How to Fight Isolation as a Solopreneur As a solopreneur, it is very easy to fall into the trap of unrealistically amplifying the wins and the losses in our minds
By Nidhi Singh
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If you are an entrepreneur, chances are that you have heard the term "solopreneur'. The trend of working solo is fast catching up in India. People are often confused and fail to find the distinction between the word "solopreneur' and "entrepreneur'. However, there are key differences between these two words. To put it simply, solopreneur is a person who sets up and runs a business on his/her own. Being a solopreneur requires you to manage a business single-handedly which can be isolating at times. It can also be a pleasure because you are all by yourself but at some point in time, one can't take away the fact that you will also feel demotivated.
Entrepreneur India lists out a few tips to overcome isolation as a solopreneur ;
Share Your Story With Other Entrepreneurs:
According to Ankit Garg, Co-founder, Wakefit.co, as a solopreneur one must build a close network of entrepreneurs from their alumni base or same sector to share experiences and learning. This will further make the journey fun and interesting.
"I've done a previous start-up as a solopreneur and my current has a co-founder. So, I've tried both formats in a way. As a solopreneur, it is very easy to fall into the trap of unrealistically amplifying the wins and the losses in our minds," said Garg.
Connect With Like-minded People
Naina Redhu, an international Luxury & Lifestyle Photographer & Blogger based in India, alleviates her isolation and loneliness as a solopreneur by interacting with like-minded people on Twitter. However, she feels the social media platform is only an enabler and not a substitute for human interaction.
"In my career as a solopreneur, I have realized that I function best when I go out and meet people at least once or twice a week. These can be a casual, coffee date with a friend or accepting the invitation to an event and then meeting with people from the same industry. At the end of the day, I still have to work on my own and slog through it, but interaction with others always makes me feel like I'm still alive," said Redhu.
The Balancing Act:
The fundamental challenge of being a solopreneur is 2-dimensional. Firstly, the realization that you may be lonely on your professional journey. And secondly, the acceptance from family-friends-peers that you may not be available for them as they may have known you to be.
Nishek Jain, Managing Director, Sahib Hospitality LLP & Owner of '29- Twenty Nine' believes the trick to overcome these challenges lies in the word "balance".
"If it's about management of time or shuttling between profiles, handling clients of different temperaments or developing new skills, balancing each act is the key. While you may not always be practicing your area of specialization/educational qualification, and dawning the mantle of a different profile, its decisive to be focused and clear in your mind about what is expected from you in each of these roles," said Jain adding that it's important for solopreneurs to ease themselves mentally and increase creative productivity.
