The pros and cons of going solo

Deciding to go solo in business might be a no-brainer for some entrepreneurs, but for others the decision is not so easy.

If you can’t decide whether to go it alone or find a co-founder, it’s worth weighing up the pros and cons.

StartupSmart spoke to three entrepreneurs to determine the pluses and minuses of going it alone in business.

The pros

More freedom

“Being a sole founder has meant I have had freedom in doing things how I have wanted to do them, says Naomi Davis, founder of Treats à la Bark, a home-based organic dog treat company.  

“Things like deciding how I wanted my packaging to look, how the website should look, what flavours I would do, other products I want to stock and how I would market my brand has been great.”

“I can follow through on all the visions I see for Treats à la Bark.”  

Less drama

According to Ryan Wardell, who founded his former start-up Project PowerUp as a one-man show, going solo can eliminate a lot of the risk and drama that comes with having a co-founder.

“Disagreements between founders can fuel resentment and slow everything down,” Wardell says.

“If you pick the wrong co-founder, it can be disastrous to the business, especially if they walk away with half the company, leaving you less equity to offer a new co-founder or investors.”

Davis, meanwhile, says there’s nothing worse than feeling as if things are out of your control, which can happen when you have a co-founder.

“At least if something is your own fault, you can work out what went wrong and make sure it doesn’t happen again. You can trust yourself to make sure of it,” she says.

“Being on my own has meant that I have not had any risk in someone else’s negligence.”

More learning

Davis points out you learn a lot when you’re on your own, not only about yourself but about business.

“Things that you never thought you could do seem to come to you… You realise the power of passion and how it can drive you into things you never would’ve seen yourself doing,” she says.

“Things I have learnt have included basic Photoshop skills, basic coding for my website and marketing. It’s been an incredible time for my own personal growth and I love it.”

“Nothing beats looking at your successes and realising you’ve done it all on your own. It’s one of the most liberating feelings.”