You have abandoned the politics and problems of corporate life in favor of working independently. Hunkered down at home, you're ready to start your own business on your own terms. There's just one problem. While you may be home free, you're also home alone - very alone.

While millions of Americans are building home based business, they are also experiencing an unintentional and often overwhelming side effect: isolation. The solitude that many hope to wrap comfortably around them like a blanket soon starts to feel like a straitjacket. Thanks to technology, entrepreneurs are finding ways to reach out of the home and around the world.

Terri Lonier, author of Working Solo,has witnessed first-hand the issues of isolation. "Many people go into withdrawal," say Lonier. "They often wonder why they are gaining 10 pounds and their closets are so clean, yet they have no money."

Over the past several years, Lonier has seen many entrepreneurs deal with the distress digitally. Lonier recounts the story of a public relations firm owner who wanted to bid on a new account. Afraid that asking local business colleagues for help placing a bid would ruin her chances at the contract, she turned to the Web. "Within 72 hours she got feedback which cost her pennies and reaped her lots of money," says Lonier.

The Web, by all accounts an indispensable resource, can become an inescapable addiction for those working at home. Lonier offers some stern advice. "Technology has to be applied appropriately to your business," she warns. "If you find that most of your customers hear about you from a $6 flyer instead of your $6,000 web site, you should go with the flyer."

For many entrepreneurs, applying technology at all, much less appropriately, is still a challenge, and the idea of virtual community with colleagues isn't very practical. Yet, there is even help for entrepreneurs at home with the most extenuating of circumstances.

Consider the case of Newburyport writer Michael Gerrish. Working on a forthcoming book on fitness, Gerrish finds himself writing in the early morning hours, not exactly a great time to network via e-mail or any other means. "My day starts in the late morning," says Gerrish, "and my best time to work is between midnight and 4 AM. There are absolutely no distractions."

Gerrish has discovered a unique new technological tool being utilized by more and more entrepreneurs. He has hired a personal assistant, who just happens to live in Baltimore. Stacy Brice, Gerrish's virtual assistant, receives e-mail and telephone messages from Gerrish, and while he is sleeping during the day, Brice is attending to the details of his life - 500 miles away.

On first consideration, many New England entrepreneurs might not fully comprehend the value of having a virtual assistant they never see and most likely will never meet. Brice, founder of Assist University, an organization that is training assistants in the soft skills necessary to be effective in the virtual world, understands the skeptics.

"A virtual assistant is not a faceless person," says Brice. "You get someone who comes into your life and learns about you and your business, almost like a clone. Your virtual assistant can represent you as you would represent yourself."

One of the greatest advantages of having a virtual assistant is that someone comes into your business without coming into your home. "A virtual assistant is a good option for anyone who needs support, but doesn't have the resources for equipment, and who may not want another person in their home," says Brice. "When you give things away to your assistant, you will find new space to grow your business."

While many entrepreneurs utilize their virtual assistants to make appointments, call clients and write letters, there are some who are taking their assistants to virtually another level. "At the moment I am planning a wedding for one of my clients," says Brice with a laugh.

Some find the idea of giving up some control of their business, much less their personal life, terrifying. "The biggest problem for many people is giving up trust," says Brice.

For Gerrish, the decision to leap into uncharted technological terrain and hire a virtual assistant has been a good one. "All things considered, I am saving money. Time is money, and I am saving lots of time."

Whatever solutions you come up with to combat isolation, however creative or computerized, Lonier offers a gentle reminder. "Working solo is not working alone," says Lonier. And whether you look for support in Brockton or Baltimore, remember that to reach your full potential in home business you will have to reach out.