5 Things Every Solo Entrepreneur Should Never Leave The House Without

As a solo entrepreneur, we don't have someone else making our schedule and laying out what we have to do on a daily basis. We are the BOSS - which means we have to always be ready.

In order for your business to be successful and sustainable, you do not want to leave the house without these 5 things.

1. Your product.
If you sell a product, make sure you always have a few pieces with you at all times. You never know who you will meet and have the opportunity to make a connection and sale with.

2. Mobile card reader.
Can you imagine walking into Target and filling your cart with everything that you need only to get to the counter for check out and they don't have a way for you to pay for the items you want? That is what your customers would experience if they see you with your awesome handmade jewelry that they want to purchase but you don't have a way to take their payments via credit card. Let's face it, how many people today walk around with a lot of cash on them? Not many. So be ready to take their payments in other ways.
Here are 5 easy mobile app card readers you can consider:

Intuit GoPayment
PaySimple
Square
Pay Anywhere
PayPal Here

3. A business card or a book.
I took one of Lisa Nichole's (from The Secret) classes and I will never forget her telling us to give away a book instead of a business card. People easily lose business cards, but it's pretty hard to misplace a book that someone gives you the first time you meet them. Lisa references a book as an expensive business card. If you have written a book, make sure you always have a few to give away. If you have not written a book, what are you waiting for? It doesn't matter what business you are in - it will be extremely beneficial to your business if you write a book on your topic. It is a great way to show your expertise in your field. It can even be an eBook if you so chose. However, if you don't have a book (yet), use a nice business card with a picture of yourself on the card. People often toss business cards in the trash, but if you have your pretty little face on it, it makes it a little bit harder for people to throw YOU away!

4. A journal.
Ideas are constantly coming to us and you want to make sure you are capturing your ideas on paper.
I know that less people are actually writing things down in 2015. Instead, they are choosing to use their note section in their smart phones. That's a great option if you are in the car or need to quickly make a note. I like to use my talk-to-text option on my phone if I get an idea and I'm not in a position to actually write, but then I take the time to later transfer those ideas into my journal later on. How many times have you been out and had an amazing idea only to forget what it was later? We have roughly 60,000 thoughts a day - that's a huge file cabinet that you would have to go through just to get back to that one idea that you didn't capture on paper. I believe there is so much power in actually writing things down.


5. A positive attitude and a winning smile!
You've heard the saying, "people do business with people they know, like, and trust." Well, people have to LIKE you. If you are always in a bad mood and you allow your feelings to spill into your business and the way you do things, your business will suffer.


Quick story:
I used to work at Advanced Auto parts. Yes, your girl used to sell car parts! Can you picture that!?
Anyway, I got that job on the fly. I went there to get my car battery changed and I overheard the manager say to an employee, "I had to fire two guys last night so we need more help." Before I could give it another thought, I spoke up with, "I'll work here!" I couldn't believe I said that. It just flew out of my mouth! The manager turned and replied back with a, "You're hired!" WHAT!? I couldn't believe it. I ended up working there for just under a year, which was the longest job I ever had working for someone else. Due to many family issues at the time, I ended up wanting to quit working there so I could be with my family. When I made that decision, I explained the situation to my boss and explained that I wanted to quit. He didn't let me. He told me to take care of my family and to stay home with them as long as I needed to. He also added that my job would be there when I was ready to return. WHAT!? So I did just that. A few weeks went by and I started to feel guilty that the company was still holding a spot for me, so I called my boss and told him things were still not better and that I still wasn’t ready to come back. He understood and let it be. This went on for SIX MONTHS! Finally, I HAD to tell him I was serious about not coming back because I wanted to open my own boutique. After opening, I continued to keep in touch with my previous manager and other co-workers. In one of those conversations, I asked my manager why he had been so gracious in holding onto my job position there and what he said took me by surprise: "Angel, you always came to work smiling and in a good mood and the customers loved you!" WOW, right? I knew absolutely NOTHING about the car industry. In my opinion, I hadn’t thought I added any value to the company due to my lack of knowledge of the industry when, in fact, my value was simply my positive attitude. Now I don't share this story with you to tout my positively good mood but to remind you that we always have a choice as to how we react to different situations in life and how we treat other people. Simply put, when people like you, they will do business with you - so make sure you are likable.

Holding my book is a former co-worker whom I am still friends with to this day!