Episode #125 Solo Entrepreneur vs Building A Team: Scaling Your Business

Overview

In this episode of Public Health Entrepreneurs, Dr. Huntley discusses the pivotal crossroads many solo entrepreneurs encounter after achieving initial success: scaling their business by either maintaining independence or building a team. Drawing on over 25 years of experience, Dr. Huntley provides a clear, concise evaluation of the advantages and drawbacks of solo entrepreneurship and team-based growth. She highlights key factors such as control, profit retention, capacity limits, overhead costs, and risk management. This episode offers practical considerations to help entrepreneurs decide which model best aligns with their personal vision, capacity, and long-term wealth goals. It also encourages strategic thinking about future growth, flexibility, and quality of life.

Takeaways

• Solo entrepreneurship offers maximum profit retention, complete strategic control, and ultimate flexibility in work schedules.

• The major challenges of solo operation include capacity constraints, lack of leverage through delegation, and business continuity risks during absences.

• Building a team brings scalable operations, specialized expertise, and the ability to focus on high-value activities by delegating routine tasks.

• Downsides of team building include significant overhead costs, management complexity, and cash flow pressures due to fixed personnel expenses.

• The decision to stay solo or grow a team is not permanent; entrepreneurs often evolve their approach as the business matures and market changes.

• Testing team building with contractors or part-time hires can be a low-risk way to explore scaling before full commitments.

• Entrepreneurs should decide based on where they want their business to be in the next 3 to 5 years, balancing growth ambitions, risk tolerance, lifestyle, and control preferences.

• Seeking expert guidance and community support can aid in making strategic next steps, especially for interdisciplinary public health leaders.
  

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Whether you’re just getting started or you’ve been in public health consulting or other type of business for a while, we provide support for public health entrepreneurs through our podcast and mastermind group program. We serve public health entrepreneurs in South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and California as well as other parts of the United States and worldwide.