Writer’s Prologue: In my decade of marketing small businesses and solo entrepreneurs, I have *never once* heard someone speak about their purpose and passion and thought it was a bad business idea. If you’re at the stage where you have an entrepreneurial goal, please believe you deserve to be confident.

Lack of confidence often comes back to comparing yourself to others. As the adage goes, do not compare your entrepreneurial journey on day one to someone else’s on day one-thousand. Comparison truly is a thief of joy, so put it straight in the f*ck it bucket. Focus instead on why you should be confident, and what you can do to feel more confident about your business as it grows. Confidence is comfort, and you deserve both... and more.

Breathe Consistency + Achievability

Variety might be the spice of life, but consistency is the spice of a successful business. Routines build your audience, your brand and in turn, your confidence. Create a doable schedule for yourself. Be thoughtful and consistent about when you do social media, content, e-mails and sessions. And please remember: consistency is a quality not a quantity, don’t overdo it.

When creating your consistent schedule, break your goals down into small, achievable steps. These little rewards along the way can help build your confidence as you work towards your big business goals. As you achieve these little things, please remember to breathe in these small successes. Reward yourself often on your journey. You deserve it.

Trust Your Worth

When you trust your worth, your users will see your value. Price yourself accordingly. If you’re ready to launch a business, then you deserve to be paid properly. Underestimating your value is a more prevalent problem for women, BIPOC and marginalized communities. Do some market research on average costs, and then price it like a CIS white man. You’re fully in control here. You are the boss now and you don’t have to exist in anyone else’s 80 cents on the dollar world.

Next, start close to home. Even if you aren’t quite confident in your value just yet, chances are your close network has 100% confidence in you. Let them be your first users and customers and feedback loop.

Stay educated

Yes, there will always be a necessary fake it ‘til you make it vibe, but with the power of knowledge comes confidence. Educate yourself regularly by researching your arena often, and staying up to date on best practices and technologies. This is an area, where we will soon have you covered. Check back as we build our Academy to help solo entrepreneurs achieve success.

Own your own version of success

What is perfect? What is normal? Who cares! Let go of perfectionism and other peoples ideals, lean into what you think works. You know your business better than anyone. Owning your own personal version of success will set you free, give you power, and you guessed it, boost your solopreneur confidence. Here are a couple of helpful reads on harnessing imperfectionism.

Mind Your Mind

As Nicole Fenton aptly points out, "Staying productive is incredibly difficult when you’re living with a mental illness, sleep deprived, taking care of a loved one, grieving, or overstimulated from reading the news."

Confidence is regularly powered by self esteem, which is directly linked to your mental health. The world is still going through a collective trauma, so please be gentle on yourself. When you’re burnt out, you’re not healthy, and when you’re not healthy, the confidence you need to boost your business simply won't be there.

If you're struggling with your mental health, please know you're not alone, find some resources and seek help.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.