It can be lonely working for yourself. In an office environment, there are many other people around to bounce ideas off of, have lunch with, and chat with around the coffee machine. But, when I am working from home and get into a groove, it can be an entire day (or two) before I connect with other people.
Outside of working in a co-working space (where there are desks and other office supplies set up so that people can come in and work – similar to what they’d do in an office at a regular job), it often takes deliberate action to connect with other entrepreneurs.
Here are 3 tools I use to connect with other entrepreneurs:
Shapr
I’ve had a lot of success using this app to chat with other entrepreneurs like Adrian Rubin or other individuals who share similar interests, who may not be entrepreneurs full time. As someone who is interested in travel, blogging, and writing (though I still have a full time job), I like to learn from and help out others with similar interests.
How it works: download the app and add in your interests, what you’re looking for (friends in town, inspiration, a new job, etc), and some social media links. You can swipe “meet” or “pass” on 20 people per day. If you have a match, either person can contact the other in the app.
My experience: I’ve met a handful of people in person who were also interested in travel and writing. Others, I’ve been chatting with in the app. This is a great app to use even if you’re not an entrepreneur as you can connect with others who like to talk about the same things as you do.
Facebook groups
There are Facebook groups for pretty much any industry and interest. I’m in several related to the business of blogging, travel writing, and entrepreneurship in general.
How it works: search within Facebook (via the website or mobile app) for groups. As you join a few you’ll get suggestions for others you might also like. Request to join. Ask others you know for recommendations. Make sure you follow the rules of the group. Ask questions/start discussions.
My experience: I mostly use Facebook just to check in with my groups. I’ve met many people in person at conferences or in town that I’d previously only known in Facebook groups.
Bumble Bizz
Similar to many other apps, you swipe right for yes and left for no.
How it works: There are 3 sections to this app – Bumble Bizz for networking, Bumble BFF for making friends, and Bumble Date. You can switch between them within the app.
My experience: So far, I’ve had a few matches/connections that I’ve been chatting with, but I see the potential with this app.
