Being self-employed, master of your own kingdom and Chief Executive Officer of your own company holds many benefits; you set your schedule and hours; you reward yourself when you want and can and you dictate when you holidays. You are not beholden to anything or anyone other than…

… your profit margin, continually trying to expand, improve and evolve your empire, as well as balancing those essential long days with family and social commitments. The rewards of running your own business should outweigh the negatives but, on occasions, this balance gets lost.

One thing that many entrepreneurs are not prepared for is the abject loneliness that running a business can bring. The majority of huge, successful companies start with one person, sat in a shed/garage/outbuilding/kitchen table slaving away over their brilliant idea. It can take some time before the business is in a position to employ anyone, let along move away from the shed or kitchen table.

Is networking the key? 

In big companies or even smaller ones who employ staff, there are water cooler friends and colleagues. Those people that we strike up working relationships with, as well as friendships can be the people who act as a sounding board. You may have an issue with a computer program or you have come across a difficult customer or client, and wonder if anyone knows the best way of ‘dealing’ with them… and all the other scenarios you can think off, water cooler friends are essential in many cases for boosting confidence and ability. They are a great way of letting off steam, and getting the run down on who is doing what and where…

You get the picture. Once you go self-employed, the fact is that for a run of a few days or more, you may not actually see or contact anyone. With many businesses carving their way on the Internet, it is no surprise that on occasion, despite all the major advantages, loneliness can impede many a dream.

Networking is the answer and although you may not ‘feel like it’, it is essential; from finding new clients to finding a friendly ear, this is a great way to alleviate boredom.

Social media networking

Social media is a many-faceted thing; hate it or loath it, all those social media apps out there are popular. People use them. They use them to promote and market their business but there is also another bow to social media fiddle that you can tap into… networking.

Using just one example of Twitter, there are many groups and ‘hours’ on Twitter than serve the purpose of networking, that maybe could alleviate some of this loneliness linked with running a business.

Firstly, the loneliness is not a physical ache as we may know it, but more a void where your boisterous office colleagues once occupied. Networking on Twitter can open up a whole new landscape of people and contacts that can make the process of running your business a little easier; think of it as a virtual water cooler.

• Hours – there are various groups in Twitter and you will need to spend some time finding them but, we find that the various groups using #hours as their call signs are all ways of finding some virtual business friends. For example, many operate in geographical locations so if you are based in the North of England, there are #hours here that will help you tap into local businesses and people.
• Business based group – there are also various groups set up by businesses just like yours that tap into a speciality. For example, if you are a web designer, then seeking out various groups that look at web design, latest innovations, software, programming etc. could be one way of making contact with other professionals.
• Specialist groups – there are also groups that are set up specifically to meet a need that people before you may have identified. One very proactive group is a networking group that specifically supports women in business. This Twitter group in the North West has such a following that they now meet on a regular basis for a breakfast and morning of networking. Although they charge a fee for this, for many entrepreneurs this has been an invaluable, yet relatively inexpensive way of finding people who acts as friends and mentors. There are examples of such groups across the UK; search Twitter to find out more!

Many of these social media groups are quick to foster a sense of community so, the next time you feel a little lonely, adrift or are wrestling with a problem, ask the online, social media community for help… you’ll be surprised who will come forward (and how many!)

The office Christmas party can be a minefield of one faux pas after another, creating an embarrassing few days after the event… or, they can be  hours of boredom, where you have to make small talk with people you hardly know from a department your rarely venture to… or, they can be great fun, where you mix and mingle.

Whichever opinion you hold about the office Christmas party, there are certain do’s and don’ts that can help you avoid a complete diplomatic disaster. Here we have collected some of the more sane suggestions to help get you through the office Christmas do…

1. Beware declarations of undying love – making them and receiving them

Office romances hold a whole different ball game; they either work or they don’t, but it can mean that as colleagues, we can get caught in the cross-fire.

However, in terms of the office Christmas do, if you have long lusted after a chap in accounts, or have feeling for the boss’s PA, a drunken declaration of your undying love, lust or both is not the done thing. It is no way to start a relationships and frankly, breathing alcoholic-fuelled breath over someone is no way to impress them… neither is dancing on the table.

2. Beware the demon drink… 

Getting rip-roaring drunk so you can no longer say your own name or focus is not the way to create the impression you want among colleagues and bosses. Getting tiddly and allowing your natural sense of humour to shine is fabulous but anything beyond this is bad taste. You can’t remember what you said and to whom, but your colleagues, either sober or slightly tiddly will…

3. Gifts…

Secret Santa is great but only if everyone enters into it with the right spirit. Choose your gift carefully for the recipient and avoid anything that can cause offence, which can be anything from edible underwear to a diet book for one.  Not everyone shares the same sense of humour and so being boring with your Christmas gift is just fine on this occasion…

4. Your stories

The one thing about alcohol is that it makes us loose-lipped, something that those World War II posters warned us about all those years ago. Making sure you don’t divulge the biggest skeleton you have in your closest will be something you will thank us for, when you wake up next morning and don’t need to coil up in embarrassment or emigrate, depending on the scale of the embarrassment factor.

5. ‘Dirty Dancing’ moves

We don’t think we need to explain this in detail; you flying off the desk, hoping Gary from accounts has developed a dancing capability of professional since the last office Christmas party will not end well.

6. Switch the photocopier off

There is no need to photocopy anything. And we mean anything.

7. Are you the boss?

If you are, act as such! You may want to let your hair down and this is all well and good, but there are better ways of doing it that da dancing with Barbara from accounts or getting so drunk your PA needs to put you in a taxi… and telling everyone you love them (or something similar) is not a wide move either.

But, don’t be a party pooper either. Balance is the name of the game here.

8. Party ‘dress’

Another common source of potentially huge embarrassment is what you wear to the Christmas office do. We came across a website that advises against women wearing ‘slinky dresses and plunging necklines’ and that the unbuttoning of two top buttons for male colleagues to ‘show off their muscles’ was also unacceptable. Your dress code should be like your behaviour; smart, casual but appropriate.

9. Talking business

This is a really toughy and not talking shop can be incredibly difficult, especially when you know very little about colleagues from a social or personal point of view. Finding something to talk about other than enquiring after the health of their dog/cat/hamster/mother or prized begonias can be a whole new challenge. And, even worse, if you are the boss you are expected to know your employees and interact accordingly. So, do some swotting up on who is who and mingle with some great, pre-planned small talk.

1. Leaving too soon…

EVERYONE has to go through the Christmas party; some people dread it and other relish it but, if you are not a party or social animal, do not bow out completely. It is important to ‘show your face’ and make an effort. Even if it the most boring party ever, you need to be there…

And so, following the roundup of 10 do’s and don’ts at office Christmas parties will ensure you are not the embarrassing colleague that they are all talking about around the water cooler on Monday morning…