When I said farewell to my full time office job and began my journey as a solopreneur, I didn’t realise that this voyage would require me to navigate an ever changing sea of technology. Of course I knew that businesses were becoming more automised through software, apps and programmes etc. What I didn’t realise was that there would be so many different technological platforms available to streamline your business. On top of that, I found the entrepreneur world came with a complete set of jargon and acronyms that were all new to me. ROI, CTA, CMS, SEO –which goes well with my OMG, FFS and WTF?
Actually, I was a bit surprised to find myself overwhelmed because I’m not a technology phobe. I quite like learning about different software programmes and tinkering around on new systems. I think what overwhelmed me was that I didn’t know which of these offerings would be the best for my business. How would I know which ones would best serve my needs without trying them all? I decided to ask around to see what everyone recommended for newsletters, websites, vlogs, accounting, coaching calls etc. The result was a bunch of conflicting advice and recommendations. At the end of the day, each piece of technology has pros, cons, features and benefits to be considered.
I was also concerned that I would invest time and energy into learning different technologies only for them to become obsolete and taken over by the next technological trend. Nothing is stagnant in this world, least of all technology. There will always be some whiz kid coming up with the next latest and greatest technological craze.
After some deep breathing, I realised that even though I COULD learn how to use all these different technologies, the point was – did I want to? What did I want to spend my time doing? That was the first big lesson I learnt in becoming a solopreneur. We can get stuck thinking we need to do it all ourselves but in fact, our time is best spent playing to our strengths.
My business is writing. That’s what I love to do, that’s my strength. I could learn the ins and outs of all the technology applications, platforms and programmes out there but the truth is I don’t want to, I want to write. So instead I learned about the joys outsourcing. I was able to outsource my techie stuff to someone who is equally passionate about technology as I am about writing. Doing so means I can browse, tinker and learn about the technological offerings available for my business at my leisure without that mad, panicked, scrambling “man overboard’ feeling.
Now, navigating the technological sea has become a pleasure cruise. I can relax, take in the scenery and maybe, just maybe, do a bit of writing. Bon Voyage!
