By definition, a solopreneur is,
a person who sets up and runs a business on their own.
This definition still has traditional hues to it because it centers around the word ‘business’. Rather than defining a solopreneur, it tries to draw a line between an entrepreneur and a solopreneur. Someone who sets up and runs a business with the help of a team is perhaps an entrepreneur.
Is it okay to deduce that a solopreneur is basically a self employed person? An independent contractor maybe? Or how about freelancer?
The word ‘freelancer’ might bring in a fair amount of confusion to the mix. Freelancers and Solopreneurs cannot be the same, right? The internet seems to suggest that the difference between a freelancer and a solopreneur is in their mindset. While a freelancer thinks of himself as a professional, a solopreneur sees himself as a one-man team running a business.
Actually, it doesn’t really matter what label you choose for yourself, the goal remains delivering to the client and making a living while doing so. You could identify yourself as a freelancer, a solopreneur, a self employed person or something else but it wouldn’t change that goal.
This is where we can take the next step. As an employee too, you are trading your skills for a living. Just like a freelancer or a solopreneur, it is your responsibility to continually hone your skills, learn, relearn, unlearn and try to stay ahead of the curve. Complacency sucks.
Jay-Z is quoted as saying something which is a perfect closure for this blog,
I’m not a businessman, I’m a business, man.