Contract Worker - Freelancing Experiences

Working in a Public Place 101

by Rico on August 11th, 2008

Sometimes the home really isn’t the best place to get work done. So you scurry over to the nearest coffee shop or establishment—especially those that offer free Wi-Fi.  Here are some tips to maximize the out-of-home work experience!

Bring wall socket multipliers. If there lots of people wherever you’re going, you can bet that all the wall sockets are , taken. Plug multipliers double, triple, or even quadruple a wall socket’s capacity (example). So you can kindly ask someone already using the socket if you could share.

Really don’t leave your things unattended. There’s a reason why establishments prominently display signs not to leave anything unattended. Even in the most posh public place, there’s always a chance someone will grab what you leave behind.

Keep everything easy to pack. Related to the above item, make sure you can pack everything up at a moment’s notice. So if you have to visit the bathroom, you can pack everything up easily. You can always leave non-valuables (like your drink or notebook) to mark your territory in your absence.

Don’t be a freeloader. Unless you’re in desperate financial need, don’t freeload on the establishment’s hospitality. How would you feel if a customer only buys one drink and spends the whole day downloading torrents? Would you be inclined to give that customer good service? Exactly I’ve heard of a resto with an unspoken rule requiring customers to buy something at least once an hour.

Stay focused. Depending on the time, public places can actually feature more distractions than the home. What if a long-time friend drops by, or you suddenly want to talk to that cute chick on the other table Of course you can indulge from time-to-time, so long as you remember why you’re in the establishment in the first place: to work.

Stay away from really busy and noisy places. Self-explanatory, but her goes: would you be able to work properly if others kept on bumping your chair backrest? And what if a group is having a grand time sharing stories?

Protect your equipment. Example: don’t place your coffee right next to your laptop. That’s a disaster just waiting to happen! Protecting your equipment also means being careful enough not to leave anything behind.

Do you have an other tips to maximize the work in a public place experience?

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POSTED IN: Living as a Freelancer, Productivity Drivers