Running a small business is no small feat, and when you’re a “solopreneur,” it often feels like you have to work even harder to accomplish your goals. True, one person can only do so much, but have you ever heard the phrase “work smarter not harder?” What this means is that the way you work, along with the resources you utilize, can enable you to accomplish more in the time you have. What’s even better is that technology is a resource that any size business can access. That’s why we’ve put together this list of the best ways tech can solve your solopreneur problems and help your business grow.
Handling Legal Requirements
If you’re just starting out, the first big decisions you face involve how to form your business. Some solopreneurs try to do this step on their own, but you risk making decisions that won’t be best for your business (or for you personally). For example, the way you form your business has a major impact on your life by determining things like personal liability and how you pay taxes. To avoid making these mistakes, an affordable option is to use an online service that specializes in business formation. These services help you get up and running faster, and they make the process easy by filing the paperwork for you. Then once everything is complete, they’ll send you the legal documents you need.
Building Your Team
Just because you’re a solopreneur doesn’t mean you have to do everything on your own. In fact, the website Entrepreneur explains that it’s smart to outsource certain roles by hiring temporary or freelance workers. Doing this is especially worthwhile when it comes to jobs that are outside your skillset, such as building a website or managing social media accounts. Hiring a freelancer does require an investment, but the return in increased business is almost always worth the cost.
When you’re ready to build a team, digital tools can do more than help you find the right people. You can also search for tips on hiring the best candidate, as well as what you need to know about the hiring process. For example, you may want to protect your business by conducting a background check, but if you do, you’ll need to make sure you adhere to certain rules that were established by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).
Some of these rules apply to all employers, such as the requirement that you inform an applicant that you plan to do a background check and that the information it holds may impact whether they get the job. Other rules regarding background checks vary by state. For example, arrest warrants can be obtained going back seven years, but some states don’t allow the consideration of arrests where there was no conviction. Another rule to be aware of is that some states only allow you to do a criminal background check after you’ve made a conditional job offer.
Boosting Efficiency
Bringing on the right team members, even for short-term jobs, can go a long way toward boosting efficiency, but people are only part of the equation. Efficiency starts with having the right devices and ensuring tech needs like your internet connection are up to speed. Parts of Houston even have 5G Ultra Wideband, which is well worth the investment if it’s available in your area.
Along with making sure your tech bases are covered, don’t be afraid to seek out solutions like project management services from PE4U. Solopreneurs often think of project management as a big business solution, but as All Business explains, small businesses stand to gain even more from improving time and cost effectiveness. Your time and resources are limited, so you always want to make the most of them.
There’s one fact that’s true for all of us, whether you’re a solopreneur or a Fortune 500 CEO. That fact is that there are only so many hours in a day, which means we all have to make the most of them. Technology is the perfect solution to do just that - to boost your efficiency and achieve the growth you’ve been aiming towards.
By Marcus Lansky
