Teleworking has become common, in the US, UK and in other parts of the world. With today’s technology you can be connected to all the essentials no matter where you are, so why tie yourself to working in an office. Teleworking figures vary, but estimates suggest that about 2 million people telework regularly, and one of the best places to do that is from a local coffee shop. Proximity to home is an important factor in choosing the best coffee shop for remote work, but there may also be other factors that make it wise to travel a little bit further. Here are some of the issues to consider when looking for the best coffee shop for teleworking.
Connectivity
While back in the old days, you might have worked in a coffee shop on physical documents, this electronic age demands a certain level of connectivity. That means the ideal coffee shop for teleworking has to have Wi-Fi – and preferably free. While some places charge, excluding themselves from the running for many teleworkers, many do not, as long as you’re prepared to spring for a cup of coffee. If the coffee shop has places where you can charge your laptop or tablet, that’s a bonus.
Atmosphere
The next important aspect of the perfect coffee shop is atmosphere. If you’re drinking coffee for leisure then the right atmosphere is probably filled with chatter and buzz. That might not work so well for teleworkers. Sometimes you need to concentrate, so a coffee shop where the background noise is a hum rather than a roar will work better.
In addition, you need the right facilities for teleworking. There’s nothing worse than sitting at a table so cramped that you risk spilling your coffee on your laptop. The best coffee shops for workers have bigger tables, and plenty of them, with the table top at a height where you can see the screen and type comfortably. Those low tables might be fine for social purposes, but they don’t work so well if you have to do real work. And if a coffee shop also has quiet nooks where you can have a level of privacy (say, for Skype calls), then it’s a winner.
Food and Drink
If you’re going to spend your days working from a coffee shop, then there’s one more aspect that’s important: the coffee and something to go with it. The best coffee shops for teleworkers have a range of hot and cold coffee and tea drinks, as well as a couple of non-coffee beverages. Ideally, the menu should feature not just muffins and cookies, but sandwiches as well. That will make it a great coffee shop for teleworking.
A teleworker for years, Sharon Hurley Hall has worked from many coffee shops. Today she’s writing for the UK’s no. 1 water cooler supplier, Eden Springs, who provide office coffee machine rental to give you that great coffee taste at work.