Maybe, You & I Can Abandon Our ‘Suit, No Tie’ Attire for a 1-Person Business

Why the heck not?

You dreamt about this, am I right?

I did. I still do.

I started my career as a technology consultant. Working hours were long, and clients were demanding. But that never stopped me from daydreaming.

I fantasized that 1 day, I will,

• Close that 8-digit deal (haven’t happened),
• Be a managing partner (ditched that),
• Earn 7 digits a year (far from it).

I pushed and slogged, slogged and toiled, toiled and shoved… ad infinitum.

I thought I was near. I was crawling towards it with all my might… until… until…

… I scratched the wall of mental fatigue.

The Endless Struggle with Timesheets

Timesheet is the most sinister invention I’ve come across.

I rate it a close second to needless certifications. They suck the life out of me.

As consultants in professional services, we are trained to polish our timesheets to perfection.

• Cannot handle that client? Not a problem.
• Failed to submit the timesheet on time? Big problem.

Joke has it that John, a fellow analyst, hit the jackpot because of an assignment with a multi-national mining client. He was given one charge code for his timesheet.

“36782 — Diamond Client — 100% Billable”

He screamed and jumped when he saw the email from the project manager. It was good news. In fact, great news.

As the rumor goes, John never suffered from timesheet-triggered mental fatigue.

We, mere mortals, did.

It was for me.

Like the others, I had to wrestle with 2 things.

• Billable time — This means you get your clients to pay for service.
• Unbillable time — This means you got to explain why you are idling.

Striking a balance between billable and unbillable is about survival. If you are 30% unbillable — Congratulations. You will be assigned one of the lowest performance grading for that year.

Wondered why?

Because you are generating less money for the firm than you are bringing in.

And that is a catastrophe in the ‘suits, no tie’ world.

I Got Tired of That World, So I Left.

It took me 9 long years to press that cockpit eject button.

I left because,

• I got tired of getting stuck between a rock (my managing partners) and a hard place (annoying clients).
• I was assigned engagements because they needed a physical living body to fill the hole.
• Dealing with juniors desperate for a social life when we have candles to burn.

In short, I left because of people. You know, human issues.

That is the first reason.

There is a second reason.

It comes across best as a question.

“Can I run a 1-person business and achieve what I have previously, without the human circus and annoying timesheets?”

There is one key component in that question.

Without the human circus

Yes, timesheets are a problem.

But annoying people? That is at another level.

I am sure my ex-colleagues think the same of me.

The assh0le. That jerk. The irate. That farter (I am sure this word is invented out of love).

I digressed.

It took me 2 years to find that answer.

And that word is yes.

Imagine my euphoria.

“Oh my god, I am sufficient? God exists!!”

I Enjoyed My Journey in a 1-Person Business

I joined a software startup in September 2021.

I needed to raise funds to continue feeding my 1-person business.

Lady Luck smiled a cruel smile. She blessed me with another 1-person business.

I was the last person remaining to hold the flag of the Asia-Pacific entity by February 2023

Everyone else has been asked to go.

The reason? Poor business.

The Group CEO asked if I was ready to hold the fort, knowing no one would support me. I said I was in.

Have I gone bonkers? Nope.

I wanted to test myself. How far can I go running a software product licensing business with only 1 pair of hands?

As it turns out, quite far.

Here’s why.

• There is synergy across pre-sales, sales closing, and client servicing.
• I am proud to present my financial numbers, knowing them inside out.
• I handle all contract matters, so I know what my obligations are.

It is enjoyable having a big-picture view of a software business.

It allows us to (very) quickly point out areas of improvement required and implement changes… without getting into 5-hour meetings, debating why we should not do it.

And.

We break the back of organization silos.

Organizational silos… is when a company has groups of experts separated by department, specialization, or location… The problem starts when employees… pursue department goals instead of company goals.

- Silo Mentality: What Are Organizational Silos and Their Impact

Sounds familiar? You bet.

It is difficult to push things through when interests conflict. It turns into a war of nerves and attrition. It wears us out.

In a 1-person business…

We can make multiple attempts at A/B testing and choose the option we desire without elaboration. This is true, even in my day job.

My Group CEO has no time for me. I run my own show.

All I do is surrender secured revenue to the headquarters. That is it.

We can also add a splash of local culture to our international pitch deck.

Yes, we can. And why not?

You are speaking to locals. You know your market better than anyone else.

Pull no punches. Act now. Show results. Explain later.

Prove that you can expire the cookie cutter.

And that, to me, is the ultimate benefit of running a 1-person business, our own or in our day job.

We can move fast.

Think nimble.

Think agile.

Think wow.

The Close

We don’t always have to suit up.

We have a choice.

There are startups where individuals focus on themselves, believing that that is the best way to get better results.

We can also venture out on our own.

They work.

Of course, we must put in the work for it to work. If you are wondering where you can start — This is my advice.

Have a big-picture view.

Walk around your office and see how everyone and every piece of work connect.

You will know what to do.

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