Are you a solo professional? So what does that mean? Are you any different than a C Level executive, entrepreneur or small business owner?

In our lives be them business, professional or personal, unless we can clearly crystallize specific terms that we use every day, we end up hitting more often than not the wrong targets. For example, can you define the following words for yourself:

• Success?
• Purpose?
• Passion?
• Values or business ethics
• Quality
• Professional?

Many solo professionals include these words on their web sites, in their every day speech and thoughts. Yet, what do these words really mean to us especially the word professional?

When we think of someone being a professional, we look at specific behaviors that this person demonstrates. These behaviors may include:

• Dress
• Personal cleanliness such as clean hair, clean nails, etc.
• Speech from actual spoken words to syntax
• Body language
• Actual physical and verbal interchanges

Within the word professional is what has been now taken as another word that being pro. This first syllable of this word is pro which is also a word (adverb) and means for (Latin). Pro can also be used as an adjective and means before (Greek).

Possibly, we can use the word pro as an acronym using 3 additional words to better define what we mean when we say pro.

The first letter is P. People who are Pros or are professional are very personable. They reach out and look to others to help or to be helped by.

R is the next letter. Solo professionals must always be respectful. Being everything from errand runner to billing clerk to sales professional demands being respectful to everyone. This is sometimes a challenge with all the changing of the hats solo professional experience every day as they run their businesses.

O is the final letter. By being open, solo professionals have the ability to maximize opportunities and thus work smarter and not harder.

As you walk out the door today to attend that next business networking event, make that next sale or answer your phone, remember to demonstrate the behaviors of being personable, respectful and open. By doing such, you are truly a solo professional and you will realize the business success that you are seeking.