As I mentioned in a previous post, “It’s Time to Move: Reliving the Pioneer Days,” I have spent a significant amount of time thinking about how to improve my business as I begin the fifth year of pursuing my dream of telling stories.
One area of my business that has really been in need of improvement is support. As a solo-preneur, someone that has set out in the business wilderness alone, I have come to realize that the most valuable asset that I can attain is a trusted and reliable network of fellow business owners and friends that have the wisdom, knowledge, resources and desire that I do not have.
Times are tough to be a business owner and that difficulty is compounded when you are going at it alone. Problems seem larger and harder to solve. Loneliness can creep into the shadows of your day. Without another person to bounce thoughts and ideas off of, you could lose faith in your ability to be creative and productive.
Enter the Solo Support Network: a group of face-to-face, real-life connections existing outside the confines of your daily pursuits. I can look them in the eye and tell them how I feel. They can look me in the eye and tell me what they see. They become the voices of reason that illuminate the doubt and despair. Most importantly, they have your back when you need it most.
Over the next few weeks, I’m going to continue unloading what the idea of having a Solo Support Network means for solo-preneurs, but for now I’m going to embrace the idea that I am no longer alone. That even though my business is “Chris Martin” Studios, I am a collaborative studio composed of my Solo Support Network and myself. Understanding this will only make me stronger, more successful and help me to be a member of someone else’s Solo Support Network.