How to become a solopreneur: a step-by-step guide

A solopreneur runs a business entirely on their own: no employees, no co-founder, no investors. It is the fastest way to work for yourself, and the hardest part is not the paperwork. It is choosing what to sell and finding the first people who will pay for it.

This guide walks through the path that works for most people, in the order that saves the most time and money.

Step 1: Start with a skill people already pay for

The quickest route to income is selling something businesses or people already buy, using a skill you already have. Copywriting, bookkeeping, design, video editing, coaching, tutoring, web development, consulting in your industry: these have proven demand. You don’t need to invent anything.

Ask yourself three questions:

1. What have people paid me for before, at a job or as a favour?
2. Who has a budget for it? Businesses usually pay more and more reliably than individuals.
3. Can I describe the result in one sentence? “I write product pages that sell for Shopify stores” beats “I’m a freelance writer”.

If you want ideas, see our list of solopreneur business ideas, grouped by the skills they need and how much they cost to start.

Step 2: Choose a narrow audience

“Small businesses” is not an audience. “Independent physiotherapy clinics in the UK” is. A narrow audience makes everything easier: you know where they spend time, what words they use, which problems keep them up at night and what they pay.

You can always widen later. Being the obvious choice for a small group beats being one of thousands for everybody.

Step 3: Get one paying customer before you build anything

This is the step most people skip. Before you design a logo, build a website or buy software, sell the service once.

• Message ten people in your network who fit your audience. Tell them exactly what you offer and what it costs.
• Offer a small, fixed-price first project so saying yes is easy.
• Deliver it brilliantly and ask for a testimonial and a referral.

One paying customer tells you more than months of planning. Our guide to getting your first clients has scripts and channels.

Step 4: Set your price properly

New solopreneurs almost always undercharge, because they compare their rate with a salary. But your rate has to cover tax, business costs, unpaid admin time, holidays and sick days: things an employer paid for before.

Use our freelance rate calculator to work out the minimum rate that pays you what you need, then read how to set your freelance rate.

Step 5: Set up the basics (in a weekend)

Once someone has paid you, set up just enough to look professional and stay organised:

See the solopreneur tool stack for what to use and what to skip.

Step 6: Sort out the legal and tax side

The rules depend on your country, but the usual first steps are:

• Register as self-employed (or as a sole trader or sole proprietor) with your tax authority.
• Check whether you need a licence or insurance for your type of work.
• Set aside tax from every payment. Our tax set-aside calculator helps you find your percentage.
• Consider a company once your income grows; an accountant can tell you when it makes sense.

Step 7: Build a steady flow of customers

One-off referrals get you started; a system keeps you going. Pick one or two channels and do them consistently for six months:

• Referrals: ask every happy client, every time.
• Content: answer your audience’s questions on a blog, LinkedIn or YouTube.
• An email list: stay in touch with everyone who shows interest (how to pick a platform).
• Partnerships: team up with people who serve the same audience with a different service.

Step 8: Grow without hiring

A solopreneur grows by making each hour worth more, not by adding people:

1. Raise your prices as demand grows. If you are fully booked, you are too cheap.
2. Productise your service: a fixed scope, fixed price and fixed timeline that is easier to sell and deliver.
3. Create products from what you repeat: templates, courses, paid newsletters.
4. Outsource and automate the tasks that don’t need you.

Should you quit your job first?

Usually not. The safest path is to start alongside a job or other income, get your first few clients and leave once the business reliably covers your essential costs, with three to six months of savings as a cushion. The pressure of no income makes people take bad clients and underprice.

The short version: pick a skill people pay for, choose a narrow audience, sell it once before building anything, charge properly and set aside tax from day one.

Free tools for this

Tools mentioned in this guide

Frequently asked questions