It's almost 11:15 on a gorgeous late spring day and I'm waiting for the phone to ring for my 11 a.m. appointment.
Finally, for the first time in ages, I'm caught up. No issues with my teenager are pending and I actually resolved my health insurance purchase. But at $510 a month I will be scoping for a better deal.
Hey, I'm actually pay my bills and moreso, which is a good place to be when operating a virtual business.
But what I'm missing is input from lots of people who work on their own in small office settings like me. I want to know how you get your work and how your manage your business. Do you like online placement services like guru.com or elance, or do you get projects by word of mouth references?
I'm collecting these sorts of experiences, plus advice and tips, for this blog and maybe a new book down the line. So find me, OK?
AmyZ
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2 comments:
Just starting out in the virtual workplace; hoping it will become a dream! I definitely relate to your comment about being taken away from people. Although it is very peaceful all day, especially after years of classroom teaching, by about 4 every day I really start missing the camaraderie of the workplace...which means I also have to start doing a lot of networking and more "social" planning. Lots to learn. Will be just as anxious as you are to hear how other people run their "virtual work lives."
Yes, I think that's the absolutely toughest part about this style of work. As I've said in talks I give, you leave behind the office politics, but you also leave behind the "water cooler."
Just about the only way to survive working alone, which is what a virtual office usually entails, is getting a laptop and finding places where you can work around people. Cafes with Wifi are the rage in most places today. The best ones have a quiet area where you can concentrate.
And networking groups are really great if you can find the ones with people who can provide both works tips and comraderie. I had so much trouble finding the right one in western Massachusetts, that I formed my own in 2002 and called it Hidden-Tech. Now I know 1,000-plus people in this area working like me and I can find them whenever I have the urge for company thanks to the hidden-tech listserv at www.hidden-tech.net.
Hang in!
AZ
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