Whether you are leaving a full-time position to start a digital entrepreneurship life abroad or transitioning from one business opportunity to another, it is essential to set realistic expectations and work at a reasonable pace. Build, expand, or pivot your business in a strategic manner.
Being location-independent digital entrepreneur does not mean you are on an endless vacation, while giving yourself a fancy title. It means that you can work from anywhere with high-speed, reliable internet access. It means you are a full-time business owner and service provider, and in my case, a provider of digital coaching and strategic planning services. Your physical office might be a cafe, co-working space, or temporary living space, and a virtual office via online video conferencing platforms, instant messaging, or social media. It means that sometimes you adjust your sleep pattern to meet clients based on their time zones or to complete a project deadline.
“Your business becomes your whole life, and you can forget about your own human needs.”
It requires diligence and tenacity each day. Building an online small business as a solopreneur or small team can be overwhelming. As a Solopreneur you are the CEO, the secretary, the creative content writer, the marketing team, and much more.
Creating a daily routine takes self-discipline as there is no one giving you projects and guiding your work. You make your own task list, set deadlines, do follow-ups, and find the determination to get it all done. Setting goals and using a productivity planner can help you in the process.
Self-motivation is also a key ingredient, especially when you are solo, because you have to encourage yourself, believe in yourself and your business while ensuring self-care. Your business overruns your entire life, and you forget about your needs and self-care. When this happens, remember the reasonable pace I mentioned in the beginning.
When it is hectic, stop and start strolling the streets of your city. Enjoying a local event, dining out at a local foodie spot, or going to the beach is good therapy for rejuvenating your mind and creativity. It is a great way to refuel your energy for your entrepreneurial journey.
How to Manage Being A Digital Entrepreneur
When I left my full-time job for a career sabbatical/break, I increased my output for my business exponentially. As a result, it has been evolving, but like many small businesses with limited marketing resources, visibility can be a challenge. Using various free social media platforms is one way for your business to get noticed. To gain additional presence, adding a blog t or live videos to become the thought-leader in your product or service area. It has helped me grow my followers, subscribers, and audience overall. .
However, remain confident that your business will be successful. For no other reason than, you are pursuing a dream, a goal, plus learning new skills and gaining experience.
“Making the company your full-time work with no stable income can be risky and full of uncertainties, but yet rewarding."
Yes, if you are reading this and having doubts, let me provide six tips that will help you.
- Have a safety net – whether that is a rainy day fund, another thriving business, or your savings to support while you build.
- Find the people who will support you in the process via mentoring or financial investment.
- Build partnerships to serve clients, to secure a large project, for knowledge or skill exchange. Use the strength of each partnership to provide your clients with the best service.
- Realize that paid support can and should make an enormous difference to your output. In my case, I hired a virtual assistant to help me with copywriting, editing, and some planning.
- Use the online resources available; there are lots out there. Try one, and if that one does not work, then try another. Many services or support business tools offer free trials or cancel options anytime.
- Be willing to learn new skills – invest in online training, take a class or webinar, hire a business coach or experiment with the skill you want to learn, and keep trying until you learn it. But do what it takes to learn the skills you need to grow your business. Similarly, in my case of the past three years, it was building my own website and posting to my social media platforms.
I hope this inspires you to start or continue making strides in your digital entrepreneurial ventures. Work towards your goals of why you started your company. The most important thing to remember is that you are following your dream. Enjoy the journey because you are empowering yourself to do what is right for you, and no one can take that away from you.
