I got the idea for this blog when I realized that I have never seen specific help, business advice, or support for introverted business owners and solo-entrepreneurs.
Introverts Strengths: Quite, Deliberate, Conscientious
An introvert is one of the five personality traits, described as quiet, deliberate, and conscientious.
They have a tendency to show self-discipline, act dutifully, and aim for achievement; planned rather than spontaneous behavior. Via Wikipedia
They are internally motivated, analytical, and comfortable working alone. These personality characteristics make them excellent candidates for technical occupations like software and web development. Following the events of 9/11/2001 IT departments began shrinking the size of their departments and budgets.
Shrinking IT Ranks & The Accidental Entrepreneur
In the last 5-10 years have become “accidental entrepreneurs” following the economic downturn that began 9/11/2001. Rather than looking for non-existent full-time jobs, many opted for freelance or contract work - which thrust them into the ranks of the self-employed.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, at the end of 2004 almost 20 million Americans operated businesses with no employees (see Figure 6). Businesses without a payroll make up over 70% of the nation’s businesses, and almost one million new businesses without payrolls were added in 2004 (the latest available data). Via Intuit Future of Small Business Series
Suddenly I connected the dots between the fact that I am an introvert myself and many of the people I coach who own software and web development businesses also tend to be introverts. My experience working with them is that they are deliberate, self-disciplined, and achievement oriented.
The real challenge for the introverted entrepreneur is revealed in their struggle with sales and self-promotion - this is when their quiet, low-key approach becomes a weakness.
Any Strength Can Become a Weakness
Given time to prepare and a plan they believe in, the introverted entrepreneur can and does excel in self-employment. The reality of being responsible for their own paychecks forces them to learn how to overcome their natural tendency to quiet, low-key, deliberate, and relatively non-engaged in social situations.
Conscientious individuals avoid trouble and achieve high levels of success through purposeful planning and persistence. They are also positively regarded by others as intelligent and reliable. On the negative side, they can be compulsive perfectionists and workaholics. Furthermore, extremely conscientious individuals might be regarded as stuffy and boring. Via Wikipedia
In fact, entire online ecosystems have been created for the introverted software and web developer. Freelance marketplaces have popped up to serve this large niche market. The purpose of this blog is to expand on the mantra I created for myself last year, “Live Large! Because shrinking does not become you.”
Live Large and Prosper
Moving from solo-entrepreneur to business owner and then a Remote Control CEO requires a significant commitment and a sustained effort over an extended period. That is what this blog and project is all about, helping people just like you to:
- Stop settling for perpetual frustration.
- Help you make a quality decision that things will be different.
- Understand that there is no “right time” to expand and grow. The time is now.
- Help you understand the real value of your work so you stop undervaluing and underpricing your work and services.
- Help you to get to a place where you are able to give yourself the permission you need to act - don’t wait for anybody else to act.
- Provide you with a broader base of information and business knowledge to help you be more creative, and achieve the kind of success and lifestyle that suits you.
