Based in Lafayette, Ind., Higgins works every Sunday for a local CBS affiliate to create a feeling of workplace camaraderie. That doesn't always work, of course. They meet weekly or monthly in members' homes, or in restaurants and other public venues. That's what Goldman does. She belongs to three networking groups, including Wisconsin Women Entrepreneurs, a 40-person group, which includes a few men, and meets monthly for dinner.
Members hear speakers on small-business issues such as taxes.
Like many solo workers, Goldman couldn't work from home without the Internet. All that work gets done over the Web. At the same time, the Web helps many at-home workers avoid feeling isolated. Using a Yahoo-hosted chat room, members meet online, including weekly board meetings. With instant messaging, users chat online in real time while simultaneously writing letters and doing other tasks.