The perfect name for your business should align with your brand positioning and resonate with your target consumers.

That said, here are some tips to help you create the perfect name for your brand.

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If you choose to work solo, there are ways to effectively decrease stress and self-doubt in your mind and instead build a strong foundation for your business. Whenever you need a boost of motivation, it can be just as easy as reaching out to a fellow business friend, treating your body well, or rewarding yourself after hitting a goal. Whatever it may be, read on to learn how you can stay motivated and successful as a solopreneur and you’ll be able to handle any setbacks you come across.

1. Seek Like-Minded Support

Working independently requires focus and self-discipline. However, it’s only natural to feel isolated and hit a mental block from time to time. Anyone who is self-employed should constantly seek connections with other professionals to gain an external support system. Not only does this help you realize there are others out there experiencing similar struggles as you, but it also helps you stay accountable and inspired by learning new skills. Having like-minded people around you offers a huge benefit to your overall potential. It provides a space for working through roadblocks, collaborating, and even outsourcing some extra help to gain success in both your brands.

On the other hand, some will opt for an experienced mentor or coach who can give expert advice, networking opportunities, and help you overcome challenges. The best ways to find other solopreneurs, entrepreneurs, and professionals can be through a simple connection on LinkedIn, online groups, and at your local Small Business Development Center.

2. Prioritize Physical Health

Being your own boss follows with countless responsibilities in a day. These could be groundbreaking to your business or seen as simple maintenance on a day-to-day. No matter what it might call for, don’t allow your obligations to take priority over your wellbeing. Many solopreneurs and entrepreneurs will often work longer hours than necessary, and forget about essential things such as nourishing your body throughout the day. Feeling physically fatigued can be a huge factor in being unmotivated, which is why it’s crucial to always care for yourself and stay healthy. If you don’t practice self-care working in a challenging business, you could face serious physical and even mental health challenges.

Solopreneurs may live busy lifestyles in and out of the job, but there are some healthy practices that start right at their workstations. Take note of your posture, eating habits, and activity levels. Are you consistently sitting up straight? If not, look into a wearable posture corrector to work better muscle memory in a correct position to release physical strain. Do you indulge in mostly caffeine or sugars when you eat or drink? Consider changing your diet to more fruits and fibers while staying hydrated with water. If you commonly notice eye fatigue from staring at a digital screen all day, use the 20-20-20 rule. This means for every 20 minutes you spend looking at a screen, you should look at something 20 feet away from you for 20 seconds. The whole point is to reduce the amount of blue light affecting your eyes for long periods of time. You can take extra precautions by wearing glasses that protect from blue light that allow long hours of work without the worry of feeling a headache afterward. Even better, they look just like ordinary modern glasses so you can still wear them during Zoom calls. Your body will thank you for treating it well and help you keep your drive to run your business.

3. Celebrate Success

Most people fail to realize that as a solopreneur, you are your own personal cheerleader. Aside from clients’ good feedback, no one else sees what goes on behind the scenes in a workday. When it comes to motivating yourself in your business, it’s important to celebrate often, even for the small wins you experience. Plus, as humans, it’s natural to crave wins and dread losses.

Show yourself how often you are successful and you’ll do a great job at being your own motivator. Create a list that you check off as you reach milestones to stay enthusiastic. Then, reward yourself with a special activity such as dining out or going to a movie. You deserve it after your dedication to your dream lifestyle. Plus, it helps you recognize the destination will be worth it as you reflect on what you’ve accomplished thus far. It’s always a good idea to reflect on some of the things you are most proud of in your business.

4. Monitor Your Workload

When you work for yourself and everything is determined on your next move, it’s still necessary to set boundaries – even when business isn’t going so great. If you don’t pay close attention, being a solopreneur can quickly become an overwhelming 24/7 job. Sooner or later, this leads to feeling burnout which severely decreases effective productivity. You may not work a day job with set hours where you can shut off after five in the evening, but you should still treat solopreneurship in a similar manner. Keep track of your work hours in a time management app to ensure that you won’t work too much or too little. You’ll know that you’re putting in just the right amount of work for steady success while living a healthy lifestyle.

With some work-life balance, you’ll be able to still make time for friends, family, and hobbies, which are all rejuvenating and energizing in themselves. If you find yourself drowning in the amount of work you have, it may be smart to simplify your workload to increase focus. Especially if you’re working at home, paying extra attention to your work without fighting the temptation of distractions is crucial for creating that momentum.

5. Take Constant Breaks

A little self-care goes a long way, and taking breaks throughout the day is a great way to start. Workdays can feel especially long when you have endless tasks on your agenda. Instead of trying your best to tackle all your tasks as fast as possible, be patient with yourself. Whenever you’re feeling uninspired, give your brain a rest allowing you to connect with your inner self and passions. Step away from your workspace for even just fifteen minutes to relax, do something you enjoy, reduce negative thoughts, and convert it into positive energy.

Whether it be going for a quick walk outside for fresh air, finding peace in meditation, reading an inspirational book, or drawing, you’ll find these can spark some creativity and activate your brain. Some prefer to use this time to run an errand, this way you’ll know you have fewer to-dos after working days. You can also use this time to stay physically active with exercises right at your desk. Productivity is known to rise dramatically when employees get moving. Try some desk pushups, tricep dips, and simple stretches to get you going again.

6. Advance with Achievable Goals

Remember: growing a business is a marathon, not a sprint. The better you feel about the progress you’ve made, the more effort you’ll put in without feeling discouraged. While you grow as a solopreneur, create both personal and professional goals you see as attainable. Completing these goals will help you stay on track and boost your confidence, especially when it comes to discovering new business strategies.

Personal goals are great short-term wins that can keep you consistently motivated, such as getting one more extra task done in a day. Professional goals can be more long-term as your business grows seeing as progress can often be misunderstood over time. One of the best ways to know your tasks align with your company’s mission is to create a business plan. Review your goals at the start of each day, know what decisions it takes to advance, and choose which projects to prioritize. Don’t forget to accept failures along the way, because you’ll always be learning and advancing no matter the outcome.

7. Focus on Your Own Path

Every other solopreneur who may be in the same career boat as you will still be at a different level of experience. Regardless of if they’re younger than you and more ahead, or have a smaller following yet more monetary success – don’t let others influence you and your missions. Be patient with yourself, and focus on what fulfills you on your journey, not anyone else’s. Your unique “why” and the reason you became a solopreneur is most important to live running your dream business.

Trust the Process

There are constantly going to be ups and downs living the ever-changing life of a solopreneur. The key is to always be resilient and trust you are headed in the right direction and stay motivated. You may get lost along the way, but it’s never too late to rediscover your passions. As you work towards achieving your goals make sure to connect with other professionals, make time for self-care, take note of your workload, and celebrate even the smallest wins. You’ll never find a low moment if you build a solid strategy.

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Why Social Media?

Social media can be your secret weapon to increase brand awareness and lead generation for your startup. It’s cost-effective means of marketing. It’s just not a channel that you should use, it’s a channel that you must use. A high 71% of customers who have had a good social media service experience with a brand are likely to recommend it to others. Social media is the most popular and effective medium to connect with your target audience and get your brand in front of them.
That doesn’t mean you will not use email, paid ads, or other means to build a following and connect with interested people. But all these other efforts can be effectively driven by a strong social media strategy. Here are some resources to help you get started.

• LinkedIn Strategies for Solopreneurs
• How Can Solopreneurs Embrace Conversational Marketing?
• Best Image Creators for Your Blog Posts, Social Media, & Marketing Materials
• 3 Entrepreneurs That Are Rocking Social Media
• Today’s Pay-To-Play Social Media Advertising
• How To Match Social Media Goals To Business Goals
• How To Do A Social Media Audit
• 50 Expert Tips for Getting Started on Social Media

How Soon? Is Timing a Factor?

The short answer is, it’s never too soon to begin building a social media following for your startup. Assuming you’re starting from scratch, you will want to begin promoting your value proposition and brand as soon as financing is secured. Getting users accustomed to recognizing your brand takes time, and things work differently on different channels.
So, choose the best channel that fits your target audience and product/service, and start building a solid presence. Learn everything there is to know about that channel and master it before moving on to another. Yes, this will take time, which is why you cannot begin too soon to build a following on first one platform, then another.

Suggestions for Building a Social Media Following

Even before you are ready to share much about your product or service, you need to be passing out value to establish your brand. Start by sharing tons of useful content. Before you bother sending people to your Twitter feed or Facebook page, you want to make sure they’ll find something valuable once they get there. If you don’t have the time to create your own content at first, find other articles from bloggers you admire or experts in your industry, and share their content. When time permits, create original content that ties into your industry, product, or company without directly promoting yourself. Right now, you just want to put out highly relevant and useful information for your target audience.
The best way to ensure that the people who aren’t following you yet discover you and your content is to start a conversation. For example, if you’re building a following on Twitter, do a search for people seeking to solve a problem your product or service solves. Favorite their tweets and reply with a response that includes a link to some valuable information you have provided in your channel. Share a link to your product or service page and ask them what they think of it. In this way, you are getting your product on their radar and simultaneously providing value to them.
Don’t forget to ask for your team’s help. This includes any freelancers with whom you do business. Ask them to share your company Facebook posts or retweet some of your tweets. What about those with a vital connection to your startup? Board members? Advisors? Financiers? They all have a stake in helping your company grow awareness, so create easy and appropriate ways for them to help by leveraging their networks.
Last, but importantly, be sure you follow the rules of engagement and best practices for each social media platform you decide to use. Each one appeals to a specific audience, and these people engage the most at specific times. Learn when the most users are on and active and use a social media software solution to schedule your posts for busy times.
One thing to remember on any social platform is the 80-20 rule. Avoid coming across as a salesy infomercial by posting 80% relevant and helpful information and only 20% promotional for your product, service, or brand. People will appreciate the value you provide and allow an occasional mention of what you have to offer. They may even be more inclined to further investigate your offerings.
What advice do you have concerning startups and social media? We’d love to read it and share it with our readers. Post your experience or advice in the comments below.

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The U.S. Small Business Administration

The Small Business Administration has a wealth of free resources available for solopreneurs. The SBA is not just about loans. If you’ve never set foot in a local SBA office, visited a Small Business Development Center, or taken an SBA training program, the SBA’s Create Your Business Plan section of its website is an excellent place to start. If you’re not sure how to write a business plan, this free resource will walk you through each section, telling you what to include and how to make it stand out.
 

Your State’s Small Business Development Center

Each state runs its own small business development center, a valuable free resource for small business owners and solopreneurs. For example, the Tennessee Small Business Development Center offers free local and virtual business advice from experienced business owners, local and virtual training, and local and nationwide referrals, along with a variety of other tools. It also provides access to business advisors and special events. Check out the SBA’s list of small business development centers by state here.
 

SCORE

SCORE is the nation’s largest network of volunteer, expert business mentors, with more than 10,000 volunteers in 300 chapters. As a resource partner of the Small Business Administration (SBA), SCORE has helped more than 11 million entrepreneurs through mentoring, workshops, and educational resources since 1964. SCORE’s Business Plan page is another fantastic and free small business resource loaded with online business workshops and podcasts. Free mentoring is also available – both in person and via email. The retired executives who serve as SCORE volunteers are an unheralded national treasure, yet few solopreneurs tap into their knowledge.
 

ShopKeep Small Business 101

ShopKeep’s blog has a section called Small Business 101 that is entirely dedicated to planning and executing a new small business launch. This free small business resource is loaded with information and tools for each of the following topics: Inspiration, Planning, Structure, Finance, Regulations, Insurance, Location, Store Design, Equipment, Inventory, Staffing, Marketing, and Growth & Exit Strategies. Solopreneurs can easily adapt these resources to meet their own goals.
 

Entrepreneur.com

Entrepreneur.com is loaded with articles, questionnaires, templates, and interactive business planning tools, as well as in-person mentoring, online workshops, and podcasts. These free small business resources contain a wealth of information tailored specifically for small business owners and solopreneurs. The Business Plans Forms and Templates page is loaded with business plan guidelines, checklists, templates, and models. This section also includes links to related categories such as Marketing Forms and Templates, Entrepreneurship, and Finance.
 

Local Business Owners

Chances are, there are other local businesses like yours that could provide a wealth of advice and help. Smart solopreneurs look around their town and find ways to team up with other local solopreneurs and entrepreneurs, whether it’s to market their business, form a mastermind group, or just commiserate over dinner and drinks. It costs nothing to organize a monthly meeting with a few other business owners, and a lot of great ideas could come out of it.
 

Local Community Colleges

Local colleges can be a great source of education and resources for solopreneurs and small businesses. If your local college doesn’t offer the education or resources you need, let them know. Many learning institutions are focused on meeting the needs of their local business community, so they want to hear from you. They might design a new course to suit your requirements or invite you to be a speaker at a business course, helping to build your reputation and attract new business.
 

Solopreneur Solutions

If you haven’t taken the time to explore the site on which you’re reading this blog, do so today. We provide outstanding support to solopreneurs that includes business models, websites, social media, content creation, book publishing for your business, and more. In addition to this blog that is packed full and regularly updated with great solopreneur-related content, we offer personalized counsel and services to help you meet and exceed your business and personal goals.
Here’s eight resources to get you started. What are some more resources that you have found to be valuable in your journey as a solopreneur? Share them with us in the comments!
 

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1. Selecting Your Business Name – This is an important first step that cannot be rushed. You want a name that defines who you are and your products/services that will stand out from competitors. Do a Google search and check social media accounts to see what names are in use and get ideas. Follow this process when selecting a name for your business:

• Know your business philosophy
• Brainstorm possible names
• Search names already in use to eliminate
• Experiment with your short list of names and possible designs
• Spend time considering your top three favorites
• Choose the best name possible

2. Choose Your Business Address – A real address lends credibility to your business. Whether or not you need an actual, physical location or a virtual space depends on your type of business and its needs.
3. Obtain a Business Phone Number – A business phone number also lends credibility to your company, as well as making it easier to keep business and personal calls and expenses separate. Many options exist, including mobile lines.
4. Create Your Business Identity – This includes the steps above as well as getting your business known among your target market. A name, logo, contact information, and other physical props like signage and business cards all let the world know your company exists.
5. Register Your Business – Your business must be registered within your state as a legal business entity under a specific name, as well as with the IRS for tax purposes.
6. Obtain a Business License and Necessary Permits – All businesses need some form of license or permit in order to operate legally. This often comes as a surprise to new business owners, especially online and home-based businesses.
7. Apply for Your Employee Identification Number(EIN) – This is only necessary if you will have paid employees. Otherwise, you can simply use your social security number.
8. Establish a Business Checking Account – Keeping your personal and company finances separate is crucial, and not just for tax purposes. If you set up your business as anything besides a sole-proprietorship, you need separate bank accounts for handling your money.
9. Set Up Your Bookkeeping Process – Whether you take a QuickBooks class and do it all yourself or hire an accountant, you need a set process to account for your company finances.
10. Obtain a DUNS Number – This is a unique nine-digit identifier for businesses, used to establish a D&B® business credit file. This is accessed by lenders and potential business partners to help predict the reliability and/or financial stability of your company in question.
11. Establish Credit in Your Business Name – In addition to establishing the business identity factors above, you should open credit lines with vendors and obtain a business credit card. Pay all expenses on time from your business account.

 
Developing Your Marketing Plan
Now that you are established as a functioning business, it’s time to let the world know you exist and how they can obtain your goods and services. That means a marketing plan that spells out exactly how you will carry out your marketing efforts. It should include the following:
 

• Establish a Website– In today’s global marketplace, a quality website for marketing and commerce is essential. Don’t skimp here; your website is most often the first impression a potential client sees when checking out your company. It can mean the difference between getting their business or losing it.
• Establish Business Social Media Accounts– Social media is a powerful medium for promoting your business and linking back to your website, and business accounts separate from your personal accounts can be used solely for company interests.
• Register with Online Business Directories– Many online directories exist to aid searchers with locating local businesses in certain industries. Register your company with several and be sure you are in the most applicable category that represents what your company provides.

 
Of course, we’ve only scratched the surface here. Under each item above there are numerous questions to be answered. Many considerations must be taken into account. You will likely need guidance from someone with experience launching new businesses.
 
We have the knowledge and experience necessary to guide your new company from the idea stage to the profit-making stage. We can handle such items as helping you craft a business plan, building your website, handling your social media accounts, lead generation, publishing, overseeing your entire marketing strategy, and more. Contact us today to get started.
 

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Have you ever wondered what’s behind the success of some of the world’s most iconic leaders? It doesn’t take much to find articles about the daily routines of top executives, politicians, and celebrities — all spawned from a desire to know what makes them different from everyone else, in hopes of uncovering the secret to their accomplishments.

• Wake Up Early

Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, wakes up at 3:45 a.m. GE’s CEO Jeff Immelt wakes up at 5:30. PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi is up by 4 a.m. most days and in the office by 7. — There’s no shortage of anecdotes from some of the world’s most successful people about how starting their day early is crucial to their routine and their success.
But there’s also some science to back up the fact that morning people are more likely to succeed, from achieving higher grades in school to being better at long-term planning.
Waking up early is often fundamental to being able to engage in many of the other activities that can help you achieve more: While the rest of the world still slumbers, those quiet morning hours are the best opportunity for you to prepare for the day ahead, a distraction-free time to read, work, exercise, meditate, or even just make a real breakfast.
Unfortunately, getting up earlier isn’t just a matter of setting an earlier alarm each day. Your body’s natural rhythm is in part determined by genetics as well as circumstance. And everyone needs a different amount of sleep each night for optimal performance.
That’s not to say you can’t change your sleep schedule. You can, with a bit of effort. You’ll just have to experiment a little to find the right process that works. WebMD has some tricks and tips to modify your sleep schedule.    

• Meditate Daily

Meditation is a great coping mechanism, a way to clear your mind when you’re overwhelmed. But there’s no reason you should resort to meditation only when things get rough: Used daily, meditation is a great way to up your focus and help you achieve more on a regular basis. And once again, you’ll find a long list of iconic executives who have adopted the practice, from Ray Dalio, the CEO of the world’s largest hedge fund, to Oprah.
Meditation can be a difficult practice to adopt — you might feel a bit silly at first. But when you finally develop the knack for it, you’ll find yourself better able to eliminate distractions, think long-term and big-picture, and keep your stress levels under control.
Before you sit down to try meditating for the first time, it’s a good idea to read up on the theory and how to practice meditation  correctly. UCLA has a list of guided meditations to help you learn the practice. ZenHabits.net has another helpful guide to master meditation as well.

• Read Daily

Legendary investor and billionaire Warren Buffett spends about 80% of his day reading. Financial reports, newspapers, books — he reads it all. And he isn’t the only one to spend part of his day reading, either.
One of the most oft-quoted tips and tricks for success (Including one advocated by Brian Tracy) is reading: an hour per day, a book a week, 50 books a year.
You can’t expect to stay sharp if you don’t invest the time to keep up on the latest trends and changes in your field, or learn new skills when they become relevant to your work and interests. Simply put, reading is the best way to keep your mind sharp, to learn new skills, and keep up to date on developments in your field.
Technology makes it easier than ever to keep your finger on the pulse of your industry, from e-reader apps to RSS feeds and content aggregating apps like Flipboard. You can assemble articles from your favorite sources to peruse at your leisure and uncover interesting new content at the same time.

• Exercise

Frits van Paasschen, the former CEO of Starwood Hotels & Resorts, famously started his workday with a 10-mile run, and while that is a bit extreme for many people, there are no ifs, ands, or buts about it: Exercise is crucial to living a long, healthy. Adding exercise to your daily routine is a great way to focus and energize yourself, not to mention the long-term physical and mental health benefits. Exercise can also help you reduce stress at work, think more creatively, and make you more efficient.  
Many other successful people use the early morning hours to get their workouts in, but it’s not uncommon to add in a lunchtime workout routine, either. Find what works best for you, but make sure you fit a workout into your schedule somehow.

• Plan Long-Term

Without a long-term goal, you have nothing to work toward. Many people treat the idea of a job as something to be tolerated — a necessary evil, the “9-to-5 grind” — and they can’t envision going beyond that. But when you have long-term goals and dreams, every day is an opportunity to improve your life, and a step toward accomplishing those goals. Ask yourself: what is it that you really want to do with your life? What do you want to accomplish, and how can you get to that point? Make a long-term plan to get you there, breaking it down into smaller blocks of time where you’ll outline specific actions. Need help to get started? Here’s a great resource.

• Set Daily Goals

The CEO of American Express, Kenneth Chennault, writes down at the end of the night 3 things he wants to accomplish the next day. It’s good advice, too: If you don’t start your day with a plan, it is far too easy to find yourself bouncing from one task to the next without ever accomplishing anything. Small goals pave the way to achieving larger ones, as well. So figure out what you need to achieve each day and do it.

• Journal daily

The idea of keeping a journal (or a diary) can often seem like something reserved for teenagers, novelists and poets. But writing daily has a lot of value for anyone — it is a powerful way to process your thoughts, feelings, and concerns, as well as outline your goals and get clarity on the issues that are weighing on your conscience. The Morning Miracle creator, Hal Elrod, relies on journaling a core element of his transformative program. There’s also a bit of promising evidence suggesting that journaling regularly can help people perform better at work.
Making changes to your routine is never easy — but if you stick to these practices regularly, you’ll see that they become habits that will further your growth and help you achieve greater levels of success. Is it time to take action and start improving your life?

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