One of the things that makes working the traditional job palatable is the work allies—those friends and coworkers with whom we know we can work well. I think having allies is the key to whether a person likes their job or not. As home business owners, most of us work alone and we have forfeited having the friendly coworkers and allies in the next cubicle over. This doesn’t mean that we should give up on having work-related allies altogether, we just might have to work a little harder to find and nurture them…
When I look back over my work experiences, I know that it is the allies and friends that made my different jobs bearable. Many of those allies have continued as good friends, but others were just people I knew I could turn to and count on in the context of work. As a solo woman, working away at my home business, I do not have those built-in allies in the next department or as part of my “team”—but that doesn’t mean that I don’t still need those individuals whom I know are on my side.
Former coworkers, colleagues and even family and friends can become allies for us in our home business. What is it that you need? Someone to help watch your kids while you work or pick them up at school? Perhaps another parent or a friend can help. Do you need someone to help you with your work so that you can take a day off or go on vacation? You might find an understanding client or customer or a friend or ex-coworker who is willing to help. The important thing about tapping into allies for our home businesses is to understand that we need to reach out and ask, but we also need to be willing to do things in return. We need to make ourselves available to be allies for others too.