If you’re self-employed, as I am, you may find yourself spending a fair bit of time in a Coffee Shop getting that essential boost of Caffeine in the mornings. Or in the evenings. Or even at Night sometimes…I know I do, and find I also find that I meet a lot of useful people in these places, and sometimes even arrange a co-working session inside
Why?
Being self employed, I tend to spend an un-safe amount of time on my own, which sooner or later leads to a bit of insanity – just ask my Cats! Getting out for two, three or four days a month, enjoying some great coffee and company is often what’s needed to keep me sane.
It’s also a great way to meet new people in a similar field, or others who may benefit from your services, and very low cost for advertising and marketing yourself! You can even find new clients from taking time out of your day and watching people – hot coffee and a busy area often provides me with great inspiration for writing, designing or marketing!
Many Coffee houses also offer free Wireless Internet, plus a plug for charging your laptop from – of course, you don’t want to be seen as ‘stealing’ this, so you just buy two or three coffees for your time in there.
During those frequent (but not frequent enough) busy periods, making sure I have time to go and sit and relax with a large Latte is often low down my list of priorities, but quite high on my list on needs!
Why Not?
I can often sit at my computer for hours, and only manage a small amount of work. Updating my website, emailing clients, Social Media, Games, the news, sports – the amount of distractions online is (literally) endless. And that’s not forgetting choosing between Latte, Cappuccino, Frappe, Espresso, Double Espresso, Macchiato…you get the idea!
The social atmosphere that is part of the coffee house vibe we all love may also make you a bit more happy to agree to things you wouldn’t do usually – for example, I’ve agreed a price for a piece of work that I really shouldn’t have even considered, purely down to the fact that I was quite relaxed, and, in all honesty, not paying full attention.
But, at the end of the day, all that matters is that you can enjoy your time – be it in an office and meeting with friends after work for a nice hot cup of coffee, or if you spend your entire day in a Coffee House!
Photo Courtesy of: Simon Blackley
Originally posted on November 9, 2010 @ 9:30 am