I should explain that I wrote a post from a slightly different angle on this subject, deleted it after realising it was a little misjudged, but have rejigged my idea slightly. So, here goes …
When you work at home, sometimes you need to get out, maybe see some other familiar faces, have a moan or a celebrate or a chat or just get away from that desk. But you might not want to get all dressed up and off into town for one of the myriad co-working and networking events that go on there if you live in a suburb like, for example, Kings Heath.
Meetups like Jelly, Social Media Cafe, Entrepreneurs Meetup etc. are great, but they’re once a month and you do still need to be on networking behaviour rather than hair standing on end / in tracksuit bottoms behaviour. Organisations like the Moseley Exchange are great if you want to go and co-work with other people. Not that I’m suggesting we all lurch up the High Street like a bunch of zombies, without our laptops, but I think there may be a need for a more relaxed, local get together for people who work from home / run small businesses etc.
So, here’s my idea:
- We have a designated cafe and a designated time. Say Costa in Kings Heath, 11-12 on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings.
- No one HAS to be there. There’s not an organiser who’s going to be there every time. It’s just a space if people need it.
- But that’s the time when you can go and get out of the office, see if anyone’s around, or just meet other home workers, small business people etc., not in an “impressing, networky” sort of way, but an honest “Phew – a sit down looking at a real person” sort of way. If you want to dress up, fine; if you want to show up in your pajamas, also fine.
- There might not be anyone else there: but then at least you’ve got out of the house, and that’s something we all need to do from time to time!
- You can send out a message on Facebook or Twitter saying you’re going and is anyone else but it’s not like begging people to come and meet you as a one-off or an overly formal arrangement, because it’s an established, informal pattern that’s already vaguely set up.
I’d love to know what you think, whether you’re local and want to give me ideas of when and where and who, or you’re not local but you’d do it if you were. Some questions to look at …
- Where?
- When?
- How often?
- Do we want to set up a Facebook group or Twitter something (hashtag, list?) to help people see who else is going?
- Any other thoughts?
I hope this is a useful idea for people – let me know!
STOP PRESS we have a Facebook group now.
EDITED 24 AUGUST 2013:
We appear to have featured on a podcast, although I have no idea how they picked up on this rather elderly post – they are complimentary and I have got in touch to say thank you, so I thought I should provide an update:
This idea turned into a Facebook group which is solely used for arranging meetups, and a meetup at a local cafe approximately once a month. We’re made up of translators, editors and writers in the main, with a film maker too, and of course others are welcome to join. We do have a little moan over a coffee, and some of us meet up at other times, too. I also started a private Facebook group called Editors’ Rah and Argh which is a safe place for fellow editors to share things good and bad and make each other laugh and/or feel better. These and other friends I chat to on Facebook chat and Twitter give me the “water cooler” time it turns out we all need!
Mar 05, 2012 @ 12:59:09
Brilliant idea for you KH people. I think in the city we’re a little like that anyway as rarely do I walk into one of my 4 daily coffee shops and not bump into someone so chats do happen. But great idea to do it at regular times. (Not so sure about Costa though but guess limited choice!!)
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Mar 05, 2012 @ 13:00:34
Thanks Rickie! I thought of Costa particularly because it doesn’t have wifi!! Plus it’s quite big so there’s room for people … but I’m open to suggestions, of course (and visitors!)
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Mar 05, 2012 @ 13:04:07
Hiya
I like the idea and I don’t see it as being necessarily negative. I think that when you work in an office with a bunch of other people (close team mates or otherwise), you all have some idea of the pressures each of you are under to get your work done. Sometimes, just having a bit of a non-work related giggle or a chat about the weather can help to let off steam just as much as a focused ‘vent’. Either way, it doesn’t have to be an all out moan-fest, it just takes your head out of the issue for a brief time so you can refocus and get back on with it with a clearer head. That can work for lots of things that aren’t specifically a directed ‘moan’: say you’ve got an epic spreadsheet you’re working on or a complex bid to write (me!) and you reach that point where your thinking processes have ground to a halt – going for a wander around the office and briefly talking to someone about something completely unrelated can refresh your brain. Likewise, nipping out for a sandwich at lunch and saying to colleagues “anyone fancy a bit of fresh air? I’m off to the caff if anyone wants to come” is another time-honoured tradition of the desk bound office worker.
Working at home, with only cats for company, I don’t really get to do that. I know I should go for a walk, do the washing up or watch half a CSI or something but more often than not, I don’t, I just carry on. If I knew there was someone just up the road who I could nip out and see for half an hour (and know they’re looking for that same bit of distraction, so I’m not disturbing them) I more than likely would make the effort and go.
So I’m in. And a Facebook page or Twitter hashtag would be great. Anything uncomplicated that lets me/others know who’s where would be great. I’m more likely to go if I know someone else will be there or if I say I’m thinking about it and someone else says they’ll come too.
How often? I dunno. All day, every day? 😀 It could just be an ongoing thing. A regular Friday lunchtime would also be good for getting a few people together.
Where? Wherever the first person to pipe up suggests? I think ultimately it would fall into its own pattern of favoured/most central coffee shops/cafes etc. naturally.
(Hm, I see that what I’ve written does seem to reflect the traditional office workers’ routine and making the effort to go freelance was (for me at least in part) a way of getting out of those routines and dictate my own hours etc. Yet I still see the value in the concept. Perhaps other people suggesting non-conformist times to meet might break me of my clear institutionalisation! Hellllp meeeee!!)
Cheers
Lyndsey
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Mar 05, 2012 @ 13:08:28
Thanks for your detailed reply, Lyndsey. I’m glad other people see it how I see it too. The previous comments on negativity were re the previous incarnation of the post, but I’m anxious to avoid that perception anyway.
I wonder how to do the FB/Twitter thing as I think some people are one one or the other but not both. I wonder if it’s possible to make a FB group that automatically posts to Twitter …
Costa is right in the middle, big, and doesn’t have wifi which is good for making people stop working … Loco Lounge is quite empty in the day time …
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Mar 05, 2012 @ 13:10:24
Ha, yeah, sorry for the epic reply. I must be in need of company 😀
Yep, Facebook can post to Twitter and vice versa so that should be easy enough to do (I just have to remember how…)
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Mar 05, 2012 @ 14:36:40
Oh, I so know where you are coming from. We are lucky here in that we do have an enterprise club where we can let our hair down and that meets once a week – no obligations to turn up, and it’s not like any other networking event I’ve been to, it’s really relaxed, more like the meet-up you are describing.
Now, here’s another idea… which is something I do with my own tight-knit circle of friends. Although we’re all close, we all live in different parts of the county, so it’s hard for us to get to meet up. But, we do have a day and time set every week for a Skype chat – and it’s the same principle – if you can make it, turn up and have a good chat, if you can’t make it, no worries.
So, maybe a virtual version of your idea might work too for those who are a bit further afield? Either on Skype or Google+ hangouts. Just another idea to throw into the mix 🙂
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