Consider the following scenario: Your core business is running. Your client management skills are on point and you consistently deliver quality work. Your current customers are happy, and you’re helping them reach their goals. The only problem is that you’re struggling to convince new clients to invest in your services. From your perspective, it’s clear that your ideal clients need your help—it just seems like they take forever to realize it, and it’s frustrating watching them circle a problem you know you can solve. ‍Sound familiar? If so, you might need a wedge. 

Why work harder than you have to? When you use tools to boost your capabilities, you can free up more time and energy to focus on the stuff that matters. (Because you certainly have better things to do than manually clean your email list.) Your tech stack powers your company—everything from your website hosting to your communication apps to your accounting software—and your success depends, in part, on how well you use it to support your goals. 

Just about any business can benefit from the advice of a lawyer—even a business of one. Solid legal guidance can save you time, help you maintain compliance with the laws and regulations that pertain to your business, and reduce your risk exposure. For many independents, the process of choosing your own personal Michael Clayton doesn’t come with a clear playbook: You know that you need an attorney, but you might not be entirely sure how to find one who suits your needs—or what your legal needs even are. 

The beauty of striking out on your own is that you can shape your business—and even your entire career path—around the kind of work that nurtures you.‍But even if you thrive on the never-ending hustle of it all, you probably still want to make more money, do less work, and decrease risk to your income. Scaling is a common way to pursue these goals. Here’s what you need to know about the when, why, and how of scaling your business as an independent consultant. 

After researching thousands of independent businesses, we’ve summarized the general components of a growth journey. You’ll find they’re relatively consistent across a variety of experiences—and they map 1:1 onto the elements of a good old-fashioned road trip. Use this analogy to get a better idea of what’s ahead and understand how each part of your journey contributes to your long-term success.

Flexibility is a major benefit of going solo. You can explore your interests, choose how and when you work, and pursue a life that’s deeply satisfying. The independent path also involves taking risks, making a bet on yourself, and going way outside of your comfort zone. At the end of the day, it’s an entrepreneurial journey that presents you with infinite strategic, business, and personal challenges.

Your decision to go independent starts with you: your unique IP, your goals, and your desired lifestyle. But the success of your business hinges on how well you know your customer. You need to know what motivates them, what they fear, and what they need to be successful in their job. This understanding will inform your strategic positioning, marketing materials, sales pitch, and pricing model. 

When you’re first starting out as an independent, you might worry about whether your products and services will gain traction in the market. Will enough people want to buy them? Will you reliably be able to connect with those clients? Will they pay you enough to sustain your business and personal life over the long term? 

What do acrobatics, cupcake baking, and ukulele have in common? They’re all skills that highly successful business leaders decided not to monetize. (Sergey Brin, Marissa Mayer, and Warren Buffett respectively, if you’re wondering.)

There are plenty of reasons to pursue an independent path. You might be intrigued by the challenge of running a business. Or maybe you’ve found that corporate work doesn’t align with the lifestyle you want. Or you might suspect you can increase your earnings if you go solo. 

At Pollen, we’ve drawn on interviews with over 500 independents to outline five key stages of business development. Although there’s no one canonical path—building your business is ultimately an individualized and non-linear process—understanding the stages can help guide your decision-making. You can use this framework to identify where you are and anticipate what might be next, so that you can feel confident in where you’re headed and focus on the best next step.