Laptop Vs The Kids

It's a beautiful sunny day (at last) and it's the school holidays. I am sitting in the garden while the children play - noisily - trying to stretch my wireless connection to the limit by working on my laptop in the sun. I am going blind trying to see the screen, simultaneously holding a conversation on my handsfree with Nik Butler (aka Loudmouthman) about how "CertainShops - professionals online" is in essence a nascent social networking hub for the professionals we allow on to the site.

But Nik is calling me from his car, from where he makes most of his calls, and it sounds like he is in a washing machine. Consequently, I am inadvertently shouting the entire conversation across the neighbouring gardens unaware of the level of my voice, like those sad people on trains singing along to their ipods, and making even more of a racket than the kids.

We are just getting to the interesting bit about how to make an online directory of professional service providers a focus for not just referring clients to each other, but creating a network of trusted affiliates so that when a client comes to one of our SEO experts, for example, they not only get that service but are opened up to the benefits of social networking online for business and how a PR campaign can be so much more affective than expensive advertising - well, you get the idea. But it has to be a genuine enthusiasm for another professionals expertise - which is sadly not always the case with groups who encourage `referrals' for `you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours' motives, rather than just wanting to help give your clients added value.

But many professionals do not themselves always know enough about the benefits that their colleagues can offer and therefore provide added value to their own clients by referring to them.

On the verge of discussing how to get our diverse range of professionals to connect with each other and build up trusting relationships, the line crackled into oblivion and I was left bellowing into my handsfree with no-one on the other end.

Meanwhile, the children had been told several times to please go and play in the street as Mummy is working in the garden with her laptop, who sadly, rarely accounts for school holidays.

My youngest caught me swearing the other day - mind you, I had dropped a sofa on my foot - and he righteously announced "Mummy! You are grounded from your laptop for the whole day!"

Must get onto the work/life balance section of CertainShops and see if anyone can help me.