An Entrepreneur is an individual who chooses to go into business by himself. Often entrepreneurs decide to stay a one-person company to keep decisions and quality of work under control. These single entrepreneurs are often called solo entrepreneurs, too. These entrepreneurs are often referred to as free agents, freelancer, self-employed, sole proprietor, or home based business owner (although not all single person entrepreneurs are home-based). This often depends on the professional field they work in.

Being a one person business does not mean being completely on your own. These entrepreneurs often collaborate with other businesses or build alliances with other entrepreneurs or consultants. It all depends on their business needs. Outsourcing of basic work or certain project related work is the closest these businesses get to in regards to having “staff”. Businesses run as one-person companies often have owners that meet certain characteristics. What are typical Solo Entrepreneur characteristics?

• The desire for personal freedom that allows them to adopt the lifestyle of choice.

• The drive and passion to implement the business plan and to fulfill their personal dreams.

• The willingness to go the extra mile and the desire to succeed

• They are very passionate about what they do.

• Being committed to their venture.

• Comfortable working alone and an above average usage of new technologies such as the Internet or Voice over IP (VOIP).

Why the “one-person company”? Many entrepreneurs are “refugees” from the large corporate world, while others choose to be self-employed in a “one-person company” as a change from a traditional-based small business with employees and increased management responsibilities. Being unemployed after another wave of outsourcing to India can also trigger the desire in people to become self-employed and especially to stay a “one-person company”. Especially the political games played in larger corporations increase the desire to completely get a way from the same. Being flexible and able to implement decisions without having to worry about the “internal political players” is a driving force to work alone.

Other reasons: - A general change in attitudes to be more in control of individual choices and actions that affect life. - Getting out of the daily rat-race and away from working in large companies, climbing the corporate ladder in search of more money, and more (political) power. - To be able to choose the tools of trade and not being forced to do things in an inefficient way.

What drives the “one-person company” owner to be successful? Freedom: The biggest reason for leaving the corporate world is the freedom an individual gains when working for himself. Being employee makes the entrepreneur feel like being in a prison. The freedom to decide when to work, where to work, and who to work with makes all the difference.