You’ve probably heard that the people closest to you affect your mood and attitude, so it’s important to surround yourself with a positive circle of influence. But working at home can sometimes make you feel isolated. Some days, your only circle of influence at the “office” may be your kids and pets. And while kids and pets are blessings, we all know that as business owners, we need to connect with other adults who share our entrepreneurial spirit.
There are a variety of ways to combat isolation in a home office and build a positive circle of influence – here are a few tips:
1. Your family – you really can’t get away from them when you work at home, so get them on board with your business. Share your goals, work schedule and accomplishments. Celebrate success together. For more tips, see my post: Family Support for Home Business Goals.
2. Local groups – join local groups, associations and clubs that include like-minded business owners. Whether these local groups help the community, educate business owners or provide networking opportunities, choose groups that add positive relationships to your business.
Also take note of the time you have available and choose only 1 or 2 groups to start with – spreading yourself too thin by becoming a part of many groups will not produce the best results for the group or you.
3. Online “virtual” groups – social media sites offer many options for building your positive circle of influence. From Facebook Groups, LinkedIn Groups, Google+ Communities or Twitter Chats…you can do a search on each site for a group that shares your interests and goals.
Paid programs, mastermind groups or associations usually host some type of private group on social media sites. The new connections you make there can be some of the most positive, since other members have paid for access and are obviously serious about the topic.
Build your positive circle of influence by putting effort into each of these areas and you’ll soon find the right people to give you feedback, support or a reminder of why you chose to work at home in the first place.
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