Maybe it’s because I was getting ready for my webinar, From Zero to Clients: Starting (or Re-starting) Your Word-of-Mouth Referral Machine, but I reached out to my network several times last week, asking for referrals for various jobs I needed done. What I experienced showed me just how critical these referrals are for solopreneurs and how important it is to excel if you have been referred to someone.
Just a dog-walker, or “compassionate companion-animal care”
Recently, a friend told me about her dream of leaving her corporate job and finding a way to make a living doing what she loves — in her case, caring for people’s pets. She already had a name picked out, “Caring Hearts Dog-Walking” and was thinking about how many of her elderly neighbors might want her to walk their dogs.
Having trouble getting paid?
One of the scariest things about being a solopreneur is wondering if you will get paid by your client. Some people can get 100% of their fee up front, but most of us don’t, so we are always taking a risk that our client will decide not to pay us once the project is done.
I was “fortunate” to have gotten two deadbeat clients within the first few years of my business, and I consider myself lucky. They were both small projects, I learned something important from each one, and — surprise! — both clients eventually paid me. First I’ll tell you a little bit about each situation, then I’ll tell you what I learned from each one and how I now avoid repeating my mistakes.
Fishing in the Right Pond
One of the secrets to success as a solopreneur, and to building a business that is competition-proof, is to make sure you are fishing for clients in the right pond. The sweetest words out of the mouth of a prospective client are “I had no idea there were people out there like you!” I can offer these clients a service they may not have realized they need, and for which they don’t know where else to turn.
The 7 Deadly Sins of Pricing
Are you happy with how much your clients are paying you? If not, perhaps you have been committing one of the Seven Deadly Sins of Pricing:
What I wish I’d known when I started out
I’m often asked by my coaching clients what I wish I had known when I launched my business. Of the numerous lessons I learned the hard way, these are the 10 I see as key:
Specialist or generalist? – part 2
In my earlier post, I talked about finding my specialization not in a particular field but in a special service I provide my clients. That may not be the best approach for you, particularly if the service you provide doesn’t by itself set you apart.
Specialist or generalist? – part 1
One of the most common questions I’ve heard from solopreneurs is “should I specialize in a niche or be a generalist?” My advice, almost to a one, is to find an area in which you can focus and become known as the go-to person for that niche.
My Clients Can’t Afford Me!
One of the most common concerns I hear from my coaching clients is “my clients are too cost-conscious – they can’t afford my usual hourly rate.” My response, as uncomfortable as it may be to hear, is that it’s your job to find a client base that doesn’t think twice about how much you cost. Yes, I know it’s hard to find new clients… but is it really easier to try to get your existing clients to pay you what you want to get paid?
Adding a zero to your budget
As I mentioned earlier, I was recently in the market for a graphic designer to create a new template for my online courses.
I could go to UpWork or Fiverr and find someone who could probably deliver a perfectly serviceable template for a very modest fee. In fact, Fiverr specializes in jobs that will cost no more than $5. (Why would anyone work for or hire someone for $5/job? I have used Fiverr to get a 3-D image of an ebook; it probably took the designer 15 seconds and it would have taken me more than $5 worth of my time to do it myself.)