Solopreneur: What it is, steps to be one, & business ideas

Running a business on your own is both liberating and challenging. If you’re responsible for everything from finding clients to delivering the work yourself, then you’re a solopreneur.

According to the US Census Bureau, nearly 30 million businesses in 2022 had no paid employees. In a QuickBooks survey, 52% of solopreneurs said they went solo because they wanted the freedom to work for themselves and be their own boss. 

Accounting software, social media platforms, AI tools, e-commerce apps, and mobile banking now automate many tasks that employees would typically handle, such as invoicing, scheduling, sales, marketing, and expense tracking. 

In this article, you’ll learn what a solopreneur is, along with its pros and cons. You’ll also discover seven ways to make your solo business a success and five key characteristics that successful solopreneurs possess.

What is a solopreneur?

What are the differences between a solopreneur and an entrepreneur?

Pros and cons of being a solopreneur

How to be a successful solopreneur

5 key characteristics of a successful solopreneur

Solopreneur business ideas for 2026

What is a solopreneur?

A solopreneur (solo entrepreneur) is someone who runs and grows a business on their own. They have no business partners, co-founders, or employees. They take full ownership of both the day-to-day operations and long-term strategic goals of their business.

Alongside their primary skill or service, solopreneurs handle admin tasks, find and serve customers, choose suppliers, and deliver work to their clients. 

Some go solo by choice, seeking flexibility, freedom, or creative control. Others start as side-hustlers, gradually building their income before leaving full-time employment. 

The term solopreneur may also refer to freelancers, consultants, makers, and solo e-commerce sellers.

Can a solopreneur be a CEO?

While CEOs are typically associated with large corporations and businesses with multiple employees, a solopreneur is an entrepreneur who operates and manages their business independently. Even as a one-person operation, a solopreneur assumes the role of CEO, overseeing all aspects of their business, from planning and strategizing to execution and growth.

Can a solopreneur have employees?

While the term solopreneur implies an individual entrepreneur operating alone, as a business grows, the workload and demands may exceed what a single person can handle effectively. At this stage, a solopreneur transitions into a more entrepreneurial role.

What are the differences between a solopreneur and an entrepreneur?

If you’re a solopreneur, then you’re technically an entrepreneur as well. However, not all entrepreneurs are solopreneurs. 

Here’s a closer look at the difference between solopreneurs and entrepreneurs:

As you can see, there are some key differences between solopreneurs and entrepreneurs.

What’s the biggest difference between a solopreneur and an employee?

The main difference between a solopreneur and an employee lies in their role and relationship within a business. A solopreneur is an independent entrepreneur who runs a business alone. They are the sole owner and decision-maker, responsible for all aspects of their enterprise. 

On the other hand, an employee is an individual hired by a company to work under the direction and supervision of an employer or management team.

Pros and cons of being a solopreneur

Just like entrepreneurship, solopreneurship has advantages and disadvantages. Here’s a breakdown of the perks of being a solopreneur:

Of course, there are also downsides to operating your business alone. Here are some key disadvantages of being a solopreneur:

If you like the idea of being your own boss and having the freedom and flexibility that come with it, then being a solopreneur could be the right choice for you. Let’s explore some steps you can take to ensure success as a solopreneur.

How to be a successful solopreneur

Successful solopreneurs tend to share traits such as strong time management and resilience. They also might follow these seven steps to grow their business. 

1. Find your passion

The first step to becoming a successful solopreneur is to figure out your passion. Ideally, this should align with your strengths and skills. 

Here are some tips for determining whether you can turn your passion into a business: 

• List all your talents and skills: What are you good at? What do other people say you’re good at? Include the things you enjoy learning about as well. 
• Consider your values: Think about the things that are important to you. How do you hope to make an impact in your industry or community? 
• Look at your hobbies: What are your interests and hobbies? Consider the activities you enjoy doing in your free time. 

Taking stock of your skills, values, and hobbies is a great way to figure out what you’re passionate about. 

2. Identify a market opportunity  

Do you have in-demand skills, such as photography? Or will you need to use your talents to create a new kind of business? Look for trends related to your passion or industry, and be creative—think outside the box. Consider the problems people are facing and the needs that aren’t being met. 

Once you have an idea in mind, research the competition. Identify ways to differentiate yourself from them. Talk to competitors, potential customers, and business leaders in that market. Don’t forget to network with entrepreneurs and other solopreneurs who can share advice and insights. 

3. Start your business

There are several ways to set up your business as a solopreneur. The simplest option is to run your business as a sole proprietorship. However, if you want liability protection or tax flexibility, you can form a single-member LLC. 

Then, you can request an employer identification number (EIN) or use your Social Security number to open a business bank account. 

Like larger companies, many solopreneurs create a business name and logo. Some solopreneurs may opt to use their name for their business. For example, if you’re a web designer, it might make sense to operate under your own name. 

4. Build your brand

Now that you have your business idea and plan, it’s time to build your brand. A key component of brand building is thinking of ways to attract customers and stand out from the competition. An effective marketing strategy will leverage various online channels, including websites, social media, and email. 

As a solopreneur, it’s important to remember that you are your brand. How you present yourself and the experience you provide will shape your branding.

5. Reflect and learn 

As your business grows, take time to pause and review your progress. 

Ask yourself these questions to gauge how you’re doing—and answer them honestly: 

• What’s going well? 
• What needs improvement? 
• Am I using my time and resources wisely? 
• Are there opportunities to expand? 
• Can I offer an additional service or product? 
• Are my prices still competitive? Should I consider increasing them? 

Focus on areas where you’re underperforming and double down on what’s working. Monitoring progress and learning from successes (and setbacks) will help you grow sustainably. 

6. Stay flexible 

As a solopreneur, it's important to stay flexible. You’ll need to adapt to new challenges and opportunities. You don’t have to stick to your initial business plan. If you must adjust your vision to accommodate growth, do it.

Here are some tips for staying flexible: 

• Prepare for change (as much as you can): Change is constant, so it's important to prepare for the unexpected. Have a plan about how you'll handle changes in your business, your customer needs, or the market.
• Be willing to adapt: When things change, you’ll need to adjust your business accordingly. This may mean refining your products or services, digital marketing strategy, or business model.
• Don't be afraid to say no: It's essential to turn down new opportunities if they're not a good fit for your business or your goals. This will help you to stay focused on your priorities and avoid burnout.

Staying flexible is essential to being a successful solopreneur. One way to remain agile in the startup world is to embrace technology—use it to outsource and automate repetitive tasks you don’t like doing. 

7. Automate and outsource 

When running a business alone, you’ll want to set up systems and procedures that allow you to get more done in less time. Find ways to offload tedious and time-consuming tasks. 

Here are some easy ways to automate and outsource processes in your business: 

• Schedule social media posts with software. 
• Use lead generation and customer relationship management (CRM) tools. 
• Implement templates where possible. 
• Find appointment scheduling software that works for you. 
• Leverage AI to draft content, respond to inquiries, or summarize client notes.
• Automate accounting. 

Many solopreneurs now use AI tools to carry out everyday tasks like answering emails, managing bookings, or running social media campaigns. These systems can run 24/7 and respond in real time, creating a “team feel” for your business without having any actual employees.

Automation is a great way to improve your productivity and free up your time to focus on the work you enjoy. If you're short on time, it's easy to plug QuickBooks' AI agents into this list of tools to streamline your financial operations, such as categorizing transactions or predicting cash flow.

5 key characteristics of a successful solopreneur 

If you're running the show on your own, you’ll need to wear several hats—and wear them well. 

Here are some of the most important traits for a solopreneur to have:

Here are some traits many successful solopreneurs possess or develop: 

1. Passion: A deep passion for your business idea keeps you motivated to succeed.
2. Resilience: Starting and growing a business can be challenging, so solopreneurs must be resilient to overcome setbacks, failures, and criticism.
3. Creativity: Solopreneurs should be creative problem-solvers who can think outside the box and come up with innovative ideas to stay ahead of the competition.
4. Resourcefulness: Solopreneurs must be resourceful and leverage limited resources effectively. This includes finding affordable tools, software, and services to streamline operations and improve efficiency.
5. Self-discipline: Working alone requires self-discipline to maintain focus, prioritize tasks, and avoid distractions. Managing solopreneur finances involves careful scheduling and time management.

The business world is constantly changing, so solopreneurs need to be adaptable. Cultivating the above traits is key to a successful solopreneurship journey.

Solopreneur business ideas for 2026

Three trends are shaping opportunities for solopreneurs in 2026: AI automation, spatial computing, and niche digital services. Companies want to find new ways to reduce fixed costs without sacrificing output or quality. This opens doors for solo specialists who can automate company workflows to save time, cut costs, and boost productivity.

Spatial computing blends the real and digital worlds through technologies like virtual and augmented reality. Businesses are investing in spatial computing to lower prototyping costs, increase sales with interactive demos, and train staff more efficiently. 

Digital services are set to remain popular in 2026, too. More work is moving online, and more people are working remotely. With the right skills and setup, one person can now serve hundreds of customers without hiring staff.

Here are some of the most promising solopreneur ideas for 2026

• AI prompt engineer: Prompting is the process of instructing AI to generate text, images, or video. The quality of the output depends on the prompt, so expect rising demand for solopreneurs who can deliver reliable, consistent results.
• Automation integrator: Tools like Zapier and Make let apps communicate with each other and with AI. This presents a golden opportunity for companies to reduce their reliance on manual admin and speed up daily tasks.
• Content creators: Solopreneurs can help brands grow their visibility on social and video platforms or build their own audiences. They earn money through sponsorships, digital products, and premium subscriptions.
• Fractional CMO or COO: Former chief marketing and chief operations officers can share their expertise with multiple clients on a flexible, part-time basis.
• Data cleaner: Many companies invest heavily in new software and systems, only to see results undermined by poor-quality data. Expect a surge in demand for specialists who can identify and correct errors and improve the datasets used in machine learning programs.
• Specialist freelance writer: Some experts predict that searching with tools like ChatGPT and Google AI will surpass traditional search methods in the coming years. Writers skilled in retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) can help businesses create factual, AI-ready content that ranks and performs well.
• Niche virtual assistant: These specialists support businesses in maximizing the use of complex tools, such as CRMs or project management software. They set up automations, workflows, and logic trees to save time and boost efficiency.

Solopreneurs are well-positioned to help companies adopt the technologies needed to compete and drive innovation. Focus on honing the skills that align with your experience, and invest in the right tools to work smarter, serve more clients, and grow sustainably.

Start your business with confidence

Running a one-person business takes focus, drive, and determination. You’re competing with bigger players that have more people, money, and time. Clients still expect the same level of service and professionalism, even when it’s just you behind the desk.

As a solopreneur, you handle everything, from sales and marketing to bookkeeping and accounting. The best way to manage your workload is to use technology that frees up your time so you can focus on growth. 

QuickBooks supports solopreneurs at every stage. Automate bookkeeping, track expenses, and stay ready for tax time without needing outside help. And if you’re prepared to go further, our AI accounting tools can remove most routine tasks from your plate. 

Start with QuickBooks Solopreneur and build a business that runs smoothly, even when you’re the only one in the room.