As a solo entrepreneur aka solopreneur, it’s important to stay productive and focused.
I ran 2 businesses and a handful of side hustles as a solopreneur, and some days were unbearable.
Being a solo founder can be really tough.
You’re constantly fighting against the odds, and you’re always on your own. It’s a lonely job, and it can be really hard to stay motivated. But there are ways to make it easier.
These are my 5 best productivity tips for solopreneurs.
Let’s dive in.
Tip 1: Set Goals and Milestones
Setting goals and milestones can help you stay on track and achieve your objectives.
By having specific targets in mind, you can stay motivated and focused, making it easier to reach your goals.
Depending on your business, some goals could include:
- Evaluate your current marketing efforts and determine where you could improve.
- Develop a plan to increase traffic to your website.
- Create a budget and allocate resources to marketing and advertising campaigns that will help you reach your target audience.
- Streamline operations by picking the right software for your business (e.g. Zapier to automate processes)
- Grow sales to $X by running cold campaigns
Setting small goals that you can easily accomplish is often more effective than setting lofty goals that are too difficult to achieve.
So start small and work your way up.
And be sure to celebrate each milestone along the way!
Tip 2: Get Enough Sleep
A lack of sleep can have a negative impact on your productivity.
Remember those late nights and the feeling you have when you wake up, feeling drowsy and out of sorts?
Yup, that kind.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, adults need at least 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night to be productive.
If you’re struggling to get enough sleep, there are some simple tips you can follow to help improve your productivity.
- Make a list of what you need to get done the next day and try to stick to it as much as possible.
- Establish a bedtime routine that helps you wind down before sleep. This could include reading or listening to calming music.
- Avoid watching television or using the computer in bed, as they can keep you from drifting off.
- Try to get up at the same time every day, even on weekends, so that your body gets a consistent rhythm of rest and relaxation.
- Get enough exercise. Exercise has been shown to improve your overall mood and energy levels, which can help you get more restful sleep.
Whatever tip you choose, stick with it and try your best to get much-needed rest.
Tip 3: Organize Your Time Wisely
When starting out as a solopreneur, it can be difficult to manage your time wisely.
Juggling work, family, and social obligations can feel overwhelming and lead to less productivity.
Here are three tips for organizing your time wisely:
Set boundaries.
Establish specific times during the day when you will be working and other times when you will be free.
This way, you know when to allocate your time and energy accordingly.
Break down large tasks into manageable pieces.
When faced with a large task that needs to be completed, break it down into smaller tasks that can be completed in short order.
This will help reduce the stress of trying to complete a large project on deadline.
I recommend ClickUp to manage this.
You can also refer to my post on how to set up ClickUp here if you’re brand new to the tool.
Take a break.
When you feel overwhelmed or stressed, take a break to relax and recharge your batteries.
This will help you return to work with renewed vigor and focus.
I personally like to step outside, close my eyes, and take a deep breath.
Tip 4: Use Technology to Your Advantage
Technology can be a great asset for solopreneurs.
By using technology, you can save tons of time and increase productivity.
For example, you can use software to keep track of your deadlines, manage workloads, or market your business.
Here are some example tools you can use to be productive:
1: Google Calendar
Google Calendar is a free online tool that lets you manage your work and personal schedules.
You can add events, set reminders, and add notes to events. This way, you can keep track of all the important dates and details related to your work.
I love color-coding my calendar based on:
- Activity type (meeting vs. focus time)
- Category (business vs. personal)
- Reminders
Whatever process you use, I recommend sticking to it and readjusting every month to see if it still suits you.
2: Notion
Notion is a software app designed to help individuals and teams manage their work and stay organized.
It’s perfect for businesses or organizations that want to be more efficient and productive.
With Notion, you can create custom pages, notes, agendas, wikis, processes, goals, and so much more.
I love using Notion to manage as my second brain and for my business.
3: Google Drive
Google Drive is a great way to keep your work and projects organized.
It offers a simple interface that makes it easy to share files with others, and it can automatically keep track of changes so you don’t have to.
And if you have a Google Workspace account, it’s only normal to use Google Drive as it’s part of your subscription.
I love Google Drive and use it to manage everything.
4: ClickUp
ClickUp is a project management tool that helps people and teams manage their work and personal life.
You can use ClickUp for a variety of things:
- Manage personal to-dos
- Manage business tasks
- Create CRM to manage sales lead
- Manage growth marketing experiments
- Create goals
- Create project timelines using the Gantt function
There’s so much you can do with ClickUp.
I’ve been personally using it back when it was version 1.0 and still love it to this day.
5: Microsoft Office 365
As much as I love Google Drive, Microsoft is still king when it comes to spreadsheets.
Microsoft Office 365 is cloud-based, and you can access all the features of Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
My recommendation is to leverage the built-in features such as macros, voice-to-text, and keyboard shortcuts to be more productive.
Tip 5: Delegate Tasks When Necessary
When starting out as a solopreneur, it can be hard to know when to delegate tasks.
Delegating can help you focus on your core strengths and business goals while freeing up time to do other things that are important to you.
Here are five tips for delegating tasks effectively:
1. Define the task clearly.
Make sure everyone understands what is required of them and what the expected outcome is. This will help avoid confusion or frustration down the line.
2. Set deadlines.
If a task is not completed by the deadline, it should be assigned to someone who can meet that deadline more easily. This will help you stay organized and keep your team on track.
3. Be clear about expectations
Set clear expectations for team members, and be willing to hold them accountable. This will help everyone stay focused and motivated.
4. Give feedback.
Be sure to give feedback on a regular basis so that team members know how they are performing. This will help them improve their skills and work towards meeting your expectations.
5. Set up systems and procedures.
If you want your team to be effective, it is important to set up systems and procedures that guide their work. This way, everything is organized and everyone knows what to do in order to meet the goals of the project
Be more productive today
As a solo entrepreneur / solopreneur, it’s important to stay productive and focused.
It’s easy to lose sight of the big picture when working alone, but following these five tips will help you stay on track and meet your goals.
What are your thoughts?
Do you have any tips that have helped you become more productive as a solopreneur?
Let me know!
