4th December, 2024
How’s the sole trader life treating you? Whether you’re a landscaper, a massage therapist, a wedding planner or a personal trainer, this time of year can be a lot. You’re dealing with the end-of-year rush, chasing up invoices before the holidays, and managing all the day-to-day jobs that come with running a business on your own.
While business owners are busy by definition, there are ways to minimise the stress and the scramble. And as we head into 2025, we’re sharing some of our best tips.
Here’s how to make 2025 less stressy as a sole trader:
You may be a sole trader, but that doesn’t mean you have to do every single thing yourself. Not only does the DIY approach drain your energy, but it can also mean you don’t get the best results.
Don’t be afraid to call in the pros for things like accounting, marketing and web design. You’ll get more time to focus on core business activities, and — most likely — they’ll do a better, quicker job. An impartial expert can also be a great source of guidance and advice, helping you find savings and sales opportunities, uncovering your blind spots and making sure you’re doing everything safely and legally.
On the less obvious end of the scale, you can outsource the tedious jobs that cut into your work time. For example, if you work from home, hiring a cleaner could be a smart move.
Nobody wants to work without getting paid, but too many sole traders do just that. Invoices get lost in the shuffle, you’re too busy to follow up when payments are delayed, or you end up underquoting or overservicing on some jobs. The result is leaving money on the table or being paid less than you’re worth — not ideal when you’re trying to build up your biz (and keep the lights on at home).
Tech is your best friend here. Sole trader accounting apps like Solo by MYOB let you create quotes and invoices from your phone and send them off in seconds, so there’s no way to lose track. Solo has a clever little auto-reminder tool that will nag clients (nicely) on your behalf if they’re late paying an invoice. Plus, the app includes tap-to-pay tech that lets you use your phone as a credit card terminal, cutting out the invoicing process altogether.
You know that teetering pile of receipts and invoices on your desk (or worse, your vehicle dashboard)? What if you didn’t have to shuffle through it at the end of the financial year to estimate your business expenses? What if you could see all your income and tax details in one place? Lots of sole traders don’t have great visibility of their finances, which makes it hard to know whether they’re on track or need to make a change.
Again, this is where a software sidekick comes in handy. Apps like Solo help you track your expenses — just snap a photo of the receipt — and keep a close eye on your finances in real-time. Even better, Solo can auto-fill your ATO forms at EOFY, making tax time less stressy.
For many sole traders, not working a typical 9-5 is part of the appeal — but working from home and as needed can mean that work time bleeds over into your personal life. The other side? Working a flex schedule can mean that people take your time less seriously. Do friends pop over for a visit whenever? Does your partner assume that you’ll do all the housework just because you’re home?
Whether you want better work-life balance or you want to protect your work hours, setting boundaries is important. If it fits your business, create set work days and hours and try to stick to them as much as possible. You’ll probably still work the odd late night, but at least you can carve out some self-care time.
Make sure friends and family know your hours so they’re not interrupting valuable work time unless it’s urgent. The same goes for clients — list your hours and days worked on your email footer so they know the best times to get in touch.
Is your Instagram profile gathering dust? Is your Facebook page a ghost town? What even is TikTok? Most sole traders know that social media marketing can be a powerful way to make connections and build your customer base, but they don’t have the time or energy to keep up.
The good news? Social doesn’t have to be a huge time suck. If you haven’t already, set up business pages on Facebook, Instagram and other platforms relevant to your customer base (don’t forget your location, contact details and a professional-looking pic). Set a posting schedule — a few posts or stories a week is plenty — and dedicate a couple of hours a week to creating content. It doesn’t have to be flashy — think product shots, ‘behind the scenes’ content and competitions or sales.
Once you have social up and running, it’s likely to become a key point of contact. Many small businesses and sole traders use Facebook or Insta chat for bookings and quotes. Set aside some time each day to check and reply to messages so you’re not leaving potential customers hanging.
Want to make some changes in 2025? MYOB’s shiny new Solo app is designed for sole traders, with all kinds of time-saving, stress-busting functions. Send quotes and invoices, charge clients when you’re out and about, send automatic invoice reminders, track expenses, collate tax details, and check your monthly income — it’s all there in one handy, user-friendly app.
Want to see Solo in action? Try it for FREE.
Information provided in this article is of a general nature and does not consider your personal situation. It does not constitute legal, financial, or other professional advice and should not be relied upon as a statement of law, policy or advice. You should consider whether this information is appropriate to your needs and, if necessary, seek independent advice. This information is only accurate at the time of publication. Although every effort has been made to verify the accuracy of the information contained on this webpage, MYOB disclaims, to the extent permitted by law, all liability for the information contained on this webpage or any loss or damage suffered by any person directly or indirectly through relying on this information.