitioned and now as a business owner, especially as a solo entrepreneur, you have no colleagues -- only clients and vendors. Everyone is now looking up to you to make all the decisions, including the bum on the street who wants you to pay him to clean your sidewalk. .
Now everyday as a
solo entrepreneur you work very hard in your business, and some days are harder than others which may lead you to wonder if it is all worth it? However, like a long haul trucker traveling to your identified destination, you are not seeking quick unsustainable overnight riches, you are really going for long term profitable business success. Perseverance, endurance and longevity are the keys to a long term profit producing business. When it gets tough, it’s nice to look at others who have strived over time like actors.
Well, I was reminded of the long term profitable businesssuccess process when I watched a new TV series on
Hulu that featured a local
South Orange, NJ, actor
Andre Braugher in a recently released comedic TV show.
Now Andre Braugher is the personification of success and surviving in one very fickle, very difficult industry. Being a fan of his, I love his acting and I can't for the life of me understand why the TV pundits suggests he does not have a great career because his series don't catch on for the long haul.
Well we all know actors like solo entrepreneurs need to focus on the long term picture not just the glitz and the glitter of today. To this point, I read somewhere that endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope and I hope that Andre Braugher’s new show Brooklyn Nine-Nine catches on this season.
But even I it doesn't, the power and answers to the pundits is to review Andre Braugher’s career not just the success of the last TV series.
He has some extremely notable roles in such shows as Homicide: Life on the Street (TV Series), Gideon's Crossing, Men of a Certain Age, Last Resort Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and now Brooklyn Nine-Nine. So the pundits may say why doesn't he get a long running show, however, when I review his Andre
Braugher’s IMDB Profile, I go wow, he is the long running show. As an actor, he is a solo entrepreneur and he becomes the definition of perseverance, endurance and longevity because he has been actively engage in the industry since the 1989 TV show Kojak. Since his acting and his shows always get great reviews, he can always be proud of his work.
Well like Andre Braugher, as a solo entrepreneur, it's your business but it is also about you the person in business. Are you looking to hit it out the park one time and have a struggling business? Or would you prefer to be like the actor, Andre Braugher and have many, many hits over the years across your entire business career?
Well the business message for you as a solo entrepreneur or local store front business owner is to think of your business as a journey not a sprint. You want your version of your profitable business history, loaded with many mini successes that add up to a profitable business. You want to personally grow and learn everyday regardless of the state of your business or industry.
I love what is said in
A Field Guide to Solo Entrepreneurship by Erica Swallow in the Huffington post. She states "There's a special type of entrepreneur, though, who chooses to go the road alone. These so-called solopreneurs manage to pull off every angle of business as lone wolves"
In this field guide, Michael Horn, founder and CEO of Craft Coffee states the following: The beauty of entrepreneurship is that you have the opportunity to do what you want to be doing. Horn recommends that if you're an aspiring entrepreneur, you seek our your dream job, that sweet spot, "that place that combines your experiences and interests and skills." Once you've found that, it will all come together, he says. "That's the magic of startups that draws people to them and draws people to founders, too."
So add yourself to what Perseverance, Endurance, Longevity, Andre Braugher and yes long haul trucking have in common. You know the destination, you get out your map and define how you get there, you gas up and refuel as you go and adjust your trip to the obstacles that come at you.
As a solo entrepreneur, you want to build powerful, profitable mini successes in your profitable business as you go, stay focused for the long haul, read more success tip to inspire yourself daily and then go forth and prosper for the long term.
