Inspiration and Life

Start Working for Yourself Now

The best way to work for yourself

Is it possible to work for yourself, keep your job at the same pay, and not work a minute more? There is a way to achieve this seemingly impossible arrangement. Read on to learn more!

Working for yourself

Some years ago, I stumbled upon something that surprised me so much it created a paradigm shift in my thinking. I had always wanted to work for myself, yet had no idea I already did. All it took was waking up and shifting my mindset slightly.

This simple concept changes the way you see yourself and your employer. The recent generation of workers seems to have naturally caught on to the concept in many ways, creating a significant shift in the workplace. This shift continues to grow partly because of the job market’s steady move away from lifelong employment with one company.

The concept uses an entrepreneur mindset. To embrace it, see yourself working for your own company, “You, Inc.” An employer may hire you personally, but you are selling your services to them in reality.

Like any company that provides a service to other companies, it can be for the short or long term. In today’s society, you will likely sell your services to several companies over the years.

Are you a solopreneur?

If you are not familiar with the term solopreneur, let me introduce you to this relatively new word. Originating in the 1990s, it blends solo and entrepreneur. Where an entrepreneur will often outsource the fulfillment of its products/services, a solopreneur does everything themselves.

The definition of solopreneur, according to the Oxford Languages dictionary, is:

solopreneur (noun) — a person who sets up and runs a business on their own.

Practicing solopreneurship is the quickest and best way to see yourself differently at work. You can view yourself as not just an ordinary employee but as a resource creating value for the company that uses your services

Many people limit themselves by seeing their job as their sole provider. They wind up stuck because they are too afraid to abandon their salary and benefits. As a solopreneur, you may sell your services to only one company, but you become more in your mind than a simple employee. Yes, this change is about how you view yourself where it matters most, in your mind.

“ For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. “ Proverbs 23:7 (NKJV)

Instead of being just another employee, think of yourself as an individual enterprise called “YOURNAME, Incorporated.” The name of my enterprise, for example, is Bill Abbate, Inc. While not a registered corporation, I started this “company” in the 1980s when learning of this concept. Describing myself as a solopreneur came later.

As a solopreneur, you hire your products/services to a company or a person. Since you are the founder, president, CEO, Chairman of the board, and sole employee of “YOURNAME, Inc.” you hold all the power and can do what you wish with your company. You can be as easy or demanding on yourself as you want. The important thing is to deliver the right services and not just do a job as an ordinary employee.

Making the change

You can make the change as many of us have, selling your services to other companies and people. In my case, I sold products/services to large corporations and individuals as a provider, executive coach, and consultant, sometimes simultaneously.

“It takes half your life before you discover life is a do-it-yourself project.” Napoleon Hill (1883–1970)

See your employer as a client. Will you focus only on what you get, or will you focus on providing value? This is a fundamental mindset change. Realize any company needs your services only for a time, and as an employee, your future is limited.

Employees are a dime a dozen. Look at how many jobs disappear in companies. They constantly replace people with automation, outsource their work, cut staff, scale back, and more, requiring them to eliminate jobs and fire people. Sadly, they see most of their people as only simple employees.

But those who provide valuable products/services to companies have something to sell that is transferable to many businesses. Did you know about 160 million people work in the USA? Solopreneurship is rising so quickly that current estimates in the USA are at nearly 42 million solopreneurs, freelancers, and consultants working full or part-time!

My first foray into solopreneurship came when I was in a sales position. Discovering the concept of working for myself helped me quickly rise to the top of my profession, from sales rep to Sales Manager to VP of sales for North America and eventually to CEO.

The shift in mindset and attitude from seeing myself as just another employee to that of an independent one-person company was life-changing. Things went so well that competitors soon came knocking at my door to recruit me.

Seeking a greater challenge, I took an opportunity in a large conglomerate as an executive. Although I was under contract with a non-compete agreement, I continued to view myself as Bill Abbate, Incorporated. Sure, on paper, I was an employee, but, in my mind, I provided the best possible product/service I could give them for what they were willing to spend.

Bill Abbate, Inc. naturally devoted almost all its capacity to the company. I made sure to deliver consistent, significant, quality results. Did it pay off? You bet it did! It was easy to stand out from the crowd using this different way of thinking.

Being higher up in an organization does not mean you are any less expendable than anyone else, even though you may have a contract. Maintaining a solopreneur mindset benefits you regardless of your level. However, it is even more crucial as you rise through the ranks.

Working for yourself keeps you on your toes and helps you outperform others, especially employees. An added benefit of adopting the solopreneur mindset is that it can open your eyes and mind to many opportunities you would have never noticed as an employee.

“My biggest motivation? Just to keep challenging myself. I see life almost like one long university education that I never had — every day I’m learning something new.” Richard Branson (1950-present)

Final thoughts

A significant advantage of being a solopreneur is that you can more objectively evaluate your services. Why? Because you can approach the work needed with an invaluable third-party view. This outside view allows you to work in their business, but more importantly, work ON your business.

It is up to you how to run YOURNAME, Inc. You can try to skate along or get serious and build a great solopreneur business. Can you see yourself as a solopreneur? If so, how do you want to run your company? For whom do you want to provide your product or service? It’s your choice when you work for “You, Inc.!”

Please take to heart the wisdom in this final quote. The sooner you begin thinking like a high-performance solopreneur, the sooner you can create the life you want!

“The man who will use his skill and constructive imagination to see how much he can give for a dollar, instead of how little he can give for a dollar, is bound to succeed.” Henry Ford (1863–1947)

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Bill Abbate Leadership Writer and Editor in ILLUMINATION

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