Coffee shops are great places to get coffee and catch up with friends but have been getting abused by freelancers all over the world- and vice versa. Picture this, you walk into your neighbourhood coffee shop armed with your laptop, a long to-do list and a sense of purpose, mainly due to the coffee you’ve already had at home. You walk in and place your order before you start eyeing your favourite spot which is, obviously taken, by a mom, her crying toddler and the nanny. You then scan the room and find a window seat- yay! After precariously balancing your double…okay triple espresso on top of your MacBook, you grab a seat and get to work.
Unfortunately, the rest of the day doesn’t seem so bright. By noon you are low on battery with no plug point in sight. You’re feeling peckish but are revolted by the sterile array of carb-loaded meals while also feeling a little brain dead. Right at this moment, a group of five teenagers decide to squeeze into the two-seater table next to you and start taking selfies, watching obnoxiously loud (and rather strange) Tik Tok videos and arguing over how many coffees they need to order to not be kicked out. Does this mean they plan on staying for a while?! The last straw arrives when the manager decides to turn the music up and AC down so while you sweat through your shirt, you’re also half singing the lyrics to Ed Sheeran’s latest song instead of working on that presentation.
Now, picture this. You keep your sense of purpose and motivation and are greeted not by crying babies, but focused and smiling coworkers. People who are on the same wavelength as you and are happy to lend a charger though you’ll never need to share a plug point, ever. Great wifi and strong coffee are only part of the story. The appeal about a place like this is that you’re surrounded by creative, inspiring people who you can easily bounce ideas off of, collaborate on work with or even just share a glass of wine with at the end of a long day. This is a place that is your home away from home, with all the comforts and none of the distractions. Somewhere you can put your head done, get stuff done and then relax and unwind with a fun musical event or over a board game with new friends.
With over three million people worldwide coworking and loving it, perhaps it’s time you said goodbye to Starbucks and hello to a new way of working!