How to Avoid the Overwhelm as a 'Solopreneur'
The tools I use to streamline my workflow and Get Work Done
I’ve been either self-employed or running a small business for the last 35+ years. Sometimes I’ve worked on my own, but usually, I have a business partner to spread the workload.
Working with others comes with its challenges but also has its advantages—especially if you find someone who enjoys the jobs you’re less equipped to handle. My years of experience have revealed the issues that arise when both partners enjoy doing similar work (like creating social media posts, for example) but dislike tasks such as financial reporting.
On the flip side, being a solopreneur—particularly if you’ve come from a career where everyone had very clear roles and responsibilities—can be a real shock. It’s incredibly easy to feel overwhelmed by all the tasks involved in running your own business. Some even find the never-ending to-do list anxiety-provoking.
However, the benefit of starting a business now is that the abundance of software available to automate tasks can make being a company-of-one much, much easier.
Here are some tools I’d recommend:
Finances
Let’s start with finances—my least favorite job!
Modern banks like Tide, Starling, and others allow you to categorise your expenses automatically. You can train these tools to recognize certain suppliers, making it easier to track how your income is being spent.
Most of these banks also integrate with popular accounting software like Xero, QuickBooks, and others, reducing the time spent on manual data entry and lowering your accounting costs.
Social Media Management
Social media content can now be easily created, edited, and scheduled using AI tools, freeing up time for other aspects of your business.
I currently use Followr, which, for just $10/month, allows you to create and schedule posts.
Another option is Missinglettr, a British-based company offering similar functionality, albeit at a slightly higher price point.
Hello Woofy is another robust tool at $99/month, offering creation and scheduling features for social media posts.
Design Tools
I’m not a designer, but tools like Canva and VistaCreate have been game-changers for me. These platforms make it easy to design attractive presentations, video and image-based social media posts, logos, and high-quality visual imagery.
Image Resources
For finding suitable images:
Depositphotos is my go-to. I bought a deal on AppSumo years ago, and it has paid for itself 100 times over.
Unsplash is another excellent resource for royalty-free images, ensuring you won’t receive any unwelcome emails about licensing fees!
Content Creation Ideas
If you’re on Substack, one of my favorite creators, Ana Carlin, has recently launched an all-in-one platform called Substackulous. It’s fantastic for generating thumbnail images, notes, content creation ideas, and even reviewing your competition to inspire your own posts.
These are only a small selection of the tools I use, and I hope you find them useful. Working on your own may feel overwhelming at times, but it doesn’t need to be. With the right tools and mindset, you can streamline your workload and focus on what you truly enjoy!
I’m curious to know - what tools do you use - and what have you tried, and would avoid in future?
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