Featured Solopreneur Sherice Jacob: “I Wouldn’t Trade It For Anything”

This is “Featured Solopreneur,” an ongoing series that gives all of us a glimpse at how other solopreneurs operate their small businesses. Click Here to read more Solopreneur Success Stories.

Name of solopreneur:
Sherice Jacob

Name of business and city:
A cave with 47 computers and an Internet feed. Oh alright, I’m in Charleston, West Virginia.

Web site address:
www.ielectrify.com

Type of business:
Web site and blog design, copywriting

When did you officially go into business?
Officially an LLC in 2003, but I’ve had the same type of business since I was 16, so 1996.

Why did you start your business?
I decided I would rather work 12 hours a day to make myself rich than spend eight hours making money for someone else.

What was the best thing you did when you were starting your business?
I spent every waking moment learning everything I could about Web design and writing. I studied countless courses, books, and then put everything I knew into practice. I still read a considerable amount to this day. You HAVE to in this kind of business. You can’t afford to fall behind.

What is a mistake that you made that you have learned from?
It’s O.K. to fire your customers. Sometimes the money you think you’ll lose from them is not nearly as much as the stress that rolls off your shoulders.

What is your biggest current challenge in the business and what are doing to try
to solve it?
Finding more time for projects that grow my business. I am working toward setting aside a couple of hours a day just for my own projects—I’m hoping it will become a permanent habit!

Where do you want to be with the business in five years?
I’d like to make it so that much of the routine work is more automated or managed without my direct intervention or supervision. I’d love to hire a virtual assistant or two in a couple of years
(that is, if I can stand to relinquish control of some of the everyday stuff!).

What are your main software programs?
Photoshop, Dreamweaver, Barca Pro (e-mail/calendar),

What lifestyle choices have you had to make to stay in business?
Health insurance is a royal pain for solo business owners. Especially if you live in a state like West Virginia and every company just assumes you’re a health risk because of where your STATE ranks on some kind of health and wellness scale.

What are your strategies for staying competitive?
Always learning. Networking (virtually) with people who have like-minded goals, or who are where I’d like to be, professionally.

Do you need a second household income to support your lifestyle? (Is the business primary, or supplemental to the household?)
No. My husband and I both work full time for the business.

If your business should fail, what is your fall back position?
I have a bachelor’s degree in Spanish education and a master’s in media studies so I can put either of those to use.

If you could start your career all over again, with what you know now, what might you have done differently? Why?
Oh good question! The Internet is so different now than when I started. It’s much more mainstream. I would have probably started networking with people a lot sooner. I’m just now seeming to come out of my “starving artist” shell and realize my full potential as a designer and writer. Don’t let anyone tell you what they think you’re worth or what you should charge. You’ll eventually find a spot where you’re comfortable. Then there’s nowhere to go but UP!

What’s your advice for aspiring solopreneurs?
Running your business takes self discipline and hard work, especially in the beginning. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can sit around in your pajamas and push buttons to make a living. You’ve got to work at it, but the experience is invaluable. I’d also advise getting a mentor if you feel stuck. You don’t even have to pay them. Many of my mentors don’t know that they are my mentors, but I watch what they write about, how they grow their business and try to follow in their footsteps while creating my own path.

Are you glad you became a solopreneur? Why or why not?
YES! I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I don’t have to answer to anyone but myself—and I’m tougher on myself than any boss I’ve had ever was. It keeps me, and my work, up to a higher standard.