Editor’s Note: Here at Dispatches, we are always looking for ways to help our readers do things. For some of our readers, that means helping navigate the working world, for others, it means assisting in the ever challenging question, “what’s for dinner?” For still others, it means figuring out how to balance family life with everything else. In an effort to aid in all of these endeavors, we have collaborated on this article written specifically for our readers.
When you’re working as a freelancer, there are several options available to you for where you should work. Consider experimenting with more than one location to find out where you are most productive.
Home
This is the most obvious answer for most freelancers. In fact, many freelancers quit their previous day jobs because they wanted to work from home. Home, for most people, is the ideal solution. Most of the time, there won’t be anyone else around. You can get up and wander around without fear of what will happen to your laptop. You can listen to loud music, rely on your own Internet and perhaps get a few items crossed of your home to do list at the same time. But for some freelancers that home to do list can be too distracting or you might have noisy neighbors or construction.
Office space
Some freelancers and solopreneurs prefer to work in a more professional environment. There’s no denying that there’s something about a city-based office that gets you in the mood for work. Perhaps it’s simply because our minds associate these spaces with hard work. It is possible to rent office space. In fact, many freelancers work in a co-working space. This is, for many, the easiest way to get that professional vibe back into their work day. It also lends the communal feel that a lot of people miss (or even need) when they’re trying to work from home.
Coffee shops
Go into any coffee shop and you’re going to see people typing away at a keyboard. There are a lot of freelancers who choose to work among thecoffee aromas and the chatter of others. They find it stimulating. Combined with the free WiFi, it can be the perfect place for some freelancers. If your job is going to take a few hours, you might feel awkward staying in a coffee shop for that long or you might feel pressured into buying food and coffee every few minutes. Also, leaving your laptop if you need to go order something or use the bathroom can be a bit dangerous.
Libraries
Need absolute quiet? Need to refer to a bunch of books when you’re working? Want to be able to sit there for hours without being asked to order food or leave? Then a public library has got you covered. Of course, that silence has to work both ways. A lot of freelancers love the serious mood a library conveys. However, a library may make you ultra-conscious of every little noise, including typing. People might also have to sit fairly close to you if seating space is running low or there aren’t a lot of outlets.