Howdy solopreneurs!  Thanks for joining The Solopreneur Hour on this Friday Q&A episode.

In this episode, we cover getting over the fear of getting started, how to charge and make money as a solopreneur, when to get great branding done, what weird words people make up, and I tell my life story.

So listen in, check it out and enjoy the 249th episode of The Solopreneur Hour!

More About This Show

If you haven’t been here before our Fridays are usually this type of show: your Qs get my As.

As of late I’ve been emailing you and asking for your questions. If you aren’t on the mailing list go to the home page and pick up your copy of 8 Steps to Becoming a Successful Solopreneur and you’ll be added! I also ask the Proudly Unemployables on our Facebook group for their questions. You can join that group here. Look for my email and/or post asking for your questions and send yours in.

Let’s not prolong the agony any longer and get to your questions!

 

Phil Wijs 

Q: Honestly, my biggest challenge is making that first dollar as a solopreneur. With a long history of working 9-5, I’m used to receiving a weekly paycheck and trading hours for dollars.

But now it’s time for a mind shift. I’ve read the sexy six and have a pretty solid understanding for how I want to price things. However, I have some strange mental block that is giving me a fear to charge what I need to. Actually, I have a fear of charging anybody.

I’m also afraid of selling myself short and selling to people in general. How do I get past this mental block and feel comfortable with bringing in income at a solopreneur level?

A: Have a web site, connect it to a PayPal account. Follow my example: I offered a 30 minute consultation for $47 and walk you through everything you needed to do to update your social media accounts. The first thing you want to do is get clients and get your reps in.

To do so you can charge a low rate or do it for free and use the anchor client strategy. Anchor clients are big name clients you offer to do some work for free. Then you deliver for them and they become advocates of your work. You can leverage their name and their experiences with you to garner more clients at a higher rate, they become the anchors of your new business.

 

Mark R. LePage 

Q: I want to know about you and where you come from. What were your greatest influences as a kid? Tell us a bit about your mom and dad (if you’re comfortable doing so.)

A: I’m from Toledo, Ohio and played every sport known to man. My dad was a CEO of a canned company (like the cans that are used for Pringles). My mom was in advertising and marketing, then became a stay at home mom. She played piano, my brother played guitar and I played drums. Many other family members were musically-inclined too.

 

Chris Davis 

Q: What are 2 or 3 of your favorite jazz recordings and why?

A: Take Five, Don’t Get Around Much Anymore and Boots Randolph. I love Dave Weckl and Buddy Rich.

 

Jace Jacobs 

Q: Wazzzzzzuppp! I’ve been using several goofy words for as long as I can remember. What are some of your favorite goofy words that you use as part of your vocabulary?

A: Irregardlessly. Complicatory and the c word plus y.

 

Demetrio Flores 

Q: Do you see yourself in the future with a little solopreneur jr.?!

A: The short answer is yes!

 

Bruce Irving

Q: Hi Micheal,

I think that getting traction and building momentum is the biggest challenge I face, Having the faith to stick with it and knowing it will work out in the end.

P.S.