Ten Tips For Staying Connected While Working Alone

Ten Tips for Staying Connected

Many of my business clients tell me that what they missed most when they started their businesses was the camaraderie of an office setting. Small businesses often start with the owner as the only employee. To combat this sense of isolation here are some suggestions that allow you to interact with people and improve your business at the same time.

1. Strategic partnerships work well for marketing your product or service. An added benefit is that you work with someone else. Consider collaborating on a project or product with a partner and hold face to face meetings.

2. Another marketing strategy is to join networking organizations. They can help you to get referrals but they also are another way to feel the connection to others. If you are missing the closer type relationships that an office provides, develop on-going relationships with some of the people with whom you network.

3. Sometimes all that is needed is to be with people not necessarily interacting with them. A coffee shop might fit the bill occasionally. Take your reading material or computer with you so you can work.

4. Have lunch with a friend or colleague. You need to eat anyway. Just being with a friend in a relaxed setting can energize you and make you less lonely. If you have an issue to discuss with a colleague, suggest lunch instead of a long telephone conversation. You'll both enjoy it more and if you stick to an agenda you'll accomplish your task too.

5. What kind of group would help you and your business the most? It could be a leads group, an R&D team or an advisory board. All give you opportunities to connect. Create a group that serves your business and keeps you engaged and connected.

6. Enjoy a concert or sports activity with a client or customer you like. It is a way to pleasantly stay connected with people you find interesting.

7. Exercise is important to your physical well-being. Find a walking or exercise buddy and take a needed break during the day. Even just a half hour walk with a friend will brighten your spirits and recharge you.

8. Become involved in recreational activities in your area. Bring business cards to your book club, your child's Little League Game or a Golf Tournament. Meet potential customers, relax and keep connected.

9. Develop an ongoing relationship with a mentor or coach. Talk to or meet with your coach or mentor weekly.

10. Take a course at a local college or training center. The course or training could be work related or just something of interest.

Some of the material in this list came from an article "The Power of Connection" by Karen Kahn Wilson found in Fempreneur Magazine March/April 2004 issue. Some of it is my own observation of what I need to do to stay connected. As I review the tasks I have for the up coming week. I make sure I have some that will get me interacting with others.

Alvah Parker is a Business and Career Coach as well as publisher of Parker's Points, an email tip list and Road to Success, an ezine. Parker works with high potential professionals who want have a career that is fun, fulfilling and profitable. Her clients are managers, business owners, sole practioners, attorneys and people in transition. Alvah is found on the web at http://www.asparker.com. She may also be reached at 781-598-0388.

car service from Midway Burlington .. Lockport Chicago limo O’Hare
In The News:

Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says a malware app called SpyLend is posing as a financial tool, hitting 100,000-plus downloads.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson says Clone Robotics’ Protoclone mimics humans with 1,000 muscles – too human for comfort.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson urges you to use Apple’s App Privacy Report to see what your apps are really up to.
Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson talks about how to smoothly transfer your data from an old laptop to a new one using cloud storage or external drives.
Kurt the CyberGuy offers tips to safeguard your personal information as scammers become more sophisticated with scam texts and other methods.
WeRide's unmanned electric delivery van, the Robovan W5, has 194 cubic feet of cargo space and can carry payloads up to about 2,205 pounds
Kurt the CyberGuy recommends deleting 16 browser extensions immediately in response to a report saying more than 3.2 million web users were affected by a security breach.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
A robotics firm in China claims a robot has performed the world's first humanoid robot front flip, which is significantly more difficult than a backflip.
A digital ID may be even more secure than a physical ID. Storing your driver's license in your Apple Wallet is an ideal solution for commuters.
A cybersecurity firm has shed some light on just how common tax scams have become. Kurt the CyberGuy offers his advice for how to protect your refund.
Lifesize Plans offers immersive walk-throughs that allow customers the opportunity to tour a home's design before construction actually begins.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
A man invested $4 million in bitcoin and lost it all with a single click when he was targeted by a vishing scam, which uses phone calls to trick people.
Expandable's Touchdown is a designer trailer that promises a luxury off-grid living experience and unfolds into a home in about 15 minutes.
Major employee screening company data breach affects 3.3 million people. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson explains what happened and gives five ways to protect your data.
Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson reveals mind-blowing tech that gives you sunlight on demand.
New malware "FrigidStealer" targets Mac computers. Tech expert Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson offers four ways to stay safe from infostealer malware.
Kurt “CyberGuy" Knutsson talks about how lab-grown muscles power a biohybrid hand for scalable prosthetics and research.
Reports of task scams have significantly risen in the past four years, according to the Federal Trade Commission. Kurt the CyberGuy offers some red flags.
iPhones have a hidden folder that eats up storage without you knowing it. Kurt the CyberGuy offers some tricks to free up storage on your device.
A recent ransomeware attack targeted Zacks, an American investment firm, and a cybercriminal claimed to have stolen records for millions of customers.
Stay up to date on the latest AI technology advancements and learn about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.
Researchers unveiled a new soft prosthetic hand that combines the natural coordination patterns of our fingers with the decoding of motoneuron activity in the spinal column.
Accidentally deleting a text message on your iPhone or iPad is not a problem if you still need the message. Apple has a built-in way to recover it.

The 10 Benefits of Cross Cultural Training

Cross cultural differences can and do impede upon communication and... Read More

Business Attire: 10 Tips to Perfect Your Look

Being appropriately dressed is essential in making good impressions in... Read More

1 Step Program to Achieve All of Your Goals

In Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen's original "Chicken Soup... Read More

The Top Ten Qualities that Allow Business Operations to Grow Easily

My husband and I were enjoying our dinner meal one... Read More

Managing Your Major Sales - 7 Steps That Could Change The Way You Pursue Business

Ever lost a sale you thought was in the bag?... Read More

The Top 10 Reasons Your Staff Wants to Quit

From an employee's perspective, management often conducts itself in ways... Read More

Top Ten Tips for Participating in Online Business Expos

Are you ready for a BASH? Have you ever been... Read More

Brainstorming! The Key To Wealth

Advertising executive Alex F. Osborne first coined the word "brainstorming"... Read More

Top Ten Listening Skills for Speakers

Good Speakers need good listening skills to become Great CommunicatorsSpeakers... Read More

7 Reasons You ARE Your Own Best Product, or Lessons From the 2004 Presidential Election

The 2004 election is over--at least in the minds of... Read More

10 Great E-Commerce Businesses You Can Start Now

If you've been thinking of starting a business on the... Read More

10 Reasons to Use Online Banking

With today's technology and people's need for more information it... Read More

The 10 Biggest Mistakes People Make Managing Organisational Performance

mistake #1: rely just on financial statementsProfit and loss, revenue... Read More

Plan Your Success In Seven Ways

Many businesses lose money yearly because they don't think creatively... Read More

Shaking Your Money Tree: Seven Ways to Make Quick Cash

Does your business have a money tree you can shake... Read More

Why Clarity Is Essential To Building Massive Momentum In Your Business

Clarity is an absolutely essential ingredient for you to achieve... Read More

After Hurricane Katrina - Seven Things You Can Do

If you are like me, you are living some distance... Read More

Want a Web Site that Turns Lookie Loos into Buyers? Seven Passion Copywriting Tips

Web Site Blues? Need one, don't know where to start?... Read More

Your Leadership Shopping List

'Tis the season to give. And finding the right gift... Read More

Performance-Stress-Motivation: 7 Sanity Saving Business Boundaries

The lack of strong boundaries is one of the chief... Read More

How to Hold An Extremely Successful Event - 10 Tips

Every event you hold can be extremely successful. Apply these... Read More

Top Ten Tips: Where to Get the Best Business Books Now!

There are many places you can get books, and I... Read More

International Shipping/Freight for Dummies

There are lots of benefits for some businesses to import... Read More

Yummy Yummy: Top 7 Business Lessons from the Wiggles

At Macquarie University in the early '90s, three Australian early... Read More

Ten Tips for Effective Meetings

Here are ten things that you can do to hold... Read More

Granger limo Chicago ..