How do you cope with the low points of being an affiliate?

[thebookiesoffers]

What do you hate about this job? for me it is talking to no one and having no work mates anymore. Before I did this full time I worked in a warehouse for 10 years with a load of sound lads usually talking crap all day and messing around etc obviously there was down points to that job but I really miss the human interaction each day with my mates and clowning around, some days it drives me absolutley mental

what do you hate and how do you adjust to it?

[usaonlinecasino]

The forum like this will be nice spot to talk to and share something with others.

To me I still have a chance to talk with others as I have another job to do. Writing something and posting on the blog is my another relaxing time.

[Anthony]

Sharing and participating in the forum is certainly beneficial. Also a change of scenery may help, spend an afternoon in a cafe with WiFi, even if it's just one day a week. Anything to mix things up and have that human interaction with others. The positive thing is you have the freedom to adjust your schedule as you see fit.

[Voids]

I'm only new but I would find it hard to just give up my job completely and work on this full time. Thankfully in my kind of work, I could just reduce my hours and only work mornings or whenever I feel like it, I would just become a sub-contractor. If you are spending a lot of time writing content, why not bring in a couple of people to do this for you on a casual basis, it will give you some more free time & give you some social interaction.

[thebookiesoffers]

i suppose it has made it worse this week as I have had flu so not been to the gym all week and not been down the pub today. I have fridays off to go pub all day with a few mates and had to miss it this week

[grem]

I don't think there are many low points of being an affiliate unless you don't like your job and you are not making enough money.

You work for yourself and make your own hours. What is so bad with being the boss?

[thebookiesoffers]

I don't think there are many low points of being an affiliate unless you don't like your job and you are not making enough money.

You work for yourself and make your own hours. What is so bad with being the boss?

obviously you didn't read what i wrote then

[LuckyLizzy]

I just keep on trucking when things aren't going to well and eventually the light comes at the end of the tunnel and I have several good months where things just come so easy and work is very enjoyable. Right now is one of those times where things are going great.

Hang in there and I'm sure you'll get your light at the end as well!

[F-L-C]

i suppose it has made it worse this week as I have had flu so not been to the gym all week and not been down the pub today. I have fridays off to go pub all day with a few mates and had to miss it this week

Sounds like an especially bad day, Get well soon

[TheGooner]

What do you hate about this job? for me it is talking to no one and having no work mates anymore. Before I did this full time I worked in a warehouse for 10 years with a load of sound lads usually talking crap all day and messing around etc obviously there was down points to that job but I really miss the human interaction each day with my mates and clowning around, some days it drives me absolutley mental

what do you hate and how do you adjust to it?

Personally - I do not HATE any of it - in fact I like everything about working for myself without all the "human interaction" and the waste of time antics of people talking crap all day and clowning around ... but that's just me.

I understand that different people have different needs for social interaction - especially if they're still single. Once you have a wife and family you'll get all the interaction that you need and lots that you don't!!

I did a couple of specific things to keep contact with my old mates and to make new friends :
1) Made sure that I was part of a social group outside of work - in my case a pub football team - that would meet up once a week to train - once a week at the pub - and once a week for the game.

2) Set up an "entrepreneurs lunch club" with similar people that were working for ourselves. Once a month - usually the last Friday of each month we meet up at a good restaurant (different one each month) and have a long lunch (and some good wine) and talk about whats going on. Some of it is general - and some of it is business related (GST, VAT, places to buy good equipment etc) - and some of it is social stuff (like your question)

But overall working in my own affiliate company gives me the ability to work the hours that I want when I want - and take time during the day to do other things - as well as getting rewarded directly for my own efforts - far better than a 9-to-5 job "killing time with mates".

I certainly would not want to go back to being a company drone or wage slave now !!!

[lots0]

When things get bad, I just try to remember how bad it sucked when I had to take orders, bust my butt and run my life by a clock... just to survive.

[thebookiesoffers]

Personally - I do not HATE any of it - in fact I like everything about working for myself without all the "human interaction" and the waste of time antics of people talking crap all day and clowning around ... but that's just me.

I understand that different people have different needs for social interaction - especially if they're still single. Once you have a wife and family you'll get all the interaction that you need and lots that you don't!!

I did a couple of specific things to keep contact with my old mates and to make new friends :
1) Made sure that I was part of a social group outside of work - in my case a pub football team - that would meet up once a week to train - once a week at the pub - and once a week for the game.

2) Set up an "entrepreneurs lunch club" with similar people that were working for ourselves. Once a month - usually the last Friday of each month we meet up at a good restaurant (different one each month) and have a long lunch (and some good wine) and talk about whats going on. Some of it is general - and some of it is business related (GST, VAT, places to buy good equipment etc) - and some of it is social stuff (like your question)

But overall working in my own affiliate company gives me the ability to work the hours that I want when I want - and take time during the day to do other things - as well as getting rewarded directly for my own efforts - far better than a 9-to-5 job "killing time with mates".

I certainly would not want to go back to being a company drone or wage slave now !!!

top post, I'd never go back to what I was doing, even though I got asked to help out lol. I do love 99% of what Im doing, especially as it has given me time to really improve rankings and revenue etc, it's just that 1% of not having 'the laugh' every day, but hey ho, summers on its way

[rak]

If I didn't get out of the house, I would be stuck with just 4 walls surrounding me.

Getting out of the house is important to keep your sanity. My outing is going to the gym, meeting up with buddies there and letting out any aggression. Like gooner, I try to meet up with like minded people to work with (take laptop over) or meet up with an seo / marketing group.

Expanding those social horizons!

I've been indoors for 4 days straight, and you can get a little stir crazy.

[xecutable]

Nothing that I really hate. I guess it depends a lot on your character, but I am all about quiet and on my own time, so I do not miss working on my own. At the end of the day I still see friends and other people, but working from home not having be in a office and meet other people is a dream come true for me .

I sometimes sing and talk to myself thought maybe that's one of the side effects . The be honest all of that builds up in me, and I get extra hyper social at conferences and conference talks.

Once again I believe this is all about personal preference and mindset. This is Freedom to me, and what better than being free and happy.

[Renee]

Haha I wish I worked from home so I could pump my music really loud all day and sing at the top of my lungs!

People in the office don't appreciate it

[Jennytaketheworld]

Twice a week I work in a wifi caffes . As I do it for few months already I know some other people who works there and sometimes we chat and share some ideas about this and that . But you are right and it is hard to be home alone all the time . I do video chats on skype as well with good friends .
As Renne says , music as I like it is a big benefit !! I play metal music and get motivated !
I really recommend the caffes thing , makes a big change in the day

[baldidiot]

I can't imagine having a regular job, but you can go a bit stir crazy if you just sit at home all day. I usually try to get out of the house during the work day, although recently it's been so fricken cold here that I haven't wanted to - the wife says I've been a bit over excitable when she comes home!

My neighbours both also work from home and we used to meet up from time to time, although we haven't done it too much recently. Working in a cafe sounds like a good idea though!

[TheGooner]

I don't think that a cafe wants me turning up with two large 30 inch monitors, a base unit, extra server storage, technical libraries and sports reference books and all the gear that's needed to do a proper job ... that's why I have an office ...


What on earth do working people actually "do" at a cafe - other than drink coffee of course ...
Checking email, stats and facebook all the time doesn't actually count as REAL work you know ...


Go to a good cafe by all means - but leave the tech toys at home and enjoy the food!

[baldidiot]

What on earth do working people actually "do" at a cafe - other than drink coffee of course ...

Coding, design, content, fannying around

Ha ha.

When you say office do you mean an office in your house, or do you actually rent an offsite office?

[davemerry]

The only solution for me, for social and motivational reasons, was to get an office offsite.

Starting affiliate sites around my full time job was easy, I got home from work about 7PM and would work till about 12/1PM then wake up and do it all again, no problem with the long working hours at all as I was driven to get out of the 9-5. However when I first left my old job I was a full time affiliate for several months with nothing much going on, I went on a holiday for 3 weeks but after that I felt like I didn't really belong anywhere. I had a study but it wasn't very roomy and I'd find myself wondering round the house and watching Jeremy Kyle, struggling to the get focused and work. It is a major transition from being in the city with a suit to not really having any to even wear clothes at all (I did, don't worry ).

I needed something to get me out, so I put some money forwards and got a small office shared with another company, who where about 5 people big down the other side of the corridor, so not in my face, but around. Probably the best decision I ever made, I could still work when I got home but I was in an environment dedicated to work.

I don't know where everyone is based and rent prices vary, but you can get a decent shared office for quite cheap even on the outskirts of London. Obviously it's not for everyone, but if you struggle then I'd recommend it.