Freelancer vs Solopreneur vs Entrepreneur

If you had to start from scratch, what would you choose?

Freelancer? Solopreneur? Entrepreneur?

I had a linear path and I think it is the same for many people. I didn’t start directly as an entrepreneur. I started from a job in marketing and in parallel I did freelancing. Later I became a solopreneur developing the Vincit brand and my personal brand. Then I reached the stage of entrepreneur.

I think most people have the same path. That is, you don’t start directly as an entrepreneur. But it depends on age, available money and skills. I started my entrepreneurial journey when I was 23 years old.

But before we get a little deeper into the subject, let’s make sure we have the definitions straight.

In my perception, things are as follows:

Freelancer

– person who has certain skills, who works as a subcontractor on various projects.

– has a legal business entity

– work on at least 2 projects (small or large)

– depending on the agreement with the contractor, he may also be caught in fixed oral intervals when he must be present

– develops skills and portfolio by working on others’ projects

– does not have a brand for its business and does not invest in this direction

– can invest in the development of his personal brand

– has no subordinates or other subcontractors

– has no employees

– can work in teams depending on the project but most of the time prefers to work solo

– earn a little or a lot (here it’s relative – it depends on the industry, how big the project is, the market)

Solopreneur

– person who has certain skills and works on his own projects

– has a legal business entity

– can also work on other people’s projects in parallel, just like the freelancer does

– develops his own brand, whether it is a personal one or the brand of his own business

– may sometimes call on subcontractors or other freelancers for help

– has no employees

Entrepreneur

– person who has certain skills and works only on his own projects

– has a legal business entity

– do not work on other people’s projects

– develops his business brand and according to his preferences and his personal one

– has employees

– can call on subcontractors, freelancers or solopreneurs for help

Everyone has flexibility and can work when and where they want (it just depends on the business model they’re in).

Everyone has a company and works on a project, whether that project is theirs or not.

All are constantly investing in developing their own skills.

The freelancer is a bit more limited in my opinion because it’s harder to automate certain activities, not being his project. The sole proprietor and entrepreneur can constantly automate and have the final decisions about what needs to be done, how it needs to be done, etc.

The freelancer must follow certain rules, deadlines and tasks. He also does this out of obligation, while the sole proprietor and the entrepreneur do these things out of necessity and on their own initiative.

Whatever you choose to be, my opinion is that they are all very ok options. Including as an employee he can be super ok. I don’t really agree with working for fixed periods of time. I prefer flexibility. This is the main advantage between those listed above vs the employee.

And as a freelancer and as a solopreneur and as entrepreneurs you can earn very little or very much. In the long run, I think the entrepreneur is the most profitable. In the short term, the entrepreneur is more disadvantaged from a financial point of view because he has to make large investments at the beginning and it takes time until he reaches a profit.

The freelancer is in profit from the first month. As long as he makes sure he has projects to work on, he’s cool.

The solopreneur has the advantage of not having to make very large investments at the beginning, but here again it also depends on the chosen field and the business model. However, unlike freelancers they may not earn as quickly at first.

As I said: the field in which you operate, the market and who your client is matters a lot.

This is where online business comes in. Regardless of whether you are a freelancer, solopreneur, entrepreneur, there are no limits in online business. The market is global. The field is still on the upward trend. And there are a lot of customers.

I chose online marketing for several reasons:

– I find myself in this field
– I’m passionate about it
– It gives me flexibility
– It is needed in all online and most offline businesses
– It’s global
– There is demand and growth ahead

– It allows me to be both a freelancer and a solopreneur and an entrepreneur and an employee

And all the 3 mentioned categories need online marketing. Because online marketing is not just promotion and it’s not just about being present online.

Online marketing involves strategies, systems and operations.

Strategies include:

– setting objectives

– market research

– publicly setting target and customer avatar

– establishing offer and pricing

– tactics

– planning

and others.

Systems include:

– automations

– programs used

– techniques and methods

– procedures

– management

And so on

Operations include:

– creation

– implementation

– optimization

– analyses

And so on

All this forms a marketing ecosystem completely adapted to the business. And although there are similar businesses, differences still exist.

You can have the same business model, the same strategy, the same systems and the same operations with 10 other businesses. Everything be the same.

Do you know what’s going on?

There will still be differences. Because it no longer depends on the technique. It already depends on the mindset. The creator’s mindset. And his abilities:

– the way he perceives things

– what decisions he makes

– how quickly he makes decisions

– how quickly it acts

– how quickly and well they adapt

– principles

– values

– the way of being

– discipline

– the limits

– etc.

That’s why, you probably saw, I don’t just write about online marketing. I have 4 big topics that I create content about: marketing, entrepreneurship, mindset, lifestyle.

Because they are all related to each other and influence each other.

So whatever you choose, keep progressing.

And remember: push beyond the limits.

stay strong

Andrei Isip