When you have a job that involves travelling the world, or travel full-time and work when you can, it can be so inspirational to wake up in a new and exciting destination. It’s a refreshing escape from the drudgery of getting out of bed and commuting to the office day in, day out, because you have the freedom to choose your own office. In the hustle and bustle however, it can be difficult to find somewhere that is the perfect combination of stimulating, comforting, and has free wifi.
Coffee Shop
A traditional favourite workplace away from your workplace is a trusty coffee shop or cafe
. These are ideal as workspaces with tables everywhere, comfortable seating, and food and drink within easy access. Look out for adverts for free wifi and refills on coffee when choosing a space, and be considerate of the staff – try to set up shop after the main breakfast/lunch/5pm busy periods when tables will be rare.
Great Outdoors
If you don’t necessarily need wifi access to get some work done, it can be refreshing to find a local park
and sit down on a bench to work. You’ll have beautiful gardens to inspire you and fresh air – possibly a welcome change if you find indoor spaces too stuffy – to brainstorm ideas and collect your thoughts. Bring a coffee and a sandwich for a picnic work lunch.
Hot Desking
A fairly old concept of flexible working has been revamped in recent years with the developments of cloud computing with hot desking
. If you have a deadline to meet or simply miss an office environment, there are services which allow you to book a workspace and use an online cloud desktop to store your work. Instead of renting an office, you rent a desk – ideal for business meetings and group projects.
Libraries
Embrace some aspects of a student lifestyle and head to a public library
to get some work done. While you will usually need to be a member of the library to use the books, most offer free wifi or day internet passes with quiet workspaces for you to bring a laptop. In the UK we are lucky to have some of the most beautiful libraries, including the circular British Museum reading room and the glassy British Library, so you’ll feel inspired in no time.