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