Business, Coffee And Cake

Did you know that Perth has one of the safest public transport systems in the world? I learnt this yesterday while taking the train into Perth on this week’s only sunny (and maybe dry) day. 

Why was I going to Perth? 

Well, strange you should ask… I was going to Perth to overcome one of the challenges (or benefits - depending on how you look at it) of being a Digital Nomad - or a sole entrepreneur come to that. That of working alone and having no workmates.

Now there’s no doubt that one of the most vital things you require if you work from home is a door, but chatting about business, or occasionally working with others is equally as important, yet often overlooked. The arrival of Facebook and Skype have definitely helped, but nothing really measures up to discussing business ideas, challenges, achievements, or even just venting, with others of similar interests (however vaguely similar) in person.

Steve and I work well, and regularly, on opposite sides of the table, but even so I do enjoy meeting up with friends who are also business women. Hence my trip on the train and my growing knowledge of our train lines as we move from house to house around this wonderful state.

If you too are a Digital Nomad, or just working alone from home, I strongly recommend discovering a support network to take with you, create as you go or simply stay in touch with. 

If you do, however, I do hope you have more luck finding the chosen location to meet in than I did yesterday... Wouldn’t you think that after not only living in East Perth for several years and working in both the Stock Exchange and Myers for an even greater collection of years that I would know where I was going? Yet I still found myself looking for the cafe on Murray St when I knew darn well that it was on Hay St. Then, after a fun and productive business meet-up over coffee and chocolate cake, looking for my daughter on Hay St when she was waiting on Murray St. Clearly the City of Perth has been playing around with the city’s streets over the last few years, because it certainly can't have anything to do with my memory!

Anyway, that is not the point of this blog post or the fact that I felt like a total twit asking for directions when I was only a stone’s throw away from the cafe, or even how great and seemingly safe Perth’s trains are. No, I really just wanted to enforce my belief in the benefit of mixing with others as you house-sit, especially if you’re working as you go.