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Back in 2009, I decided I wanted to work from home. I always hated the fluorescent lights and temperature of the air conditioning in office and building environments. In the first year of getting a work from home job I was asked to come into the office for a few months to set something up. The owner said he knew lots of people who loved the idea of working from home, but after a year they were glad to be back in the office. I remember thinking, “That will not be me.” Definitely the extroverts!
Once an introvert gets to work from home, it’s very hard to go back. Since introverts are apparently around 30% of the population (and extroverts 70%), I think there will be a huge number of job changes as introverts try to find work, or a business they can run, from home. Meanwhile, extroverts will be resigning from their work-at-home jobs to find jobs or start businesses around people.
I never really wanted a business with staff, or anything like that. But once I started working from home I was happy to start my own business in order to keep staying at home, because I loved it so much.
In a world traditionally made for extroverts, it may seem difficult to find your way to success as an introverted entrepreneur. Especially if you think starting a small business is all about networking and client meetings. It doesn’t have to be! With technology, such as online networking, video and websites, there are ways around this.
I believe it is the age of the introvert business owner.
Although introverts may struggle more with social interactions, this personality type can be highly creative, good at problem solving, and confident with making decisions. Since introverts tend to be more independent, they can make great entrepreneurs – they don’t need someone telling them what to do, and can get stuck into work easily.
Look at some of the most successful businesses in the world right now. So many were started by introverts. To name a few: Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Tesla and SpaceX, and Berkshire Hathaway.
So, how can YOU create a business that works for your introverted personality?
Instead of focusing on your weaknesses, play to your strengths!
Here are 5 steps for starting and running a business as an introvert:
1. Choose a business model that allows you to work from home
Remote work is becoming a far more accessible and popular option, particularly since COVID-19 forced most businesses to adapt to new work arrangements. There are now plenty of businesses that can be run remotely. This means you can work in the comfort of your home, as your own boss, at your own pace. WFH also allows you to save time, since you don’t have to travel every day to work.
Some people find success as virtual consultants, marketers, designers or assistants with specific skills. Others have found success opening retail stores that are online only! Maybe there isn’t even a physical product, and what you’re selling is fully digital. This type of business can be great because it saves money in aspects such as office and storage space.
When creating your business, choose a specific niche that allows you to thrive in one area, rather than attempting to cover everything. This will help you play to your skills, network with the right people and build the perfect team.
2. Build a small team and a healthy team environment
Starting with a small team of people you trust is much better than hiring lots of people and feeling overwhelmed with managing them. You can always grow your business and hire more people as you feel comfortable doing so!
You may want to hire some extroverts to balance out your introversion, who can take care of the more social aspects of the business while you focus on your skills. A team is meant to work together, and no one is supposed to have every skill to run a business. So don’t feel ashamed if you decide to give the social side of your work to someone else.
Also, set boundaries within your team. If lots of face-to-face meetings will exhaust you, establish that you want most communication done via email. You may also have a specific employee who takes care of answering phones and talking to customers/clients, so you don’t have to use your energy on those tasks at all.
3. Commit to a certain amount of hours, and don’t go over
Since running a business can be exhausting for anyone – especially an introvert – it’s important to work to a schedule that won’t cause you to burn out.
Many introverts know and understand their limits, and are able to create methods of managing stress and recharging. This might mean scheduling an hour every night for some light reading or meditation, or cutting down to part-time work if full-time is too much.
You don’t have to schedule your exact hours for each week (introverts can thrive in flexible environments), but choose some boundaries for yourself such as not working after 5pm, or not doing more than eight hours per day.
4. Learn networking skills that don’t require big crowds
There are so many ways to network today, particularly with the internet offering tools like social media, email and video chat.
LinkedIn is an obvious choice, as you can build a great network of professionals and talk to them online. Posting relevant and helpful content on the platform is a great way to start up conversations and meet people. However, other social media platforms such as Twitter and Instagram are also great ways to network, depending on your industry.
Avoid big conferences (or if you do decide to go, take a support friend!) and instead opt for smaller meetups such as local groups for your industry. You can also choose to meet up with people one-on-one where possible, or via Zoom or phone call, so you don’t need to be around crowds.
When I started my SEO business 10 years ago, I went to a business breakfast that the same 10-15 people attended each week. The concept was that everyone knows 200 people, and if you build a know, like, trust relationship with these 10-15 people, you gain a reach of 2000-3000 people. I made enough referral partners in 4 years of attending that I have not had to market for the last 6 years at all.
Once I started writing books I thought it was a good time to join a network again. I am now part of an online zoom business advocacy group with people from all over the world. However, you break out into small groups of a few people, and it’s a wonderful way to meet new people and learn how to grow your network. Contact me if you think this group might be for you and you want to find out more.
5. Set achievable goals
As an introvert, you may find it hard to reach goals that extroverts can manage with ease, such as hiring and working with employees to grow the business. It’s important that you choose goals you can actually achieve without causing burnout – not just the goals you believe you should aim for.
When setting business goals, consider the strategies needed to reach them. Can you follow the steps to success without becoming mentally drained? If not, are there alternative routes you can take to reach the goal? Or are there different goals you can set that will still lead to business growth?
Find someone to keep you accountable in your goals, who makes sure you’re both taking actionable steps and resting when you need to. If the work is becoming too much, don’t be afraid to delegate tasks to employees or freelancers whose skills match the task better.
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