| Remember co-workers? Those annoying people | | | | themselves, and will be more than happy to |
| who you're forced to share an office with -- | | | | sympathise with you and offer advice. |
| some of them friends, but most of them | | | | |
| insufferable. If you're anything like me, one | | | | There's only one thing to be careful of, |
| of reasons for starting a home business was | | | | though: don't let chatting about everything |
| to get away from these people. And yet, when | | | | and nothing on the web interrupt your work. |
| you do work at home all day, every day, you | | | | Give yourself a certain amount of time each |
| might find that you start to miss that kind | | | | day to talk to your newfound 'colleagues', |
| of companionship, and feel more than a little | | | | and don't go over it. You don't want to be |
| lonely. | | | | sitting there pressing 'Refresh' on a long |
| | | | discussion when you should be getting some |
| All Alone... | | | | work done, do you? |
| | | | |
| Picture the scene. You get up for another day | | | | Get to Know Your Clients. |
| of work. Your husband or wife has already | | | | |
| left, since they have to get up earlier to | | | | Here's a good way to turn your loneliness |
| commute to their job. Your children are at | | | | into an advantage: make your clients your |
| school. All the neighbours are at work. Your | | | | friends! The customers that will be the most |
| house feels deserted, and your neighbourhood | | | | loyal to you are the ones that trust you and |
| feels like a ghost town. | | | | know you, and going to meet with them |
| | | | sometimes as a friend can be rewarding on |
| It's all too easy to become enormously | | | | both a personal and a business level. |
| demotivated in this situation, and to begin | | | | |
| to feel like your work is pointless. Worse, | | | | Associations, Groups and Societies. |
| when you get stuck or something bad happens, | | | | |
| you have no-one to turn to -- at work, you | | | | If you look, you might be surprised at how |
| were all in it together, but now it's just | | | | many things there are out there that you |
| you, out on your own. | | | | could join. Perhaps your area has a |
| | | | Homeworkers' Society, or an association for |
| Even if you don't feel like it's affecting | | | | your industry that holds regular meetings? Go |
| you, the lack of human interaction could be | | | | along, and you could find some new friends, |
| causing you quite a few problems. Ask | | | | as well as some good business contacts. Two |
| yourself honestly if you've been more | | | | or three groups should be enough. |
| irritable than usual recently, found yourself | | | | |
| lacking in energy, or felt upset or sad | | | | Go to a Coffee Place Sometimes. |
| without being able to figure out the reason | | | | |
| why. If you have, then it could be related to | | | | You've seen those people who seem to be doing |
| home-worker loneliness. | | | | work in Starbucks, right? Well, they've |
| | | | figured out something valuable -- being at |
| The Power of the Web. | | | | home alone all day sends you crazy, and it's |
| | | | nice to get away sometimes and have some |
| Since you've presumably got a computer and | | | | coffee while you work. Over time, you'll even |
| Internet access on your office computer, you | | | | become a regular, and people there will start |
| might find it worthwhile to get on a search | | | | getting to know you. |
| engine and find a few forums for your | | | | |
| industry, especially ones dedicated to people | | | | Use Your Breaks to Contact People. |
| who run home businesses. You might think what | | | | |
| you do is too obscure, but it's a big web out | | | | Most people have a list a mile long of |
| there. | | | | friends and family that they've been meaning |
| | | | to get in touch with for ages, but never seem |
| Finding friends on web forums can be good for | | | | to have the chance. A great thing to do can |
| replacing the lost interaction with | | | | be to make a big list of all these people, |
| co-workers. More than that, it can offer you | | | | and then phone or email one of them each |
| a good outlet for your frustrations and | | | | week, in one of your breaks. Not only does |
| problems -- many of the people you're talking | | | | this fight loneliness, but it's also a plain |
| to will have been through the same thing | | | | fun and nice thing to do. |