"The Solo-preneur's Dilemma: Balancing Passion and Practicality in Small Business"

Intro

When it comes to defining a small business, the SBA's Office of Advocacy generally considers an independent enterprise with fewer than 500 employees to qualify. This fairly broad definition encompasses a wide range of companies - from the classic solo entrepreneur working out of their garage to larger organizations with a few hundred staff members. 

Personally, when I think of a "small business," the image that often comes to mind is the solo-preneur - someone running their own venture, whether it's an online business they manage from their home office or a hands-on craft they operate out of a workshop or studio space. This is a model I have direct, firsthand experience with, having operated as a solo-preneur myself for close to a decade now.

Following my passion

My entrepreneurial journey began when I started exploring one of my long-time passions - woodworking. I remember making a custom barn door for a friend, but it ended up not fitting their space properly. Rather than let the project go to waste, I decided to try recouping my costs by selling the door. To my surprise, the Craigslist ad I posted generated a lot of interest, and before I knew it, I had an unexpected business on my hands.

What started as a simple hobby-turned-side-gig quickly evolved into a full-fledged company, with me suddenly dealing with all the operational and administrative responsibilities that come with running a business - marketing, finances, logistics, and so on. Rather than simply focusing on the creative woodworking that had initially inspired my entrepreneurial venture, I found myself constantly preoccupied with these various business concerns.

The Pattern

Unfortunately, this pattern seems to play out for many small business owners who start out pursuing a passion, whether it's baking, crafting, or some other hands-on skill or creative outlet. The stress of juggling all the business-related tasks can often become overwhelming, causing them to eventually abandon the very thing they were passionate about in the first place.

That's exactly what happened in my case. The joy and therapeutic benefits I had once derived from working in my workshop slowly gave way to constant anxiety over marketing, cash flow, and other operational headaches. Eventually, the toll became too much, and I made the difficult decision to close down the business entirely so I could refocus on my other interests.

Rediscovering my passion

After taking a year long break, I rediscovered that therapeutic hands-on, creative fulfillment I had been missing. I started taking on the occasional custom woodworking project for past clients, but this time I was careful to balance that creative outlet with another of my passions - spiritual coaching. By diversifying my income streams and not relying solely on a single business activity, I was able to avoid the burnout I had experienced before.

Additionally, I had an important realization during this period: many of the problems I had faced as a small business owner were not unique to me, but were common struggles that other entrepreneurs grappled with as well.

This insight led me to shift my focus towards helping other small business owners overcome those same challenges through my coaching work.

A Spiritual Law

In doing so, I found that there seems to be an almost "spiritual law" at play - when you orient your efforts towards solving problems for others, your own needs and goals have a way of getting met in the process. Customers and opportunities started flowing my way, not because I was desperately trying to sell a product or service, but because I was genuinely committed to helping others succeed.

Ultimately, the path to sustainable entrepreneurship is highly personal and will look different for each individual. But some key principles have proven invaluable in my own journey as a solo-preneur: diversifying income streams, not letting a passion project become an oppressive burden, and always keeping the focus on serving others. With the right mindset and approach, it is possible to find profound fulfillment in entrepreneurship, even as a one-person operation.