Solo CEOs are men and women of all ages and occupations operating businesses with few or no employees. We are entrepreneurs, professionals, retailers, tradespeople, bookkeepers, and more.
“Small business” does not adequately describe us because it hints that we are minor league players. We may operate with few employees but we are, or will be in the major leagues. The size of a business does not determine its caliber.
According to the 2006 US Census, over 3 million Americans operate businesses without employee assistance. In Canada as many as 1 million businesses are operating as solo enterprises.
We may work alone but rarely are we lonely. Depending on the business we are in, we may be spending time with clients on the phone or at their offices or work sites. We belong to Boards of Trade and Chambers of Commerce. We are active in community service. We engage in networking opportunities online and offline to expand our business and to enjoy the camaraderie of others.
Thanks to social media, we even have water cooler discussions. I have Twitter running in the background when I’m working and occasionally take a peek to see who is posting what. I may say hello to someone and strike up a chat or I may lurk in the background and enjoy just listening to a conversation.
In the not too long ago past, solo professionals were often not taken seriously. A good lawyer, accountant or consultant was expected to be part of a successful firm. Only rogues worked on their own.
In today’s business environment, working on our own no longer has a stigma attached. There are million dollar solo consultants, wealthy lawyers, superb accountants and highly successful business people who choose to work on their own. Their reasons are many but a common theme is the desire for a different kind of lifestyle than that offered in the corporate environment.
We solo practitioners are a growing segment of the modern business world. Often by choice, sometimes by circumstance, we are carving out our own piece of the rock.
