03/ 14/ 2005
by Judy Artunian
If you spend most of your days working alone, you know the ups and downs of being a solo entrepreneur. The freedom of setting your own schedule and making your own decisions can be exhilarating; however, having to brainstorm new marketing ideas with your cat can get tedious.
There are ways to break up the solitude of being self-employed. Getting out of your office for something as simple as a cup of coffee with a friend can get your creative juices flowing. Hashing out business problems with others can improve your family life, too. You will be less likely to bring your work frustrations to the dinner table.
Fortunately, there are several ways you can enjoy the camaraderie of colleagues without taking on a partner or hiring employees.
Don't think of this process as networking in the traditional sense. Your goal should be to meet people who could become friends as well as business associates. Such relationships are likely to evolve naturally when you circulate among like-minded people.
According to many small-business specialists, one of the best ways to develop a network of colleagues who understand your business is to join a professional association. Look for organizations that hold regular meetings in locations that are easy for you to get to. You can forge deeper contacts if you go beyond attending meetings by volunteering to serve on one of the association's committees.
Take a less-is-more approach to your search for organizations to join. Don't join a group right away. Attend a couple of meetings and see if you feel a sense of kinship. If not, look elsewhere, but stay on the organization's mailing list so that you can attend events that might interest you. Look into civic groups, as well as social groups such as your college alumni association, and business or self-improvement courses and workshops.
If association dues and meeting fees are too costly for your budget, arrange lunch dates with other businesspeople. That includes former coworkers from the company you used to work for, especially if your current business is in the same industry.
Don't forget professionals outside of your field. They can be good brainstorming partners for universal business problems, such as dealing with late-paying customers or deciding whether to switch from cable modem to DSL. People in other industries can also be good sources of new-business referrals.
Regardless of where you encounter your new colleagues, when people ask how your business is doing or how a particular project is progressing, focus on the positive. While it can be therapeutic to discuss your frustrations, especially if you have few outlets to do so, too much complaining can only hurt your reputation. By the same token, steer clear of people who want to draw you into their pity party. You want to return to your office energized, not deflated.
When business is too hectic to get out of your office for human contact, you may be able to find professional organizations with online forums where you can post business dilemmas and get feedback from others in your industry. That is fine for quick questions, but it doesn't replace face-to-face meetings. When you work alone, it is easy to rely on the Internet for human interaction or let minor inconveniences like the weather keep you tied to your desk for long periods of time. Don't let that happen. The next time you are stymied by a recalcitrant computer or a slow-paying customer, invite a colleague to lunch and ask for some tips. You will return to your office a happier entrepreneur. And your cat will be happier, too.
