This post is packed with footnotes. The goal is to outline what you should look for when building your business, and then give you external resources to explore - since each person reading this might be in a different moment of their journey 🚀

I also launch Building products for solopreneurs on Product Hunt today. Feel like showing it some love? Thank you ❤️

Making a million dollars may seem like an impossible task for a one person business, but it is possible. With the right strategies in place, you can make your business thrive and reach this goal. While it will take hard work and dedication, it is possible to achieve financial success as a one person business. Here are some tips to help you get started.

1. What is a good idea for a one person business?

There are a number of factors to consider when choosing a business idea, including your interests, skills, and market demand. If you're looking for a good idea for a one person business¹, consider something that you're passionate about² or that fills a need in the marketplace³. Once you've chosen an idea, research it thoroughly to make sure it will be profitable⁴. With the right idea and a little hard work, you can make a million dollars as a one person business.

2. How to make your one person business a success

In order to make your one-person business a success, there are a few key things you need to do:

1. You need to have a clear and concise business plan⁵. This will help you stay focused and on track as you grow your business;

2. You need to build a strong network of support⁶. This includes family and friends who can offer advice and assistance, as well as professionals such as accountants and lawyers;

3. You need to be willing to work hard⁷ and put in the long hours required to make your business a success. If you can do these things, you'll be well on your way to making your one-person business a success.

3. What are the key things to remember when starting a one person business?

When starting a one person business, remember the following things:

1. Believe in yourself⁸ - you are the only one who can make your business a success;

2. Be passionate about what you're doing⁹ - if you're not passionate about your business, it will be difficult to motivate yourself to keep going;

3. Be organized and disciplined¹⁰ - running a business takes a lot of work, so you need to be organized and disciplined in order to be successful;

4. Be patient¹¹ - it takes time to build a successful business, so don't expect overnight success.

5. Have a plan¹² - without a plan, it will be difficult to know where you're going and how to.

4. How to market your one person business

No matter how motivated you are one-person businesses have a common dilemma: limited resources. So how do you make it work without the cash and the people larger companies have to implement their marketing plans? You’ve got to make the most of what you do have. With the right approach, your resource dilemma can be what inspires you to find creative ways to successfully reach your customers and build your brand. Focus on the following:

• Establish your presence¹³: you’ve got to get established on the market. Your digital presence is the key to building brand awareness and a customer base;

• Get active on social media¹⁴: social media is the next step to getting your brand established online, and the best way to directly engage with your customers;

• Create great content¹⁵: when you create good content on a consistent basis, you drive organic traffic to your website and establish your brand as an expert and thought leader;

• Leverage reviews and referrals¹⁶: positive reviews and referrals go a long way in establishing credibility for a business just beginning to build its customer base and reputation;

• Have a growth hacker mindset¹⁷: growth hackers continually seek out opportunities and look for tricks that help their businesses grow. Do jus that;

• Measure your success¹⁸: make sure to always know what’s working and what’s not by measuring your success.

5. How to make your one person business stand out

One person businesses often have a hard time competing. There are so many options for customers to choose from - what makes them choose you? When there are so many businesses doing the same things to grab attention from the same pool of customers, it can leave you scratching your head. What can you do to make your business truly stand out and beat the competition? Here’s a list of options:

• Start with a great website¹⁹: your website should be mobile-friendly to provide an excellent experience for your customers who visit your site on their mobile devices but also because Google has started indexing the mobile versions of sites over the desktop versions;

• Focus on reviews²⁰: close to 90% of customers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations, meaning if your online reviews aren’t great, then you’re not standing out from your competitors;

• Offer stellar customer service²¹: over half of all adults are willing to pay more for good customer service, so you know it’s important:

• Think of out-of-the-box promotional ideas²²: you can make your business stand out by running out-of-the-box sales or promotions that stick out to customers in some way or another;

• Run regular social media contests²³: this can help you not only grow your audience and get more followers, but it can keep customers coming back to your social sites instead of moving on to your competitors;

• Be active in your community²⁴: one of the major ways your business can stand out from the competition is through your tie to your community - be it physical or digital;

• Create a compelling brand story²⁵: your brand story can build trust and an emotional connection with potential customers while helping you stand out from the competition;

• Become a thought leader in your niche²⁶: By capitalizing on your expertise in your industry, you can easily become a thought leader in your niche and someone that customers look to as an authority.

6. How to make a million dollars as a one person business

Start. Right. Now. Don’t wait for the right moment, nor for the perfect idea. Get rolling because the best time to start was yesterday.

If you’re still not sure and are looking for some more “hands-on” advice, check out Peter Levels MAKE, the indie maker handbook, that will teach you how to build a profitable business the indie way:

MAKE

If you like One Person Business, please do ”Add to address book”, reply or leave a comment. These help my emails land in your inbox, and I would love to hear from you.

Until next time - Guilherme

P.S. Mind rating today's post? Awesome | Liked | 50/50 | Meh | Terrible

Do you enjoy the newsletter? Please forward it to someone. It only takes 10 seconds. Writing it takes me a couple of hours.

New around here? Welcome. Substack Tools here. Building products for solopreneurs here. Join the newsletter here 🙂