This weekend I read an article about home-based business in the New York Times. Essentially the article encourages people who run home-based businesses to be transparent, and represent themselves accurately. If you run your business out of your kitchen, say so. If you’re self employed, don’t pretend you’re a “we” when you’re really an “I.” Pretending to be something your not isn’t going to gain you respect in any meaningful way, and may eventually backfire on you. (This is precisely why I don’t have “CEO” or some other title on my business card. I don’t need a title, it’s just me and my shadow running the show.)

But something tangential occurred to me as I read this article, and that is how “female” business has become. I’m a newcomer to the business world, and my expertise on feminism doesn’t extend much beyond a few Women Studies classes at Smith College, so I may not articulate this very well, but it seems to me that the win/lose, zero sum, black-and-white, either/or male model of business is a dying breed. It’s exciting to look around and see the transformation business is undergoing, and I think the much of the credit is largely due to women, or at least a more feminine way of looking at the world.

The article I referenced states that 50% of business are home based, and their earnings are half a trillion dollars. There are so many non-traditional business models: coworking, freelancing, web-based business, mompreneurs, and more. Within corporate business, flex-time, on site daycare, casual Friday, and yes even bringing pets to work, and the ubiquitous lava lamps, and large rubber balls, are changing the flavor of business.

And it’s not just business modes and methods, it’s our interaction with careers that have changed as well. According to the Labor Department, “the average person born in the later years of the baby boom held 10.5 jobs from age 18 to 40.” In 2006, the most recent year for which there are statistics, 54 million Americans, or 40 percent of the work force, left their jobs. If people aren’t changing jobs they’re likely to be specializing in different areas, or acquiring additional vocations– no one, it seems has only one job, every one is a lawyer/writer/life coach. The slash has become an indispensable mark of puncutation. Along with Americans changing jobs, or adding to the jobs they already have, there is (for better or for worse) the inevitable blurring of work and home life.

I can’t help but think (although my opinion isn’t based on any hard evidence) that these revolutionary changes in business are largely derived from the contributions and (though I hate to use such a woo-woo term) energy of women in the workplace. What do you think?

Sometimes it’s lonesome out here on the freelancing frontier. No one around for miles, just a dusty wide open (office) space, where only the occasional howl of a wolf, and the chime of the email notifier are heard. A few tumbleweeds, and diet coke cans blow across the deserted expanse. Just me, riding my ergonomically designed, leather steed across the wooden floor to the waterin’ hole. Yesirree Bob.

Which is why freewheeling freelancers like me need to network. Joshua Levy wrote a post for Web Worker Daily, and states the problem beautifully.

“When I go too long — more than a day, really — without significant human contact during the workday, I feel like I’m wilting. It’s as if human interaction is the sun, and without it I can’t grow. I get less and less sharp the longer I go without it.”

Yeah, trying being a stay-at-home-mom, Joshua. Oh sorry, did I say that out loud? Anyway, Joshua is absolutely right. Since I’ve been at home for nearly a decade (Dear Lord, I swear I just felt ten hairs turn gray as I typed that), the transition from raise-kids-at-home to work-at-home didn’t change my loneliness factor, but it is, definitely a BIG factor.

But, I face the same problem as a freelancer as I did as a SAHM. I don’t really know how to network. Aside from the fact that I break out in hives whenever I have to interact with strangers, I’m not exactly sure how to get started.

There are sites like LinkedIn, and Facebook, both of which I joined, was baffled about how in the world to use the darn things, and quickly deleted my account faster than you can say “wallflower at the prom.” Web Worker Daily also had an post about how to use LinkedIn more productively, which I read, then stared at the screen catatonically as drool rolled down my chin. Have any of you used these sites as a source to find clients, or meet other professionals?

Researching further, Shane and Peter recommend going to business conferences, and chamber mixers as a way of meeting new clients, and these could be places I could meet fellow graphic designers, as well as joining professional associations. But how do I find these professional networks? I’ve scoured the internet, and can find hide nor hair of any events I could attend. Of course, I live in the sticks, so that doesn’t help matters. How do I scope out other freelancers in my area?

Co-working, or sharing office space is also a growing trend among freelancers. Although those aren’t options for me right now, I’d be interested in hearing about anyone’s experience with them.

Another thing I’d could do is partner with another graphic designer in a mentoring relationship. I would love to have the benefit of someone else’s experience. Or I could partner with another writer to collaborate on projects.

Obviously there are a lot of options, but I’m not quite sure how to explore them. If any of you can recommend resources, I’d be much obliged, ma’am *tips Stetson*.