“Argh!” Clients, The Loneliness Myth, and More Observations From 7 Months of Solopreneurship

Ding dong, I’ve just passed the seven-month mark as a solopreneur and small business owner!

(“The seven-month mark?” I know, I know… I completely missed my six-month anniversary when I’d originally intended to write this post, but only because I was neck deep in some huge client projects, so hopefully that’s forgivable.)

Stop! I don’t want to waste your time. This post will be useful reading for:

• Anyone out there who has also recently started their own business
• Anyone who is thinking of doing so, but is still on the fence and terrified of making the leap (it is terrifying, but also totally worth it... read on!)
• Anyone who has been following my journey over the last seven months or so and is interested in what I have learned

If you don’t fall into any of those groups and decide to read this anyway, thank you! I promise I’ll do my utmost to make it an entertaining read for you.

So, seven months in - what have I learned? A shedload.

Here are 11 of my best (or most humorous?) lessons and observations.

1. Peaks and Troughs Are The New Norm

I find that I am either working like a lunatic or have loads of time to myself. So far there hasn’t really been any middle ground.

For me, time to myself means spending time with my family, exercising, reading, doing courses, coming up with new business ideas, working on continual self-improvement, going on day trips, generally enjoying life... And I’m doing all of the above a lot more frequently than before I left the 9-5 and the comfortable salary.

And while the peaks can be exhausting, the work is so much more rewarding, so the fatigue is often totally worth it.

"Make the most of the downtime. Enjoy life. It's not all about the hustle."

2. Creepy Clients

On an otherwise completely quiet day, free from calls and interruptions, one of your clients will call you with an urgent request when you’re on the toilet.

They know. I don’t know how they know, but they know. It's creepy.

3. Cash Flow Woes and How To (Really Easily) Overcome Them

Inconsistent / poor cash flow can indeed be a major issue, just like my freelancer friends told me it could be. But it can also be incredibly easy to overcome.

For one-off projects (as opposed to retainer work), charge 50% up front and 50% upon completion of the project. And make your payment terms 14 days from receipt of invoice.

This is how I work and not one of my clients has had a problem with it. My experience so far has told me that if someone wants to work with you, they want to work with you. Your payment terms won’t get in the way. (And if they do, ask why, and consider it a bit of a red flag as to what it might be like to work for that client.)

"Your payment terms will not get in the way of someone who really wants to work with you. If they do, ask questions."

4. The Importance of RFC Project Scopes

Make sure the agreed scope of all projects, but especially big ones, is RFC - Ridiculously Fucking Clear.

E.g. You need to state, with no room for misinterpretation, “Here’s what is included in the project fee: (insert exhaustive list). Anything not included above will incur additional costs / we need to to discuss separately.”

I have been burned by this once so far, and it was totally my own fault. Don’t make the same mistake as me. Make sure from day one that every project you work on has a scope that is RFC, otherwise you’ll find yourself having a bit of a fallout with your client, doing a bunch of work for free, or a combination of the two.

Luckily for me, it meant a couple of extra days of free work at a time when I didn’t have any other pressing deadlines, so I didn’t end up getting burned too badly. But I definitely won’t be making the same mistake twice.

"Is the agreed scope of your project RFC - Ridiculously Fucking Clear?"

5. "Yay!" Clients

One of the best things about working for yourself is winning awesome clients. These are your Yay Clients.

Seek them out. And when you find them, keep them. They are the elixir of healthy solopreneur life. They’re the shimmering silver unicorns at the end of the lead generation rainbow. They’re the… okay I’ll stop now.

"Your 'Yay Clients' are the shimmering silver unicorns at the end of the lead generation rainbow."

6. "Argh!" Clients

One of the worst things about working for yourself is winning shitty clients. These are your Argh Clients.

Avoid them at all costs. Don’t let them anywhere near you. They are the bubonic plague of solopreneur life. Which brings me onto my next point…

"Your 'Argh Clients' are the bubonic plague of solopreneur life. Avoid them at all costs."

7. Vet Your Prospects Like Your Life Depends On It

Unless you’re absolutely desperate for the money (please remember I said that), vet your prospects very carefully. OK, so your life probably won’t depend on it, but your happiness and mental health will, believe me.

How do you vet your prospects? Ask yourself some of the following questions: Do you think you’ll get on well with them? Or is there a potentially huge personality clash there? Are your values aligned? Do you think they’ll be easy to work with? Think back to your communication with them so far. Have there been any red flags you should be aware of? Do they fit the bill of your ideal client in terms of size, sector, budget, etc?

Also be aware that you won’t really be able to vet your prospects at all if you don’t yet know what your own company’s vision and mission are!

Great news: if you’re a purpose-driven solopreneur operating in a niche market like I am, the entire job of vetting your prospects is made infinitely easier. I have a crystal clear vision of who I want to work with.

"Vet your prospects carefully. Your life may not depend on it, but your happiness and mental health does."

8. Chatty Clients

On a really busy day, full of calls and client work, your biggest Yay Client will call you for nothing important whatsoever, but just to shoot the breeze.

You have zero time for this jibber jabber. But they’re one of your Yay Clients. You love them. So, you (reluctantly) spend over an hour on the phone to them and remind yourself that you love working under pressure, so an hour lost is actually excitement gained!

(Yeah, right.)

9. The Gratitude of Your Yay Clients

Your Yay Clients will show you incredible gratitude for your hard work and excellent outputs, and it will feel fucking amazing. And so it should - you’ve earned it!

A highlight for me so far has been a thoughtful handwritten thank you card accompanied by a limited James Bond edition bottle of Bollinger. Shplendid, Moneypenny!

Shimmering unicorns!

"Nothing feels better than being shown genuine appreciation for your hard work."

10. The Indifference of Your Argh Clients

You didn’t think your Argh Clients could get any worse, did you? I'm so sorry to tell you, but you were wrong. Your Argh Clients will show you little or no gratitude for your hard work and excellent outputs, and it will feel fucking awful. And so it should - you busted your gut for them!

Again, unless you’re absolutely desperate for their money, this might be a client with whom you decide to part ways. If they don’t appreciate you and you don’t need their money, let them find someone else to do their dirty work. Life’s way too short to do great work for people who don’t appreciate it.

Bubonic plague!

"Life is way too short to do great work for people who don't deserve it and who won't appreciate you for it."

11. The Loneliness Myth

I have zero doubt that being a solopreneur can be lonely for some, so this isn’t a myth per se. But it really doesn’t need to be lonely like loads of people told me it could be.

Like most things in life. This is totally in your hands.

Reach out to your friends, both online and off, go to every networking event that comes your way, go to LinkedIn Locals, hook up with other solopreneurs and freelancers, find local meetups in your area...

I am so grateful to have such an amazing network of friends and connections. Sure, I’ve put in the effort to build this network, but I still count myself very lucky. I’m also very fortunate to call some of the world’s best content creators and digital marketers my friends.

There’s a saying that goes “Your network is your net worth.” I think there’s a huge amount of truth to that. My first seven months would not have been nearly as successful as it has been were it not for my amazing friends, former colleagues, and LinkedIn connections referring me to others and helping me win new clients.

Just last week I published an Instagram post saying that I'm looking to connect with great freelance content creators in the Farnham area. 11 people so far have responded and we're all going to meet up and see how we can collaborate and refer each other work.

Go out there and make it happen!

"Solopreneurship needn't be lonely. The power to meet new connections and make new friends is firmly in your control."

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I hope some of the tips here have been useful for anyone out there who’s at the beginning of their journey running their own business, or anyone who is thinking about taking the plunge. Please believe me when I say that some of these tips could save you a lot of money, time, and stress. 

Finally, if you’re still on the fence about whether or not to go it alone, allow me to leave you with these two final overused but brilliant quotes:

"It will never be the right time. There are 365 days in a year and 'someday' isn't one of them."

Yep. I have three kids (aged 5 and under when I started out in April) and a mortgage. If I'd waited, I'd be waiting for something that doesn't exist. The mysterious 'right time', the elusive 'someday'. Start today!

And my favourite one of all, which I refer to time and time again:

Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will.

You simply must believe in yourself.

Go get 'em.

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Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, all I ask is for a like, comment, or share so that others can find it and enjoy it too. Thanks so much!

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About Me

Hi, I’m Russ. I’m the sustainability marketing guy.

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