4 Signs You Are A Highly Sensitive Business Owner or Solopreneur

Have you ever heard these before?

“Stop overanalyzing and just do it!”

“Why do you need to worry about every little detail?”

“Don’t take it so personally.”

I was no stranger to hearing statements like these before I went full-time in my business.

And truthfully I felt confused each time. Why did I go through so many emotions to do things that seemed so normal and easy for others?

Now that I know what it means to be a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP), I understand why.

If you haven’t heard of the term “HSP” before, it’s a biological character trait that’s found in humans and animals alike. It’s completely normal – about 15-20% of the population are HSPs.

What characterizes HSPs are their depth of processing information and awareness of subtle details, among other things.

As an entrepreneur, I’ve found that there are powerful strengths in being an HSP, including a high degree of empathy, creativity, intuition, attention to detail, and ability to form deep, lasting relationships.

But these strengths also come with challenges like a loud inner critic, perfectionistic tendencies, loose boundaries, and emotional ups & downs that can take the roller coaster of starting a business to new extremes.

The more I slowed down to embrace and respect my sensitivity, the more successful I became at creating a business and lifestyle that allowed me to thrive.

You deserve the same – so, let’s dive in and see if you are a highly sensitive business owner!

1. You started your business because you crave meaningful work, autonomy, and flexibility

The 9-5 grind, where fluorescent lights, open offices, and overbearing bosses were the norm, was a constant drain on your energy and productivity. Does this sound familiar?

You day-dreamed about working in a natural-light filled room with no distractions so you could focus and do your best work. You wished for the freedom to design your own schedule, where a leisurely morning or a walk in nature in the middle of the work day would be possible.

Or maybe your previous job was filled with monotonous tasks, and you wanted more meaning in your day-to-day. 

HSP’s pick up on small details in their environment and are easily overstimulated, so their physical workspace can greatly impact their productivity. They also seek deep meaning in their work and relationships – and when that’s missing, no amount of office perks, raises or promotions can make up for it. 

2. Referrals come naturally because your clients and friends trust you

You often notice details in your client relationships or projects that other people don’t, like small facial expressions, tension between co-workers, the mood of a room, or a tiny error that may have massive implications later down the line.

Because of your high degree of empathy and desire to create meaningful relationships, your clients can feel your care for their business, project, and themselves personally. They trust you to keep your word, and to always look out for their best interests – and they feel comfortable recommending you to others as a result.

That’s why referrals are often the biggest driver of new business and growth for Highly Sensitive Business Owners, and knowing how to capitalize on it (with integrity, of course) is essential to success.

3. You are prone to perfectionism and people-pleasing

The desire to be helpful and reliable, which can be a great motivator that fuels your drive in business, can quickly turn into your Achilles heel in the form of people-pleasing and perfectionism. 

As an HSP, you might feel a particularly strong impulse to respond to emails late at night, pick up every phone call even when you are out of the office, and never say no to new business, even when you’re already struggling to keep up with the clients you’ve got. 

And if something isn’t going well in the business, it stings to your core – especially when it means letting someone down. HSPs have high emotional responses to negative feedback or criticism, which can lead you to feel like you are running your business on the defense. 

If you don’t learn to create healthy boundaries in your business, it can quickly lead to overcommitment and burnout – turning your own business into something even more suffocating than the 9-5 you worked so hard to escape.

4. You face a powerful inner resistance when it comes to marketing & sales, especially if it feels inauthentic

As an HSP business owner, your happy place is serving clients and working with your team, ideally one on one or in small groups. 

But without an employer bringing the clients to you, you face the uncomfortable but very necessary task of putting yourself out there in public to promote yourself and your business.

And these days, navigating the sheer number and complexity of marketing & sales strategies can make you want to crawl into bed in the middle of the day and never come out.

HSPs have a higher depth of processing--which means they process subtle details in a deeper way than most people (whether they know it or not). They often take more time to process information so that they can make sound decisions. That’s why it can be paralyzing for HSP’s when there are too many options to choose from, or if many different voices are telling you to do different things (hello, social media!)

You don’t have to be a particularly sensitive person to notice that most marketing feels pushy, manipulative, and overhyped – and you know you don’t want your business to use those types of tactics. 

It goes against the very fabric of who you are: a caring, empathetic person who can’t help but foresee how your words will be received by the person on the other side. 

And yet, you also know that attracting new clients – in other words, doing marketing & sales – is an absolutely foundational part of success in business, so finding the right message and strategy is essential.

When I started my business, I quickly learned that my sensitivity made me great at building rapport with new clients – but it also brought up a lot of self-doubt and inner criticism, especially right before each sales call.

But here’s the good news. Once I committed to finding a way to do marketing and sales to grow my business in a way that felt authentic (even if they stretch me beyond my comfort zone at times), I discovered that there are many effective strategies for HSP’s to show up powerfully and attract new clients with confidence.

Discover the business strategies and mindsets to support you as a Highly Sensitive Business Owner or Solopreneur

With the right approach, your strengths as an HSP can make you not only a successful business owner, but also feel grounded, balanced, and truly fulfilled in your day to day.

However, those same qualities can also undermine your dreams and turn your business into a nightmare if you aren’t aware of them, and work to proactively adopt the right business strategies and mindsets to support you. 

This will take stepping into greater awareness and honesty with yourself--which isn’t always easy, but rewarding.

When you recognize and embrace your highly sensitive nature as a business owner, not only will you be able to fulfill your own desires; you will become the rare kind of leader who shows others what is possible by owning who they truly are.

If you’d like to learn how to attract clients you love and grow your business as a highly sensitive business owner, entrepreneur, or solopreneur, download my free Sales Call Ritual Guide or book a complimentary Clarity Call with me to build a growth plan for your business through the lens of your sensitivity.

You’ve got this,

As always, this article isn’t meant to diagnose (I’m not a psychologist). If you’d like to learn more about HSPs, you can take the Highly Sensitive Person self-test.