Dreaming of Going into business for yourself? Here's what you can really expect, from Texas Enterprise | Big Ideas from The University of Texas at Austin.

1. Dreaming of going into
business for yourself?
Tips for Solo Entrepreneurs12by John Egan, contributing writer, Texas Enterprise, University of Texas at Austin

2. Sure, a solo entrepreneur
does enjoy some work-in-
your-pJs freedom.

3. but that freedom comes
with an abundance of
blood, sweat, and fears.

4. so, what does it take to
make it on your own in
the business world?

5. 1get up, get dressed
and get out of the
office or house
regularly

6. It's important to remember you are a
business owner, not a starving artist.“ ”
­— Patti DeNucci
Author, speaker, and networking consultant

7. 2
maintain and gain personal
and professional contacts

8. when you have a great group
of people all who are part of
your life, they become your
cheerleaders, advisers, and
word-of-mouth marketing team.
“
­— Thom Singer
Speaker, author, marketing consultant
”

9. 3pay attention to
your “gut feeling”

10. you will know you have the gut feeling
the first time you ignore that feeling and
wind up losing money to poor decisions or
therapy­- probably both.
“
­— Ilene Haddad
Graphic Designer
”

11. get buy-in from
your family4

12. when the family is part of the decision,
they are happier with the outcomes.“ ”
­— Thom Singer
Speaker, author, marketing consultant

13. establish an official
or unofficial advisory
board5

14. there is no way you know everything
or everyone you need to know to be
successful.
“
­— Patti DeNucci
Author, speaker, and networking consultant
”

15. Set boundaries
6

16. don't let work completely
take over your life.“
­— Patti DeNucci
Author, speaker, and networking consultant
”

17. Ditch the distractions
7

18. you have to have a system and schedule
to stay focused on your work, or get out
of the house.
“
”
­— Thom Singer
Speaker, author, marketing consultant

19. avoid the online trap
8

20. social media can lead you into a false
sense of feeling productive“ ”
­— Thom Singer
Speaker, author, marketing consultant

21. seek professional help9

22. if tasks like bookkeeping or marketing
aren't your forte, outsource the work.“ ”
­— Thom Singer
Speaker, author, marketing consultant

23. build your
self-confidence
10

24. think about who you would hire to do
the job. if the answer isn’t ‘myself,’
you might be in the wrong business.
“
”
­— Ilene Haddad
Graphic Designer
`

25. stay humble
11

26. most potential clients would rather hire
the second-best person to do the job
than suffer with a talented jerk.
“
”
­— Ilene Haddad
Graphic Designer

27. watch your cash flow12

28. payments from clients don't always show
up when you figure they will.“
­— John Egan
Editor in chief, SpareFoot
”

29. Thanks for reading. Get more faculty research, career advice,
CEO insights and more:
www.texasenterprise.org
www.facebook.com/TexasEnterprise
@TexasEnterprise
About the Author
John Egan, editor in chief, SpareFoot
A resident of Austin since 1999, John Egan has more than 25 years of experience in journalism, communications and public relations. He is editor in chief at Austin startup
SpareFoot, an online marketplace for self-storage.