As a sole trader or freelancer you may believe that you’re alone in business, however, every successful entrepreneur has a team, whether they realise it or not. Good support will help you concentrate on the task in hand, while understanding that you can’t do it all, is an admirable skill to have.
Great leaders know when to delegate, when to use another’s skills and when to pass work over. It’s tempting to try and do everything yourself, after all, the business is your brain child, but this can lead to burnout and frustration.
Of course, when starting in business you do need to work hard and commit to more than just the 9-5. Those visions of self employment where the owner takes afternoons off, or works from a laptop on the beach, are unachievable without the hard work at the beginning.
Here is the team I believe you need in order to enjoy self-employment the way you’re supposed to, without the paperwork and just concentrating on the skills that enticed you to choose your profession in the first place.
A Good Partner
Whether you have a male or female partner, or a best friend you share your life with, you need great support in order to succeed in business. The hours are long to begin with and your business is basically your baby. It needs 24/7 attention, which can put a drain on your closest relationships. You can also become absorbed in your business, to the sacrifice of all else. Therefore you need an excellent support network and an understanding partner.
An Accountant
As you begin you may feel as though the small amount of money you make does not warrant an accountant. You can even use online tax tools to help you with your money. In reality, the sooner you hire an accountant, the easier it will be to grow your business. An accountant is more than a book keeper, they can help you save money in a variety of ways, and ensure you receive tax rebates you’re entitled to. Remember, most start ups are also entitled to R and D Tax Credits. These amount to a third of qualifying expenditure. It’s worth asking your accountant about them, as they could eliminate the need for expensive loans.
A Local Business Network
It can be quite isolated, starting in business, especially if your services are online. There are a lot of business networks you can join locally and nationally, to make it feel as though you’re not alone. These business networks, on social media alongside the web, are also great for networking. You’ll be amazed at the clients you can meet if you’re willing to trade services.
An Online Forum
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We all have questions when starting out in business and so it’s important to have a place you can go to in order to have those questions answered. There will always be another who has faced the same difficulties, and a little empathy can go a long way. As you build your own knowledge, you can pay back to the community by answering questions and giving support yourself. Online forums are brilliant for finding a wealth of information
