Working from home can be freeing and flexible compared with an office environment, but it’s not without its downsides. It can be hard to remain focused and engaged, as there is often so much to do you don’t know where to start. It also means you don’t have people in close proximity to bounce ideas off and learn from, which is critical in business in order to receive feedback and learn from other people.
So how do you get the best of both worlds? Here are some suggestions for how to boost your engagement, both on your own, and tapping into other people when you are working from home.
1. Find your Facebook tribe. Facebook has a vibrant community of small business owners with many different options for how you can engage – you can follow pages, belong to groups, even enter paid mentoring groups in order to align with like minded business owners. You can ask questions and promote your business on “engagement days.” The trick is knowing when to shut down social media so you don’t avoid getting your tasks done and fall down the Facebook rabbit hole. Overall there is a lot of opportunity to learn from others and grow your brand.
2. With podcasts you are never alone. Where else can you engage with business experts and mentors and listen in on their conversations? You can listen to Podcasts on setting up a business, marketing, mindsets and more. The best part is you can learn on the move, what’s better than taking a break from your doing. Go for a walk to reset your mind while learning a few new things via podcast while you’re at it. These are great for a motivation boost and implementing actionable insights into your business if you find the right one.
3. Work with a business coach. If you are the type of person who needs a push to stay laser focused, a coach is a great option to help you set goals, refine your strategy and keep you engaged. Tools like Skype and Zoom where you don’t even need to live in close proximity to your coach, allow you to find the best person for your niche wherever their location. Weekly check ins will go a long way to removing any sense of isolation and will give you a trusted sounding board that pushes you to keep moving forward.
4. Get out and connect. Speaking events and conferences provide a great opportunity to make new connections, get a read on the business community and talk about your own brand to like-minded people. If you work solely from home these opportunities can go a long way to building your network. Enrol in a day conference, attend a networking dinner, whatever is available to you get out there and connect.
5. A change is as good as a holiday. So you have successfully escaped the rat race, why would you want to pay for a desk in a co-working space? If you’re an extrovert you may benefit from a day where you can work with others, ask a few questions, make a few new friends and just generally re-energise. On the flip side, even if people aren’t your thing you can still benefit from a change of scenery. As an introvert, if I have a big rock to complete, I find a trip to the library is perfect for making me focus and complete a task with minimal distraction. This can be super helpful if you’re prone to procrastination.
Melanie Aslanidis, Founder, Beachside Collective
