Over the next couple of days, I’ll be writing a series of posts aimed at small business owners as I lead up to the launch of my new book, Getting Started with Social Media for Small Businesses on Friday, February 15.
Hi, my name is Rebecca, and I’m a small business owner.
I wasn’t always a small business owner. I used to have a 9-5, Monday to Friday office job. Much like most of you. But one day, that job disappeared, and I was faced with a choice: look for another job, or strike out on my own.
I launched Rebecca Coleman, Marketing and Media Relations on December 1, 2007, and I gotta tell you, I don’t think I ever want to go back to “having a real job.” Certainly, there are pros and cons: I love the flexibility of being self-employed, and I love being able to make my own schedule and to choose what projects I want to work on. But cash flow, and the stress of having no one else to rely upon but myself cause me a lot of stress. Another thing I don’t like about being self-employed is that I end up spending a lot of time alone. I’m an extrovert, and I miss the social interaction of the modern office.
So, I often work in coffee shops. Why?
First of all, it gets me out of the house, and sometimes a change of scenery can be exactly the jump-start I need to get writing that blog post or press release. Getting out of the house sometimes is also good, because it’s easy to procrastinate there. There’s always a load of laundry or a sink full of dishes to do. And when I’m procrastinating, I’ll even do tasks I don’t really like to not start the thing I’m putting off.
Secondly, there’s people in coffee shops! I started out by going to meet my friends who are in a similar circumstance to me: self-employed and not wanting to work from home all the time. But as time goes on, I meet more and more new people through the coffee shop, that are also self-employed and that has lead to networking and opportunities to work with and share ideas and info with others.
So, if you’re self-employed and feeling a bit stuck, grab your computer and get out!
What do I look for in a good coffee shop?
- Fast and free wifi
- Outlets/plugs for my computer, because it’s getting older and the battery dies faster
- Lots of natural light and big tables
- Good coffee (of course!)
My favorite Vangroovy “offices”?
- WE Coffee (bonus: they’re great on social media!)
- Milano (you’ll mostly find me at the Gastown location, the Denman St one is quite small)
- Kafka’s
- The Laughing Bean
- Starbucks (in a pinch)
Further reading:
- Why Working in Coffee Shops Works (Art Biz Blog: Alyson B Stanfield)
- 12 Best Cafes with Wifi in Vancouver (Alexandra Samuels)
What’s your favorite coffee shop to work in? Share it in the comments below.
Great Blog Post Rebecca! Just a reminder to you coffee co-workers. Not to be a cafe loafer. Be fair with the time you take up in that seat…
Good reminder, Rob! Don’t park all day, and buy stuff! Support the coffee shop!
I work in coffee shops all the time. My favourite is the Gladstone Hotel – mainly bevause their main (bar) is empty during the day and so they’ve opened it up for folks like me who are looking for a work spot. They get all my client meetings lunches drinks business as a thank you.
Given that the coffee shops you mention are probably also small businesses, I have to second the “buy stuff” argument. A cafe owner told me that a purchase once every ninety minutes seems fair.
Also a pet peeve? Please don’t take up a double or a four top for you and your computer. I make a point of it if working in a cafe to automatically look for the lone computer user and ask to share their table so that when three people come in for coffee, there’s somewhere for them to sit.
Good advice! Thanks, Sue!
[…] spend some time at Starbucks. I don’t always feel good about it–I do prefer to support local, small, family-run businesses if possible, but dang! those things are on every street corner in Vancouver, and they are […]