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  • The Isolation Monster and How to Slay It

    Author: Elena Fawkner
    Like most people, when you think about what it would be like
    to work from home, you probably think of the obvious
    benefits such as working your own hours, not having to face
    a stressful, tedious commute every day, actually seeing what
    your garden looks like in daylight hours, not having to
    answer to a boss, being home when your children are, working
    in a comfortable environment and so on. These are, of
    course, some of only many wonderful benefits of working from
    home.

    Before long, though, you may begin to think back to your
    previous life and realize you actually miss those umpteen
    visitors who were constantly interrupting you when you were
    trying to work, the walk in the park at lunchtime with your
    best work-friend, drinks on Friday night after work, and
    being able to run an idea past a colleague for instant,
    valuable feedback.

    Now, everything is just, well, quiet. And there's no-one
    down the hall to go visit who's over age four. You find
    yourself checking your email constantly, wanting to connect
    to someone. You find yourself wishing the phone would ring.
    You! The person who, when you worked in a job, cursed
    constant telephone interruptions and thought voice- and
    e-mail was the greatest invention since sliced bread.

    Welcome to another reality of home-based business ... home
    alone.

    Here are some ways to avoid the isolation trap when running
    a business out of your home:

    1. Establish a Structure

    Nothing is surer to reinforce feelings of isolation as time
    that stretches as far as the eye can see like a straight,
    one lane highway through a flat, barren landscape. Don't
    start each day without a plan of what you intend to do. You
    need to structure your time so that it is not some endlessly
    vast terrain you must traverse alone. So write a to-do list,
    preferably at the end of the day before, so that when your
    work day starts you get productive straight away, before the
    isolation blues have a chance to take hold.

    2. Reach Out

    When writing your to-do list, make sure you include at least
    two things every day that require you to interact with
    another person. Networking is a vital skill, whether you
    work for someone else or for yourself. So make contacts
    with people who can add value to your business, as well as
    connecting you with the outside world.

    Joining a professional group or club, attending seminars and
    trade shows relevant to your business are all great ways to
    meet new people who have similar interests and challenges.
    Participate in the activities organized by these groups and
    take a good supply of business cards with you.

    3. Establish Joint Ventures

    Another way to keep the isolation blues at bay is to joint
    venture with other home-based business owners. Team up with
    other businesses that offer complementary services to your
    business. Not only will you send additional business each
    other's way in the form of referrals, you're establishing
    professional relationships with your joint venture partners.

    4. Organize Your Own Functions

    Once you've joined various associations and formed joint
    venture partnerships, take the initiative and organize
    functions that bring you all together. These could be
    business-oriented networking sessions or purely social
    get-togethers such as a barbeque in the local park. Either
    way, you're forging a relationship with people in your new
    arena, just as you did when you were working in a corporate
    office. The only difference is that now you must take the
    initiative to forge these relationships. These are not
    people you are going to be seeing every day at the office.

    5. Join a Gym

    You are, of course, health conscious and physically active,
    right? Of course you are! So, why not kill two birds with
    one stone ... stay fit and meet new people. If you
    establish a routine that allows you to be at the gym at the
    same time every day, you will run into many of the same
    people and get to know them.

    6. Use the Internet

    Making online friends is another way of staying connected
    with the outside world. Be very disciplined here though.
    It's way too easy to spend a lot of work time on social
    email exchanges and in chat rooms. Don't fritter away your
    time, but do seek out and maintain internet friendships.

    7. Background Noise

    Sometimes, it's only silence that reminds you you're alone.
    If you come from a corporate environment, your workday was
    punctuated by the constant background noise of telephones
    ringing, other people's conversations, hysterical laughter
    from the other end of the office and lunch trolley pages
    over the intercom system. If you find absolute quiet
    irksome, turn on the radio and have it playing in the
    background while you work. Talk stations are good because
    it's like having other people in the next room, but if you
    find yourself becoming so engrossed with the talk topics
    that you stop working and start listening, switch to a
    music station.

    There's no avoiding the fact that making the transition
    from a corporate environment to a home-based business is
    just that ... a transition. Most people will have to
    grapple with the isolation monster in the early days of
    their work-from-home career. But, as you can see, there
    are many ways of keeping isolation and loneliness at bay
    just by reaching out and forming new associations. Remember,
    just because you work alone doesn't mean you have to go it
    alone.


    About the Author

    Elena Fawkner is editor of A Home-Based Business Online ...
    practical business ideas, opportunities and solutions for the
    work-from-home entrepreneur.
    http://www.ahbbo.com

    ...

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