From Passion to Profit: How 17hats Rescues Solopreneurs

Being a solopreneur can be tough work. What started out for many as weekend fun quickly turned into a cash-producing hobby. Within a few months or years, that spark ignited a new business, and you were off to the races.

The first stage of business brought the excitement of landing new clients, dreams of what could be, and intriguing conversations about what comes next. As your confidence grows in your craft, referrals stream in, and before you know it your first web page and logo are created, and managing your business social media page becomes a daily ritual. 

Navigating the Business Side of Business

As your brain starts to fill with client names, to-do lists, and meeting dates, you feel the pressure for the need to learn the business side of business. Your late-night Google Searches change from How much do I charge? to …

How to create an invoice? 
Do I need a contract?
Tips for running a small business? 

Starting your business journey with pen and paper you eventually jump from solution to solution, app to app, as it is a constant struggle trying to keep up with the needs of your growing business.

As your business grows, you find that you have too much to do and not enough time. Important to-dos and meetings slip through the cracks. You fall asleep worrying about what you may have forgotten to do, only to wake up at 3 a.m. to remember. 😫

What was a joyful passion with exciting aspirations has turned into stressful days leaving you overwhelmed, tired, and ready to quit. 

This is the story of so many solo business owners, including myself, and the exact reason 17hats was created. 

Solopreneurs’ High Burnout Rate Increases Closures

The high burnout rate for solo business owners is due to the fact that while we are great at our passion (coaching, decorating, planning, creating), and much effort is put into learning all the tricks of the trade, we aren’t so excited about putting effort into the business side of business.

Burning out leads to a lack of motivation, fatigue, and for many, eventually giving up.

I have watched and learned from solopreneurs my whole life. My mom, dad, aunts, friends, and even my own journey. I have seen brilliant, talented people fail. And, extremely untalented people succeed. Why? All because of how they handled their business.

Knowing that most creatives and entrepreneurial-minded people don’t like the business side, we created 17hats.

The Business Side of Business

17hats was created to help all solo business owners with the business side of business.

I have seen fabulous, well-thought-out organizational systems of file folders, paper contracts, whiteboards and multiple apps. I even had one myself … color-coded and all. And, while this type of business management system can be very helpful to some just getting started, it becomes a source of frustration and a blocker for growth.

A multi-app or paper-based management system is completely dependent on you. You are organizing and answering emails on our day off, when you are sick, on your child’s birthday … There can hardly ever be a day off.

You will always be stuck spending multiple hours in your day/week on the business side of your business instead of focusing on your craft. And, as a solo business owner, that sets you up for a life of … 

Too much to do and not enough time. 
If I only had time I would … 
I can’t right now, I need to …
I want more clients, but I don’t have time.

By not having an integrated, streamlined, and automated system, your business will never grow to its full potential because you will be too busy doing busy work. 

How 17hats Conquers the Business Side of Business

17hats was designed to allow you to quickly get your business organized. By bringing your contact details, project details, invoicing, contracts, quotes, questionnaires, notes, to-do, calendars, payments, and emails all under one roof, you no longer are switching between (and constantly updating) multiple apps or Google Sheets. First huge win!

Features like email templates and templates for quotes, contracts, invoices, and questionnaires start to save you time from having to type and retype. Second win!

And, email writing becomes a breeze with our new AI feature that will write emails for you. Third win.

Features like if/then logic in questionnaires, our 3-in-1 Document (Quote, Contract, and Invoice all together), payment plans, and automatic past-due invoice reminders create a professional look overnight. Fourth win! And, think of all the time you save and the money you will make with payment plans and automatic past due invoice email reminders!

Leveling up by adding more advanced functionality like replacing your website contact form with a Lead Capture Form, Calendly with 17hats Online Scheduling, and Quickbooks with 17hats Bookkeeping, you are able to start truly managing your business in one place. That’s a lot of wins right there! And, you save money by canceling those subscriptions!

Again, keeping everything under one roof, knowing everything is in sync keeps things much more organized, easier to use, and saves so much time. 

Taking it up a notch with the advanced automation of Workflows, you can create a process to follow that keeps you on track and automates steps like sending emails and documents. This is the ultimate time and sanity saver. HUGE WIN!

When you have Workflow working for you, you have time to spend on marketing, networking, and enjoying life. All things that just aren’t possible when held back by a pen and paper or multi-app management system.

Built by Solopreneurs for Solopreneurs

17hats is hand-designed and built by small business owners for solopreneurs. Currently just about every person on our staff has either had their own business or is married/related to someone with their own business. 

And, six people on staff (including myself) were at one time running their business on 17hats. 

Knowing the journey of a small business owner, we are very proud to be able to take our own experiences into the development of the platform. Knowing the needs and understanding the whys bring a unique thought process to the continued growth of features and integrations.

Created to Grow with You

We have taken our experience as small business owners and have created three unique plans to meet you where you are in business. By giving you what you need, when you need it, we hope to keep you from being overwhelmed and give you a growth path as you become more comfortable in business and with 17hats. 

Essential Plan

If you are just starting out in business, we have compiled the exact features you need. With the focus on organization, you will be able to organize your contact and project data, send emails and documents (quote, contract, invoice, questionnaires) as well as create templates and create and add 17hats lead capture form to your website. 

Standard Plan

Designed for growing businesses – you receive all the features in our essential packages plus To-Do Workflows and more advanced options like financial reports, payment schedules, and allowing clients to save their card data for easy payments later. You can connect your incoming email server so you receive all client emails inside 17hats and dive into online scheduling. With more features and advanced options, you will be able to streamline and automate more. 

Premier Plan

Created for business owners ready to automate, having Advanced Workflows, Zoom integration for Online Scheduling, Client Portal, and Recurring Invoices opens up a whole new world. Knowing your business processes allows you to dive into offloading the business side of business to 17hats. 

Here to Help

Changing your management system can feel overwhelming which is why we are here to help. Getting started with 17hats is as easy as 1-2-3.

Step 1 – Join a demo for a guided tour of the platform. It’s a great way to get your feet wet. 

Step 2 – Get started with a 7-day trial. Experience the value for yourself. Add a contact, create a project and send an invoice. See just how easy it is.

Step 3 – Join our free Getting Started Workshops. Our live, expert-lead workshops are designed to get you moving on different functions in 17hats: Documents, Payments, Lead Capture Forms, Workflow, and Online Scheduling. 

Final Thoughts

Owning a small business can be one of the most rewarding adventures. With immense personal growth, financial freedom, and a lifestyle only you define, the journey is very enticing. But without the right partners along the way, it is easy to lose yourself in the chaos of it all.

We are thrilled to be your partner on this journey. We will continue to strive to be your #1 resource for intuitive technology, actionable advice, and trusted education.