My First 30 Days as a Solo Entrepreneur
Nov 6 · 5 min read
I honestly cannot believe it’s been 30 days since I left Salesforce. The amount I’ve learned in the last 30 days makes it feel like it’s been 6 months, but yet it also feels like just yesterday I was saying very teary goodbyes around the office. I feel compelled to pause and reflect on the last 30 days and share some of my early day learnings as a solo entrepreneur.

- Ask for help. This is not something I’m notoriously good at, but taking this major leap forced me way out of my comfort zone. So many amazing people reached out in the last 30 days to offer their brainpower, app recommendations, time, teachings, pit falls, successes, encouragement, and listening ears. I want to take a moment to thank some of these amazing people that have made my first 30 days so productive — they are: Shiv, Josh, Megan, Joanna, Judy, Shawna, and Holly. They know how hard it is for me to ask for help, so instead they suggested ways in which they could help if I was open to it. Instead of just saying “i’m here to help, or how can I help?” they said “I want to help, and this is how I can help.” This is such a simple but impactful change in perspective and one that I’m going to adopt going forward.
- Form a network. Being a solo entrepreneur can be a lonely existence. Since I’m a serial community builder, I tapped into what I already knew and started forming a network. This included former community members, Salesforce alumni, and new solo entrepreneurs I’ve been introduced to. I created an Entrepreneur group on the Trailblazer Community, I engage in the CMX Hub, I take coffee networking meetings, and curated a list of Community Builders on twitter to keep my networking alive and growing.
- Invest in tools. I’m just one person and that’s not very scalable, so I needed to find ways to streamline my time. There are a ZILLION apps out there to fill any need you have. I made a list, tapped my network for recommendations, and started researching. My criteria was: free (if possible), simple interface, built-in integration, and easy to use. Here’s a list of the apps I set up in the first 30 days: Calendly (for meeting scheduling), Wix (for my website ericakuhl.com, Salesforce (for my client tracking — duh!), Freshbooks (for invoicing), Stripe (for online payments), and Quip (for document collaboration).
- Be nimble and flexible. I did a ton of research leading up to launching my consulting company on service offerings for clients. I also had a rough idea of what types of companies I would target (or would target me for that matter). After my first ~5–10 calls, it became clear that I was a bit off in my research. I was delightfully surprised that companies of all sizes, community maturity, and different industries were reaching out to me. I also realized that my offerings were a bit too narrow focused and being flexible and nimble allowed me to quickly make changes without throwing off my company focus and strategy.
- Read books. Going from an insanely fast paced environment like Salesforce to being a solo entrepreneur was a shock to the system. Once I settled into the new pace of my work, I relished in the fact that I now have time to think, write and read! I was given two great books focused on starting a small business. Traction by Gino Wickman and Getting Naked by Patrick Lencioni (thank you Jason Robbie and Jake McKee for the book recs!)
- Get a good tax attorney and accountant. One of the biggest pieces of advice I got going into my solo entrepreneurship was to be aware of tax implications that can creep up on you. There are also so many different options on how to organize a business including solo practitioner, LLC, S Corp, and C Corp. I did some preliminary research online and quickly realized I was in over my head. I tapped my amazing local network for a tax attorney and an accountant and less than 2 weeks later I’m happy to announce that Erica Kuhl Consulting is officially an LLC!
- Cut costs. Before embarking on this exciting new adventure, my husband and I poured two big glasses of wine and went line by line through our monthly budget. We looked at what were fixed costs, what could be reduced and what could be cut. This was to ensure we had some cushion in our budget allowing me ramp up time as I built the business. We also spent two months as a trial to see if we could stick to this reduced budget. It was not easy, and I don’t think my husband would say I was successful during our trial period. I had a stable income contributing to the family for 17.5 years, so I was so stressed out about it dropping to ZERO. I’m happy to report that as month one wraps up, I stuck religiously to the budget and feel a huge sense of accomplishment! I am still stressed about money but know that it takes time to build and grow.
- Be confident. One of the most common questions I heard as my last day at Salesforce came closer was “are you going to take some time off?”. Refer to #7 and you’ll know that I was too stressed to let any grass grow under my feet. Not only was I nervous about money, I also needed time to overcome doubt and build up my confidence. I wondered “will I have value to share?”, “will I be able to translate my knowledge to other industries?”, “will customers pay for my services?” I’m happy to say that in one month I’ve had 26 client discovery calls, I’ve loved every single one of them, and I have officially signed with two of them! Community is here to stay!
“An entrepreneur tends to bite off a little more than she can chew hoping she’ll quickly learn how to chew it.” — Roy Ash