Women in a Home Office
Anne Stone Class of 1981

When women strike out on their own as entrepreneurs there is only one thing missing: a water cooler. It’s an essential part of the office environment. Needed not to quench a physical thirst but a social one. It’s the place coworkers hang out and brainstorm about everything from current events and restaurant recommendations to work projects and company policy. Becoming an entrepreneur who works from a home office can mean death to water cooler camaraderie. We may revel in the idea of being our own boss and enjoy being able to do a load of laundry in between important sales calls with international clients, but bouncing the ideas for a business plan or marketing strategy off our three-year-old just doesn’t cut it. To build a business successfully, we need contact with other adult, like-minded professionals. They are invaluable resources that can validate our decisions or stop us from reinventing the wheel.

Anne Stone (nee Simmonds) (Class of 1981) is an entrepreneur who has found a way to quench that social thirst for peer input and advice. She is the founder of Women in a Home Office, a national networking organization designed to support women who work from home and/or operate a home-based business. The idea for Women in a Home Office was born shortly after her two children. After many years in the corporate world with Kodak in Toronto, Anne traded nine to five and a commute for kids and a contract to work from home. She started meeting other women in her community and found that there was a big void that needed to be filled for women trying to balance their contradictory worlds of freedom and responsibility. They all had an innate need to connect in a caring and supportive environment.

From that first small step of putting an ad in the local paper in 2000, the organization has grown to over 1500 subscribers in 14 locations, spread throughout Ontario, Manitoba and Alberta and it is continuing to grow rapidly.

On the surface, Women in a Home Office looks like any other networking organization with monthly or bi-monthly meetings and teleclasses, interesting guest speakers, introductions, and members giving presentations on their specialties. It’s when the formal part of the sessions is over that the real magic begins. Anne says people don’t want to leave. The social, connecting side of the women kicks in and, as a result, strong relationships are developed, business partnerships and alliances are formed, a natural mentoring process emerges and a community of help and support is established.

The key to the success of Women in a Home Office is keeping chapters small and friendly, but with access to many valuable resources and a website that connects it all. The meetings are held in a comfortable, friendly atmosphere with groups of 20 to 50, designed to encourage networking on every level. During the meetings ideas are exchanged and referrals given on everything from babysitting to corporate taxes. An environment is created where women can share their success and find support in their struggles. Anne says the women who participate are there to give, not take. They care about their communities and want to contribute, but they all experience that care and support tenfold.

There is no distinct profile for the women who attend. They come from all walks of life, all shapes and sizes, all nationalities, all occupations, all types of businesses. The age range is from 30 to 75. From filmmakers to bookkeepers, lawyers to web designers, they have one thing in common: they are entrepreneurs.

Although Women in a Home Office started in Toronto, Anne now operates the business from Calgary, where she lives with her husband and 2 children. The move has allowed her to expand the organization. Like many entrepreneurs, she has taken the step of trusting others to help operate the business while she takes care of the big picture. There are strong chapter leaders (franchisees) in place in each community who run the meetings. Anne is still trying to get used to the idea of being a franchisor!

Anne believes that you never know when you might meet the next person that makes a difference in your life. She enjoys creating the environment that gives people a chance to connect and grow. Going to a Women in a Home Office meeting is like taking a trip to that water cooler once a month. What you hear there could change your business and your life.

Anne still has her strong “Aggie” roots deeply embedded and one of her goals is to connect women in the rural areas of Canada through her network as well. Although many government programs exist, there is still the need for organizations that are privately-owned. She believes it is important to be living the same life as your customer, the entrepreneur. She is actively seeking Chapter Directors for various communities in Canada. If you have interest in being a part of the organization or knowing more about leading a chapter, please contact Anne at info@womeninahomeoffice.com. The web site is www.womeninahomeoffice.com. You can also sign up for the free e-bulletin which is published bi-weekly on the web site.

Originally written by Adrienne Sharp and published on www.brilliantonline.ca.