How to Find Sustainable Growth When Your Business Centers Around You
For some local business owners, the right support keeps you connected to your audience while providing a framework for growth.
*Please note: If you came here via our Brand Archetype Quiz, you may notice the wording in this article is slightly different from what you expected. I wrote this series on owner archetypes before deciding it would be more accurate to focus our messaging on the overall brand, which includes the habits and systems that support sales and marketing, distribution, operations, finance, and leadership of a business.
The tips and tools included in these articles remain the same, though our promotional messaging may have shifted: Your work in the world is unique and deserves a personalized approach. I hope the discovery of your brand archetype gives clarity and direction to your path and empowers your impact.
When the responsibility of keeping your company running falls on you — and only you — how do you find space to grow?
It’s not uncommon for some local business owners to get their start as solopreneurs. And some of these may find that they have a unique ability to connect with their audience and form a base of raving fans.
Of course, some founders thrive as a Solo Act.
But others may discover that their path to sustainability requires more than they are able to do on their own.
In my years of working with local businesses, I’ve begun to think of these types of owners as Indie Artists.
Indie Artist owners are visionaries beloved by their fans but who, for whatever reason, are still looking for a way to thrive as true founders.
Does this sound like you or someone you know?
Local founders who identify with the Indie Artist archetype want to take their one-person business to the next level. They are inspired by the deep trust they’ve developed with their core audience and see the potential to expand their impact. But at the end of the day, they are limited by what they can personally accomplish.
The Indie Artist archetype often runs into two challenges that keep them spinning their wheels.
The first challenge this archetype faces is learning how to translate what makes them unique into something a team can reproduce.
How do you delegate a company’s responsibilities when the product being sold is the knowledge and experience inside the owner’s head?
Since cloning oneself à la Multiplicity is off the table, that leaves only one option.
To thrive, an Indie Artist must develop and train a team in the methods and philosophies that attracted her audience in the first place.
This requires creating SOPs (standard operating procedures) and other systems that team members can be trained in.
Yes, it takes work.
And yes, it can be done.
In my years of working with local founders, I’ve noticed a pattern in the types of owners that exist at the local level.
Of the five owner archetypes, the Indie Artist is the one I relate to the most.
When I began my business, what attracted my clients was my unique coaching style and perspective on sustainable business practices. And the responsibility for the success or failure of my company rested squarely on my shoulders.
This was fine for a while, but a few years ago my goals shifted, and I realized I could not accomplish them if I remained a solopreneur.
So, with a few stops, starts, and missteps, I’ve expanded my team.
We’ve created SOPs and training videos on everything from formatting copy and scheduling appointments to writing client emails and handling internal communications.
I’m also coaching my team to take over in areas I previously handled myself. I’m training one team member to write in my voice to share the message of Do Better Digital™ and another to meet with clients while holding to the Realign Consulting mission and values.
And I have to say, I’m pretty excited about where we are as a company.
In realizing my role as an Indie Artist, I have begun to rediscover space to breathe.
Because every little task is no longer on my shoulders, I can spend time focusing on moving our company forward and expanding our impact.
How do I know what to focus on and what to let go of? That’s the other challenge this archetype faces.
The second challenge of the Indie Artist owner archetype is finding the business support that helps them focus on what they love.
This type of owner may have tried every coach, strategy, or tool they’ve come across to find a path toward sustainable growth. But not every local founder generates business in the same way, so it can be hard to find support that fits.
It’s important to remember that sustainability is about more than just delegating tasks.
It’s also about making room for the things about your business that satisfy you or bring you joy.
When you’re systematizing your awesome, be careful not to delegate away your passion.
What is your favorite way to serve clients? Is there an aspect of marketing that you love?
Whatever it is that gets you going into the morning, prioritize it. Because a business is only sustainable when the owner loves what she does.
When you identify with the Indie Artist archetype, your path to lasting success begins with understanding your passion.
I believe every local business founder has the potential to become a Local Rockstar — the default in the industry for her community.
But to achieve Local Rockstar status, she has to understand and build on her innate business-generating style.
When she builds on her strengths and gets support for what challenges her, she can grow her company with sustainability and ease.
Do you know your owner archetype?
What can you do today to make your growth more sustainable and fun?
*Click here to learn more about how knowing your owner archetype can help guide your business on a path of sustainability and joy.
