The idea of working at home can be attractive to anyone who doesn’t like traffic, long lines at Starbucks and high dry cleaning bills. Unfortunately, every idea or concept has its challenges and one of the biggest challenges that I hear from work at home professionals is the feeling of isolation and the lack of available or immediately accessible resources. Now, we all know the Internet is a wealth of information and gives people opportunities to work with anyone in the world, but sometimes you want to see a face, sit down and have a conversation.

So, where do you to get some human interaction and to make great use of your time? Before we talk about where to go, you should listen to my show on interviewing and networking with Torin Ellis, professor networker, of Monday Mover as our host. He shares valid tips on how to make the most of how you meet and how to present your business to the rest of the crowd. I personally go to every event with 2 things in mind:

1. Who do I think can help me? (Like right now I’m looking for a tax attorney, a massage therapist who comes to your house, a publicist and an independent contractor)
2. Who can I help? (I have a special connection with business in transition, either start-ups or those going through a growth spurt. I also like working with creative people who don’t have the business acumen to take their craft to the next level…I’m always open to interesting, engaging, purpose-driven people…a good Barnes and Noble smoothie drinking friend is great to add to my network.)

I believe that every professional should be involved with an industry-specific organization where they can get regular training, current information and service opportunities (committee work always does well for the blues). If you have not found the right organization in your field, then might I suggest a chamber of commerce or a local business organization where you can meet people with different businesses, gain some new clients or develop potential partnerships/collaborations.  Now, if you are adventurous, want to try something a bit out of the box, then try either of these three organizations to help you get out of the house and increase exposure for your business.
Networking events:

• Moms Inc.    Meetings are held throughout, real laid back in some cases. My local meetings are during the day and they always keep it on point, so that you don’t use too much of your day.
• Meetup  These are groups all over the country that are formed based on people’s interest. I belong to several and look for the groups that are actively planning activities. I have something on my calendar from my meetups every day.
• BNI   There are several local referral groups , but BNI is the only one that seems to be everywhere. They are pretty costly to join, but it would be worth it to visit a local group and see if the kind of people you want to meet are there.

Have fun while you’re trying to get out. Make sure you have adequate business cards, brochures, postcards and a camera. Yeah, take some pictures of people that you would like to connect with again and you can put their pictures on your photo sharing site and maybe use it on your website.

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