If you read the classifieds much, you'll notice that one of the character traits often valued by people in hiring positions is called, "self-starter". Essentially, self-starters are great anticipators. They are people with ambition, who can see a need and take action before being told to do so. For example, a self-starter can often take an assignment, assess it, define goals, gather resources, and get to work, with little or no supervision. They have an inherent sense of urgency to get things done, and get them done on time, without management intervention.
Soloists and microBusiness owners must be self-starters if they are to succeed.
Think about it. A soloist must start at the beginning and proceed to the completion of every project, pretty much all by himself. There's no one to hand-off the undesirable parts to. There's no one to force you to make that 7:30 breakfast meeting. There's no one to assume responsibility for your project’s deadline on those days when you don't quite feel up to par. You have to be a self-starter, and just as importantly, a self-finisher. A soloist has to know what kind of work she wants, go out and find it, evaluate it, contract for it, and then perform -- governed by her own qualitative standards. And that takes a very determined individual.
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