Running a business is fast paced, highly pressured, and generally always exciting. However, it can also be isolating, especially if you’re a new business owner working from home. This heady mix can make the experience quite stressful.
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In this article, UK company formation specialists 1st Formations share their advice for how new business owners can avoid isolation when operating a business from home.
1. Use a Coworking Space
Our first top tip is to simply not work from home as a new business owner, or at least not work from home all of the time. Coworking spaces provide a fantastic opportunity for entrepreneurs to get out of the house and work among other people for at least some of the week.
As well as providing a professional environment in which to get your head down and focus (albeit in a more bustling environment than your spare room), their design typically promotes collaboration and cooperation. This is useful when you find yourself struggling with a particular challenge. This is because there’s normally a friendly face on hand to help.
What’s more, while coworking spaces house disparate businesses, the hosts will try and foster a positive culture amongst these clients. This means there’s often a bit of a social scene available when the time comes to shut down your laptop. This can be useful for providing you with an outlet after a busy day.
Spaces normally have flexible membership plans. This means you can drop in as and when you feel the need, or you could spend the whole week there. Do whatever works best for your requirements and your budget.
2. Work from Coffee Shops and Other Shared Spaces as a New Business Owner
If your budget just can’t stretch to pay for a coworking space but you are keen to get out of the house and be among other people, don’t worry. There are alternatives.
Coffee shops are a good option for a new business owner. For example, for the price of a brew or two, you can plonk yourself in a comfy chair, connect to the Wi-Fi and have a productive few hours. Similarly, some nicer pubs are welcoming to laptop-wielders. This is especially the case during the daytime when they’re quieter, just as long as you’re happy to buy a few drinks. (Whether or not these contain alcohol is entirely up to you).
If the coffee shop or pub isn’t quite the vibe you’re looking for, you could head to the library or any other communal space, such as a local arts hub or even a shopping center. Additionally, if the weather is good and an internet connection isn’t integral for a specific task, you could pop into the park.
These all represent different ways that you can break away from an isolating work cycle on a budget.
3. Attend Networking Events
If you find yourself feeling lonely during the working day, networking events may be useful. For one thing, they could provide you with basic human interactions. For another, they might also give you opportunities to grow your business.
So research the area. You may be surprised by just how many events are taking place. This may be especially true if you live in or around a major city or town. If you are interested in dipping your toes into the world of handshakes and business cards, we recommend taking a look at sites such as The Federation of Small Business and Eventbrite for local events that are relevant to you and your business.
We appreciate that networking events aren’t for everyone, however. In fact, the mere mention of them can be enough to fill some new business owners with dread. However, they do vary in form, from small industry-specific get-togethers over breakfast to large prosecco-fueled black-tie dinners. So if you are willing to give them a go, you’re bound to find an event that’s right for you.
4. Regularly Check in with Team Members
This won’t be relevant to everyone. However, if you do have a business partner or a team of employees, take the time to check in with them for regular check-ins as and when it’s convenient. You shouldn’t do these catch-ups via email or online messages. Instead, conduct them face-to-face through video calling software.
You may find that a weekly call every Monday is suitable. At that time, everyone can discuss what they have planned for the week as well as look at any challenges they are facing. Alternatively, you could hold the calls on Friday afternoons. If you do, perhaps you can make them more social, essentially banning work chat and focusing on life outside of the business. Encourage people to talk about what they’re binging on TV, plans for the weekend, and so on. If your team is large enough and it doesn’t result in too many suspicious groans, you could even host a weekly or monthly quiz.
Moving away from the online, provided that geography isn’t too much of a barrier, you should also schedule some genuine meetups for you and your team for work-based events that can also evolve into social occasions. This is great for developing company culture in a mainly remote business.
5. A New Business Owner Can Certainly Step Outside for Breaks
If you’re feeling starved for interaction with other people but home is generally providing a suitable, productive working environment, a simple thing you can do is ensure that you always take your lunch break (or any break for that matter) away from home.
Head to a nearby bustling area, grab some lunch in your favorite cafe, get a coffee, run your errands, meet up with a friend. In other words, do anything that gets you away from your desk and among other people.
Combating isolation doesn’t mean that you have to find like-minded business owners who are going through the same thing as you. Sometimes, as desperate as it may sound, any human interaction will help lift you out of a rut and make you feel better about yourself.
6. Get Active
In addition to our previous point of getting out of the house and making the most of your breaks, you could take this to the next level and get seriously active.
Secure a gym membership, join a running club, start playing football again—anything that gets your heart pumping. It doesn’t matter whether it’s before, during, or after work, so long as you do it and enjoy it.
This is a fantastic way to help feel better about yourself. What’s more, it can introduce you to a range of different people. This alone could alleviate the feelings of isolation that you may be experiencing.
7. A New Business Owner Has the Right to Seek Professional Help
Finally, if the feelings of isolation are becoming too much and the tips we’ve covered so far in this article aren’t helping, it may be time to seek professional help. This emotion may have nothing to do with being an entrepreneur or working from home. However, your emotional state could be worsened by your business situation.
Either way, if the isolation persists, we strongly recommend visiting the below websites for further guidance.
- NHS: How to cope with depression
- VeryWell Mind: How to cope with loneliness
- Mental Health Foundation: 15 things to do if you’re feeling lonely
In the long run, this will not only help you feel better but will also make you a better entrepreneur.
So There You Have It
That was seven ways to avoid isolation as a new business owner working from home. We hope you find this article useful as you strive to build a successful business while also ensuring your mental health is always being looked after. Thanks for reading.
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Are you an entrepreneur looking to make your business official? 1st Formations can help register your limited company from only £12.99. All you need to do is pick an appropriate company name. Then choose your company formation package, make the necessary payment, and complete the quick, simple online form. You could be ready to trade in just three to six working hours. Take a look at their company formation packages now.
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