Succeeding in self-employment with an ADHD brain!
Did you know that ADHD-ers have a higher chance of becoming self-employed?
We’re highly creative, we’re great problem solvers and we’re always looking for ways to make our (and others) lives easier, but we don’t always “fit” in the standard employment template. Self-employment offers a wonderful amount of flexibility and the guarantee of a boss who understands our needs!
Of course, it’s not all perfect and dream-like - We ADHD-ers can often struggle with the finer details and “boring” admin side of a business. We’re also prone to taking on too much and burning out, or having so many ideas that we don’t even know where to start and end up in a constant state of mental paralysis.
BUT…
Knowing this about ourselves means that we can start putting strategies in place to help us overcome these challenges. Here are a few things you can try to make your self-employment journey a smoother ride…
Get your systems sorted
I’m a big fan of the old school notepad and pen (I have a minor stationery addiction), but I know that, in order to keep on top of everything in my business, I need to take advantage of the technology available to me.
Think about the key tasks you need to complete in your business. How are you currently managing them? Is there a system out there that can automate certain processes for you, or keep all your important information together? Here are my top three;
I use Notion as the overall repository of information for my business. It contains my content plan, draft posts, newsletter drafts, website copy, leads, testimonials, programme information and more.
To manage my coaching clients I use a system called Paperbell, which automates the onboarding process and syncs up with my calendar and Zoom account, so that appointments don’t get missed. For your business, you might want to consider a CRM like Dubsado or Hubspot to automate your processes and keep all your client info in one place.
My accountant set me up with Xero and Dext so that I can stay on top of business financials without it feeling like a chore. The two systems link in with each other to make it easier for me to submit expenses, raise invoices and pay my bills.
And if, like me, you really benefit from actually writing things down instead of typing, then I can’t recommend the Remarkable tablet enough! It can convert your handwritten notes into text that can copied directly into your online systems. I have it with me for every call/meeting I attend. If you apply for an Access to Work grant (details further down this post) then they will be able to cover the cost of one of these for you. Yay!
Play to your strengths
There will be things you’ll need to do for your business that feel really difficult or out of your comfort zone. When something like this comes up for those of us with ADHD, we may just forget it exists, blocking it out because it’s too overwhelming to think about. But that’s not really an option if you want your business to be a success (50% of businesses fail in the first three years - that’s not a statistic you want to be a part of!).
But remember, this is your business and you can choose to run it in the best way for you.
What are you great at? What do you enjoy? Take that and find ways to bring it into the areas you struggle with.
Find written communication difficult? Send your client a video introduction instead.
Posting to social media fills you with dread? Get out to local events and talk about your business there instead.
Struggling to write your monthly newsletter because long-form writing overwhelms you? Break it down into smaller chunks and send a weekly snippet instead.
When I took the pressure off posting to social media and started attending local networking events instead I realised that was my marketing strength. My business is all about connecting with people, supporting and championing them. I’m good at that, so it makes sense for that to be the foundation of my marketing and sales efforts. And as a bonus, that gave me more confidence posting to social media. Win-win!
Ask for help!
You don’t have to do it all yourself. Sure, you’ll absolutely excel in certain parts of your business but others will have the potential to become an absolute bin fire (which is why the first thing I did for my business was to hire an accountant!).
Think about hiring a virtual assistant to set up systems and keep you on track.
Work with a coach or mentor, who can make sure your focus is directed on the right things to keep you moving forward.
Invest in tech that can help you manage the more challenging aspects of your work.
Access to Work can pay for all of these suggestions. If you have ADHD (whether formally diagnosed or not), you can apply for this government grant, which has proven to be a lifesaver for many of us running our own business.
Bye-bye, burnout!
Stop saying yes to everything!
Yes, I know how difficult that is - I am historically a massive people pleaser - but it’s a surefire route to burnout.
We ADHD-ers are particularly prone to taking on too much and burning out as we tend to say yes to exciting things without considering whether we have the time and capacity to do them. It doesn’t help that our ability to judge time is impaired, so things that we think will take an hour to do might be more like 5 hours! Before we know it, we’re completely overloaded, overwhelmed and unable to even get started.
Practice saying “I’ll have to get back to you about that” or" “I’ll check my diary and let you know”. Give yourself time away from the situation to fully consider:
a) whether you actually want to do the thing,
b) if you realistically have time to do the thing,
c) why you want to do the thing (are you just not wanting to upset them by saying no?).
And if it is a no, that’s ok. You wouldn’t expect others to do things they didn’t want to, or didn’t have time for - give yourself that same understanding.
Find your community
There are loads of us out there, on our own self-employment journeys, seeking connection with other neurodivergent brains and wanting them to succeed. Maybe find yourself an accountability buddy you can check in with each week to keep each other on track.
While it’s not an ADHD-only community, I’ve found a number of fellow ADHDers through the Being Freelance community and if you’re a fully paid up member you can join virtual co-working sessions for a bit of extra accountability.
ADHD-ers are everywhere! I’ve made some great connections with others through local networking events and online communities. Even business member organisations like IPSE are talking about neurodiversity now.
I’d love to have you join me for Finish it Friday, a free group session held every Friday from 4-5pm. No strings, no selling, it’s genuinely something I set up to help the ADHD community and to meet more lovely divergent brains.
What next?
If you’ve found this useful then why not sign up to my mailing list for more tips on how to work with your ADHD brain.
Or book a free call with me to find out how coaching could help you overcome challenges and reach your business goals.