I’m bad at going to the gym. Which is a pity, because it turns out that being in shape is so useful to doing good work. Going to the gym and sitting on the stationary bike for a half hour and then working through a weight rotation is, to me, just kind of dull. I don’t look forward to it, and so I don’t do it. Being an entrepreneur can be a lot like going to the gym – long hours of solitary activities you know you should do, that you’ll enjoy the results of, but that just aren’t fun. We all tend to put off those tasks and do the fun things, which is great until a vendor cancels your account for unpaid bills that you could’ve paid, you just didn’t find the time to handle. I get around the crowded-gym-is-lonely thing by going to classes. My gym offers many different classes, and it’s great to get to know the instructors and my classmates well. We all sweat through awful experiences like military crawls, sprints while fireman-carrying each other, and Turkish get-ups. Other people I know make friends with their fellow free weight fanatics, or join cycling groups. Working in a community really does help – that’s part of why everybody else goes to the office every morning. It’s easier to get things done when you’re not alone, and others can help you learn things you should know. Many entrepreneurs deny themselves those communal benefits by working solo. Sure, there’s a lot of excitement in going out and doing your own thing, but you do give something up too. Fortunately, the Internet gives us many ways to connect with other people. I took the time a few weeks ago to make a list of all of the startup and small business communities online that I could find easily. Here they are, in no particular order: • PerfectBusiness • Biznik • Entrepreneur Connect • PartnerUp • StartupNation • American Express OPEN Forum • Business.com • Business.gov Community • OnStartups • Yahoo! Answers • And, of course, LinkedIn I’ve tried spending some time on these, and a couple have already made me meaningful relationships. Give them a try, and tell me what you think. If you know others, then tell me about them in the comments!