Do Business Well

The majority of people who work from home, whether they be working for giant corporations or in one-man bands, work by themselves. On the one hand, that means they are extremely efficient — no interruptions, no joking during meetings, no office politicking around the coffee machine, or gossiping in the lunch break — but it also means that homeworkers can feel terribly alone and isolated.

`I found that working six hours a day at home was worth more than eight in the office,’ says Emma Dally, now Publishing Director for The National Magazine Company. ‘There are so few interruptions that you are able to work very intensively.’

Although we may not recognize it, the office is a ready-made social network — even if we don’t particularly like our colleagues. We tend to talk to them when we arrive in the morning, discuss plans or projects during the morning, gossip at the coffee machine and over lunch. Professor Noel Sheehy, who recently completed a report on homeworking in rural areas, points out that, in offices, 40 per cent of the working day is spent talking, writing, sending memos to each other. `All the studies in the USA and Europe come up with around the same figure,’ he says. ‘What we call idle chat and gossip actually keep organizations together.’ He also points out that, in offices, the exchange of vital office information often happens on an informal basis — something that is hard to replicate when you are working at home. It is hard to brainstorm if it’s just your brain doing the storming.

Most homeworkers, on the other hand, will spend large chunks of their time alone. This is certainly true of occupations like computing and accountancy, as well as creative pursuits such as writing, making jewellery or cakes, graphic design, etc. Even those homeworkers whose work involves a large amount of person-to-person contact, such as counsellors, beauty therapists and recruitment consultants, can end up feeling socially isolated, because although their clients will share problems with them, they in turn have no colleagues to share their own work-related problems with.

Networking is vital in ensuring that you have human contact and a chance to talk to people who understand what you are going through. Talking to people in similar situations who can offer support, advice, or just a sympathetic ear, is particularly valuable. It may sound daunting, but networking can often be nothing more than getting together with like-minded people for a chat over a cup of coffee, or even going into a client’s office for an afternoon just to get to know them. When I first became a freelance writer, I would grumble that I never got to meet my former colleagues any more — until one of them pointed out that she was always available at lunchtime if I would make the time to see her. I took her up on her offer and as a result felt less isolated from my professional contacts. Here are some other easy ways to get your networking act together:

• Join your professional or trade organization. Read their newsletter carefully and make a note of any meetings which might interest you — then go along. In many professions, such as journalism, PR and design, making professional contacts and bouncing ideas off people is of paramount importance. Being active in your professional association will help you do this.
• If you are working for one client or employed by a central office, try and go into that office from time to time, even if it is not strictly necessary. Talking to your boss, colleagues and clients can give you a better insight into what is happening while you are not there — and give you the feeling of being part of a team.

If you are self-employed and working alone, you will need to strive harder to keep in touch. Here are some suggestions :

• Take at least one professional or trade magazine. It will keep you abreast of developments in the field and help you feel more in touch with what’s going on.
• Your local chamber of commerce represents local businesses and can be a good forum for networking. Each chamber has its own agenda. In a small town, they may organize such things as the local Christmas lights as well as providing business advice. In a bigger town they may provide detailed advice on how to export successfully and have a huge reference library. The chamber of commerce is often consulted on matters ,of public interest in addition to hosting talks and business seminars., Other locally based organizations such as the Rotary Club and Round Table raise money for charity, and generally consist of local business people. There is also a growing number of organizations specifically catering for small/home businesses. The Federation of Small Businesses is well-established and has a range of benefits for members. The Breakthrough Centre in London, runs a variety of personal development courses with a new age flavour for small businesses. They also offer a telephone helpline to members. For women, there are many professional organizations with specific sub-groups aimed at helping women to network. For example, Women In Management has a small business section which you may find useful. The Women’s National Commission has a fairly comprehensive list of women’s organizations.
• Another good way of keeping in touch is to take journals which are designed specifically for home or teleworkers. One designed for all homeworkers is Home Run. Published monthly, it is full of useful advice, inspirational case histories and money-saving ideas.

• Try to find out, through the local chamber of commerce, Training and Enterprise Council (TEC) or Business Link, about other homeworkers in your area. ‘If I meet someone else who’s working at home and like them, I invite them for lunch and ask them to bring along a friend who’s also working at home‘ says Mary Montague, a theatre designer. ‘We tend to go out rather than stay in and just have a laugh. The lunches have got bigger over the years and there’s now a troupe of regulars.’
• Using your work skills in a voluntary capacity is another good way to build social networks — and could also be a useful source of future clients. Linda Greenbury, a careers counsellor, found that serving on the Women Returners Network committee gave her not only a lively social interest, but a real degree of credibility and experience. ‘I also ran some free introductory workshops through local groups I belonged to, and some of those people became my clients or recommended others to me.’

• Keep up your outside interests. It is easy, when you are busy, to devote more time than you planned to work, and to let friends and hobbies drop. This however, will only intensify feelings of isolation when you have quieter periods. Take time out for hobbies or for groups that encourage social contact. A local charity, or a sports club with lots of social events, can all be vital in helping you establish a new network of friends and prospective clients. You might want to join a special interest group such as Parents At Work (for working parents) or even a local branch of your favoured political party.
• Listening to the radio can make you feel less isolated — if it doesn’t distract you.

However, even if you do all these things, there may well still be days when you feel trapped and lonely. ‘I listen to the radio, network with other homeworkers, but there are still days when I feel down,’ says Katharine Goodison, milliner. If I feel really low, I take off to an art exhibition, or go out looking at window displays. Something pleasurable, but in some way related to my work. I always find that getting out cheers me up and gives me new inspiration.’

So make a gap in the day — even if it’s just to wander down to the local shops or stroll round the park. Most workers have coffee breaks and lunch hours, so give yourself the same perks. Working at home shouldn’t mean incessant slavery.

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