According to the most recent census data, there are roughly 30 million solo entrepreneurs in the United States. These businesses of one run the gamut of how they make their money – from freelancers to consultants to crafters and artisans. Yet they all have one thing in common: they have a staff roster of one. They are businesses with no paid employees beyond the owner.
Yet, any successful entrepreneur, solo or otherwise, will tell you that their business didn’t grow on their backs alone. They may not have a team of experts on the payroll to share the workload, but they do have a community of support. In that community there are people quietly helping others grow behind the scenes. They are the connectors, the encouragers, the problem-solvers, and the ones who understand that true success is built through relationships, consistency, and service.
Connectors know people. Not in a general philosophical sense. In a real, “You need help identifying investors? I know a guy,” sort of way. Connectors have built a professional network and are happy to facilitate connections within that space. They recognize that success relies on meaningful relationships. They recognize synergy when they see it and are happy to help connect the two ends of the equation.
They can identify what either party has to gain and can paint the picture of mutual benefit for both parties as they open the door for a fruitful partnership. They can link players from disparate spaces, seeing beyond the borders of an industry or task orientated role to view the big picture spaces where a fruitful partnership lies.
If they don’t know the right person to help you gain a foothold in a new market, they know someone who knows someone. Their help isn’t transactional. They aren’t looking for a finders fee or a quid pro quo. They’re fostering relationships within their network.
Even the most confident entrepreneurs and business leaders need a cheerleading section. We need encouragement and reassurance. Being a solopreneur means there’s no inherent sound board for affirmation or constructive feedback built into the backbone of the organization. Family and friends may be there to cheer on the big wins, but there’s no one in the office with you to celebrate the small stuff. When you hit the wall, there’s no team to rally around you and help you brainstorm your way to the next step. You’re on your own. Except, you’re not. Not with a support network that includes encouragers.
These are your mentors, your coaches, and others that come alongside you to lift you up, commiserate, refocus, and ask the right questions to get your wheels turning toward solutions. These are the people who have been there and can offer you the wisdom of experience. They are the people who are walking a similar path and can relate with the things you’re feeling – the good and the bad.
You know that phrase, “Jack of all trades, master of none.” That’s not quite what it’s like to be a solopreneur or small business leader, but it sure can feel like it sometimes. You’re not an accountant or a marketer or a salesperson. You’re an architect who struck out on their own. You’re an artist. You’re a technology wizard. And yet, being the only employee on your business roster, you’re also managing billing. You’re seeking new clients, pitching them, and drafting the partnership agreements.
The truth is that you’re doing a decent job of it all. Your marketing efforts have opened doors. Your sales skills have done enough to close some deals and generate business that you successfully billed and collected payment for. Yet sometimes there’s something bigger than your skill set can manage and that’s where the problem-solvers may come in. These are the experts in specific fields and tasks that can come alongside you to guide or to take on tasks beyond your abilities. These are also the mentors and coaches that can sit with you and help you navigate the problems you can’t see solutions for.
Having these people in your corner is a cornerstone of success. It’s not something that you pull off a shelf when you need it. You don’t seek out someone to be the problem solver when the problem arises. You don’t pop into an industry event looking for the encourager you’ve never met before at the moment you need the boost. These are relationships you cultivate over time. These are the connections you’ve made and the community you’ve built. These are the relationships you have been nurturing all along.
It’s about a network of connections that you can lend support to and also lean on when you need to. The key to success isn’t finding the right people at the right time. It’s about the ongoing, consistent cultivation of relationships.
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