If you want to go fast, go alone.

If you want to go far, go together.

– African Proverb first heard that quote in the movie, The Good Lie, based on the true story of four Sudanese refugees forced to survive on their own after their villages are destroyed and parents are killed.

Obviously, being an entrepreneur is not nearly as dramatic and (in most cases) isn’t life threatening, but it can be a lonely journey. One of the most important lessons I’ve learned over the past seven years, since starting my consulting business, is the importance of going together. That is, having other people to work with, collaborate with, share the journey with. It helps increase the quality of my work, gives me a sense of (creative) community, and increases my overall job satisfaction. Of course, this can look different for each independent business owner.Here are 5 ways entrepreneurs can escape their lonely plight:

• Share workspace. More and more opportunities for space sharing are popping up as the need to be present in physical offices decreases with the advancement of technology. Successful co-working spaces like Moniker Commons are spreading in cities all over the country, and encourage like-minded people to share ideas in addition to sharing an office.
• Hire subcontractors. Whether or not this is a necessity for your business, the process of working with other subject matter experts to help your project along has an added bonus – a team atmosphere – when set up correctly.
• Work with a partner. While it might not make sense to take on a partner full-time, collaborating with someone on a project-basis can help divide the workload, bounce ideas off of, and help refine your end product or service. After all, there is truth in the old adage, “Two heads are better than one.”
• Coffee shop it. Among my other independent, non-office-sporting friends, this is a verb – to “coffee shop it” means to meet at a coffee house (preferably one with great coffee AND internet) to work. While you might be working on vastly different things, it’s nice to have a companion to chat once in a while and break up the routine of a long work day.
• Join a team. Though these opportunities are rare, this is a great way to increase your sense of camaraderie when it comes to the workplace. Seek out part-time contractor gigs where you get to be an extension of an internal marketing team. You’ll get the benefit of shared thinking and collaboration, while being able to maintain your independent business and other clients on the side.

I am lucky enough to employ four of the above five ideas, and it really does positively impact my day to day business.

What are other ways entrepreneurs can stave off loneliness?