THE ASPIRING SOLOPRENEUR

A debut guide targets entrepreneurs looking to strike out on their own and succeed in today’s economy.

Solopreneurs are business owners who run their enterprises “solo—as in, mostly by themselves,” writes Kluver. “They want to be accountable for themselves and their business without having employees or being an employee.” As the author points out, this is a rapidly growing segment of the working world: people fired up by dreams of success and facilitated by modern technology, which allows them to extend their reach far beyond the traditional and more local areas. Kluver, “an entrepreneur with over 30 years of experience,” cites a study that estimates that as much as 40% of the American workforce might be freelancers by 2020, as the gig economy continues to boom. The author’s aim in these pages is to give comprehensive guidelines and tips to readers who might want to join that freelancing crowd. He approaches his admittedly sprawling subject from many angles. There’s the psychological aspect, reminding his readers that they must avoid the “victim-based mentality” encouraged by much of modern society. (“You are always accountable to yourself,” he writes. “Nobody requires you to go to work.”) There’s also the practical level, with Kluver offering advice on subjects ranging from the pros and cons of investing in a business franchise to the variables of hiring a good attorney and finding an insurance agent who’s a good fit with the business. The author is refreshingly direct and honest throughout, indulging in none of the simple cheerleading so often found in books of this kind. When discussing what lies in store for hopeful solopreneurs when they inevitably deal with banks, for instance, Kluver warns them not to take it personally when institutions try to poke holes in their business models: “They aren’t trying to insinuate you will fail; they only want to know the probability of success, and you should as well.” There’s a wealth of insights in these pages: Aspiring freelancers of all kinds will find the book invaluable.

A tough but worthy and detailed overview of the world that business freelancers face.