If you are a solopreneur, you probably have a pretty varied job description. Like any career-minded professional, you probably also have goals for the future; things you would like to accomplish and ways in which you would like to challenge yourself.

In the corporate world, there is a structure in place to encourage us to think about our professional development. If we excel, we are given new, more interesting responsibilities, and more money. When that happens, some of our lesser responsibilities are taken on by other people, so we have time to address our new tasks. When this happens, it’s called a promotion.

While we solopreneurs may have goals for professional growth and development, there is no structure in place to help us get there.

Certainly, if we excel, our business grows and we make more money. That part of promotion happens naturally.

The task-advancement aspect of promotion only happens for solopreneurs if we make it happen.

We can only try new things if we make it happen. We can only make time for new things if we relinquish the tasks that no longer serve our goals.

This can be a very difficult thing to do. To stop teaching a class because you need the time to write a book, for instance, can be a tough decision. To stop working street fairs because your time is better spent elsewhere may require a whole new business plan.

Solopreneurs are like sharks. If we don’t keep swimming, we’ll die.

We must constantly update our skills, offer new products and adapt to changing technology. We also need to be our own HR department, and our own supervision.

When you have your own business, if you are not moving up quickly enough, it’s because you forgot to give yourself a promotion!