Praise for Small Office Mentors

"Our session with Elizabeth was indeed time well spent. Not only did she arm us with the tactics necessary to fight the daily time squeeze battles, she made us feel that we were once again in control of our own time – in AND out of the office.”

Isolation – don’t do it alone!

By Elizabeth Verwey

When winter arrives, the challenge of isolation looms large for those of us who operate small businesses. Dancing snow outside the window encourages us to stay warm and dry. Cabin fever does have special challenges when one works and lives in the same place. 

It is quite possible to go days without leaving your space. This becomes especially challenging when we live alone and our supervisor is the dog or cat.  The best approach is to plan ahead. We can reach out in small ways to maintain balance when we work and live in a small space. Take a look at the week at a glance and identify natural time slots to squeeze in a few business activities or social events.  Here are a few ideas that you can try when your home or office feels too small.  Plan them in advance - before cabin fever hits. And – add them as a written appointment to the schedule.

Take a morning walk to a coffee shop to get a specialty coffee.
Walk a dog (borrow one if you don’t own one).
Schedule a trip to the gym with a friend.
Go to the adult lane swim at the Y or a community centre.
Go to a networking event.
Sign up for an exercise class.
Make a lunch date with a friend.
Visit an indoor garden, or greenhouse.
Go to a local museum or art gallery.
Go to a big mall to eat lunch and take a brisk walk.
Take a child to the park (or borrow one from a friend)
Walk your local errands.

You will notice that many of these ideas involve some form of physical activity.  The key to beating the feeling of isolation is to make it a priority to get out and get active. Connect with other people in a business context or for sheer pleasure. It always has a positive effect on the business.

And, if you know a few business owners, you may want to establish a peer support group to grow your business. The Mentors Circle is a model that was developed over 4 years with over 100 entrepreneurs to find out which templates and exercises were most helpful. A book was published that guides you exactly how to begin a group and the agendas and workbook is included.

Elizabeth Verwey of Small Office Mentors guides people to become more effective in their time and space management. Contact Elizabeth