Working from home can sometimes be a lonely venture. Even if you communicate with people online and over the phone, you might not get to see people in person very often. If you feel like you need some more engagement with fellow professionals and at-home workers, there are a few things you could do to get some people together. One idea is to host a networking event for local people who work at home so that you can get together to socialize and perhaps share ideas. It can also be a good way for you to learn some new skills and add something interesting to your resume. Put together an event using these tips.
Find Your People
Firstly, you need to find the right people who could be interested in coming to your event. They need to be local people who work from home or perhaps use coworking spaces and public places to get their work done. They don’t necessarily have to work in any particular industry, and they could work full-time or just do some casual online work. Try looking for relevant LinkedIn groups, or creating one if there isn’t one. Facebook can also be useful to find other people in your area who want to network. Ask your friends and family if they know anyone who would be interested too.
Get a Venue
If you’ve asked about interest in a possible networking event, you need to find somewhere to host it. Don’t set anything in stone until you’re sure people are going to come, though. For your first event, it might be a good idea to use somewhere casual that you don’t need to book, especially if you don’t know how many people will turn up. You can use a variety of spaces, from your own home to cafes and bars (warn them in advance if you’re going to turn up with a large group). If your event will be more formal, you might want to book a meeting room or private event room.
Promote the Event
You need to get people interested in coming to your event, and possibly have people sign up, so you have solid numbers. You can promote your event both online and offline. For example, if you make flyers you can use them on social media pages and forums, as well as print them out. Try displaying your printed materials in places like coworking spaces or even local cafes. You never know who might spot them.
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Make Your Event Fun and Useful
Your event needs to be useful to those who come, especially if you want to host another. It might be a purely social affair, allowing everyone to chat to each other. Or you might decide to have some people speak about making the most of working from home and other helpful topics. However you structure your event, it’s a good idea to make sure there are drinks and food available. This is easy if you’re somewhere that serves food, but you might need to arrange something if you’re not.
A networking event is an excellent way to connect with other people who work at home or remotely. If you need some more in-person interaction, a regular event could be a great idea.