Become a Solopreneur for $6.36 a Month
Would you like to become a solopreneur?
A solopreneur is a solo entrepreneur. It sounds like a lot of work, doesn’t it? It sounds like an expensive venture, doesn’t it? It sounds like something that’s too good to be true.
I’m here to tell you that it’s not too much work. It’s not that expensive. And it’s a very common way to get away from the grind of working for someone else and doing what you want to do instead.
The Cheap and Easy Way to Become a Solopreneur
Too many people think you must spend a lot of money to become a solopreneur.
The truth is you don’t have to spend that much. In fact, for $6.36 a month, you can start your journey as a solopreneur. I’m not joking. It’s that cheap.
Eventually, the cost will increase as you become more popular. I want to be upfront and blunt about that. But by that time, if you follow the advice below, you’ll be financially prepared to pay the extra costs while still profiting from your hustle.
The cheap way to become a solo entrepreneur is to think cheaply and use the awesome free tools provided that beginners should always start with.
In this guide, I will teach you everything you need to know to start being a solopreneur today for $6.36 a month.
Get a Domain Name ($1.41 a month)
The first thing you need to do is create an identity based on your chosen niche and register a domain name for it.
I’ve discussed what industry you should build in on many other articles I’ve written. But to sum it up again, focus on an industry or niche you know much about. It should be a topic that you’re passionate about. However, you need to make sure an audience exists, so do your research.
Now, back to domain names.
Register a domain name to match your brand name. If the domain name isn’t available, then come up with another brand name using an available domain name.
As you can see, I chose Shawn Gossman for my brand name and domain. That’s my real first and last name. In most industries, that works out really well.
A domain name will cost around $1.41 a month, but you’ll typically pay for it for the full year. Get a dot-com because everyone is used to using dot-com on domain names. The other domain names are fine, but will be harder to remember. Try not to use hyphens or numbers unless you absolutely have to because they’re harder to remember.
A short domain is best, but finding one available these days can be difficult.
You can register your domain name from many registrars, including DreamHost or Name Cheap.
Get Web Hosting ($4.95 a month)
The next step is getting your web hosting plan.
Starting out – all you need is shared hosting, typically the cheapest hosting available.
Shared hosting means that you share a server with many other websites. Eventually, you’ll grow out of your shared hosting plan and must upgrade to a Virtual Private Service, Cloud Hosting, or even Dedicated Server hosting. But for now, a shared hosting plan is all you need for a while.
I suggest using an easier-to-use hosting service like DreamHost or Go Daddy.
Most shared hosting services will cost around $4.95 a month, but paying them by the year is better because many offer a discount.
Install a Blog (FREE)
Your next step is to install a WordPress blog which is 100% completely free and will always remain free.
If your hosting service has a WordPress installation feature (most do), you can easily install WordPress after creating the database. Your hosting service can help you create a database and install WordPress.
WordPress is free (the software) and is used by more than 43% of websites on the internet.
It allows you to create a full website with a blog attached to it. It’s the most popular blogging and website software to date and is used by many people who want to become a solopreneur.
WordPress has three main core functions. These are pages, posts, and categories.
Pages are website pages such as your homepage, about page, and contact page.
Posts are your articles or your blog posts.
Categories are the topics you’ll be blogging about.
There are other features on WordPress worth utilizing. You can use a custom theme such as those from Elegant Themes (affiliate link) or the free ones on WordPress.
You can install many plug-ins that best meet your needs. A few of my favorites include WP-Rocket, Yoast SEO, and WooCommerce.
Explore the many features WordPress offers, and you’ll quickly be on your way to becoming a solopreneur you’ve always dreamed of.
Start a Newsletter (FREE)
After you start creating content with your blog, you’ll want to establish a mailing list to market and sell your products or services to loyal followers.
This can easily be accomplished for free by starting a newsletter.
Many great free newsletter services offer many features and a lot of subscribers before they require you to upgrade to a paid subscription. But eventually, as you grow, you will have to pay for a better newsletter plan. Remember that and make sure you strategize for profiting with your newsletter.
There are many free newsletter services available. A few of my favorite ones include MailChimp and ConvertKit. These two are free, with paid plans available as you grow. They are the most popular plans.
Alternatively, you can use something like Sub Stack, where you only pay if you make money, and the service will then take a percentage of what you make.
Most people who want to become a solopreneur will end up with their own newsletter at some point or another.
Launch an Online Community (FREE)
The next phase in becoming a solo entrepreneur is to start your own online community.
An online community allows you to market to your audience without algorithms and artificial intelligence stopping you from taking your followers’ attention away from your content.
Lucky for you, this is a free task.
There are a few ways to start an online community for free.
You can create a social group on Facebook. This is free to you. But it is a rented space, which means you can lose your community and have to settle with the features Facebook allows you to have. And they have a habit of removing features that are liked among community managers.
In my opinion, the alternative and better option is to launch an online community using either a plug-in on your WordPress blog, such as Member Press, or installing a free online community platform on your web hosting service, such as PhpBB. This way, you are using something that belongs to you and that gives you full database control.
Now, while these options are free, the ones on your hosting service will utilize more resources. Eventually, you’ll have to upgrade to a better web hosting plan, typically costing more. Always keep this in mind and aim to profit at some point.
There is a Catch (So You Need to Monetize!)
As I’ve mentioned numerous times in this article, eventually, you’ll have to pay more money to keep your blog, newsletter, and online community going.
That’s the catch.
You can become a solopreneur for $6.36 a month and pay that amount for quite a while, probably longer than a year or two.
But eventually, as you grow, you’ll have to upgrade to more expensive plans.
I pay around $280 a month for my online brands. However, I make enough through them where it pays for itself.
You need to ensure you have a section in your strategy focusing on profit.
And that sums up how you can become a solopreneur for $6.36 a month. It’s really that easy. Following the advice above, you’ll be a solo entrepreneur in no time. If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it with your friends. Follow me on X for more resources and advice on becoming a solo entrepreneur and becoming your own boss now.
About the Author
Shawn Gossman has created content, blogged, ran online communities, and shared a passion for digital marketing for over twenty years. Shawn believes the best way to help content creators, businesses, brands, and marketers is to give away more than you sell. The same advice is recommended for the readers who follow this blog. Shawn also offers various services for extra help in content creation and blogging.
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