The Location-Independent Entrepreneur’s Guide to Creative Places to Work

Working “At Home”

1. Invest in a desk and chair – Some of the places we’ve lived came with a desk and chair, but no where has had TWO desks and chairs. Finally, in this place we realized that we had the space/room, and we’ve decided to go ahead and buy a second desk & chair to use for the 4 months we’ll be here in Washington. We’ve found a great option on Amazon for an inexpensive desk and comfortable chair that now we can buy in each new place we stay “long-term” (a.k.a 3-4 months). For about $150 we have a comfortable place to work. If you average that out over 3 months (20 work days * 3 months = 60 days; $150/60 days= $2.50 … longer stay would be even less). That’s $2.50/day or less… a lot less expensive than a Starbucks or a co-working space and available 24/7 :). Even better, when we got to the end of our stay in South Lake Tahoe we sold the desk and chair on Facebook Marketplace at the end of our stay and got $100 back, so that’s about $0.83/day… totally worth it!
2. Rent a larger place – Maybe you need a separate space or a little more room to get away from your kids while you work? If you’re currently renting a 2-bedroom, then maybe next time get quotes for a 3-bedroom place, or look for places with bonus rooms or a study/office. Yes, you’ll pay a bit more in rent, but compare that cost to paying for a co-working space or your cafe budget, which for me is roughly $10-15/day … since I typically get a sandwich, pastry, or other yummy thing along with my drink. Since I only work at cafes about 1-2x week, that’s viable… but if you’re going 5 days/week, then it starts to add up, and might be worth just paying more for a dedicated work space at home.
3. Get Noise-Cancelling Headphones and a sign for your door – If you’re sharing space whether at a hostel or shared room in someone’s home, then being able to create auditory space and visual boundaries can help you get focused work done. For some people if you have your headphones on and your laptop going, they’ll take the clue and leave you alone. Otherwise, you might need to be more direct. So, put up a “Do Not Disturb” sign either outside your door or next to you wherever you’re working. There are some great printable ones from Etsy that are lovely, or you can buy a wooden one that you can hang on your door with a 3M hook or even stand up next to your laptop as a clue to others that you’re not available to chat :). Whatever it takes to keep you focused and uninterrupted.

Cafe & Restaurant Work

If we’re looking to get out of the house, then most of us go directly to a cafe or restaurant… certainly I do, and sometimes that’s absolutely perfect. However, let’s explore some of those options that you might not have considered.

1. Starbucks, Panera, or the large chain cafes – No question, I’ve earned my Starbucks Gold status, and Panera has definitely had a lot of my business over the years. Every country has its big chain cafes, and there can be a benefit to frequenting them and getting your “loyalty rewards.”
2. Local Coffeeshops – Starbucks certainly makes good money from me, but I also make a point to find the local coffeeshops in each of my home towns and explore until I choose a favorite. A good Yelp search often surfaces some decent options, but asking a local facebook group has been the best research tool for me (particularly the local “moms group” … the moms know everything!) This process is part of the fun of getting to know a new place. I’ll try a different cafe or coffeeshop each time for the first couple weeks after we land somewhere new until I find “My place.” Then, I tend to return there frequently or cycle between a couple depending on my mood (and their hours). In Tahoe we discovered that many of the local cafes closed by 2-4pm in the afternoon… *shock*.
3. Restaurants – Some restaurants are actually fine with having you work through your meal. It definitely depends on the place, and you’ll need to do your research to make sure they either have wifi or you have a strong enough signal to tether to your cell. I actually realized, rather belatedly, that a great place to work in Tahoe was my favorite local pizza place. Order some pizza and a good craft beer and get a couple hours work done outside on their patio… wish I had found that one even earlier!
4. Bars – Here’s one that hadn’t occurred to me until recently, but a fellow DN in a Facebook group was sharing that he prefers to work at bars which are actually quieter during the day than many cafes. Provided you aren’t working while sloshed, I can definitely see how this could be an interesting option.

Office Spaces

1. Co-working – These shared workspaces have been rapidly rising in popularity over the past decade, and they can create a shared community and give you some of the “water cooler” talk that you might miss from your corporate office days (without a boss looking over your shoulder or caring when, or whether, you show up.) I’ve definitely used co-working spaces at times when I needed to take a client call and couldn’t do it either at home (due to Pumpkin) or at a cafe (due to lack of quiet & privacy). Find the right co-working space and you could be golden, but having worked “from home” most of my career I typically use this option much less because if I’m going to pay $20/day… then I want some food too!
2. Local Small Business Center – I got directed to one of these when I was looking for an occasional workspace to take client calls while we lived in Cottonwood, AZ. It was AMAZING! I spent about 2-3 hours roughly 2x week there and got to use an office with high-speed wifi for free!!! Their mission was to support local small businesses, and they were completely happy to have me reserve a space and come in for a few hours a week. GOLDMINE!
3. Other Small Businesses – Sometimes a little bit of networking and just asking around might get you a desk in someone else’s office for a very reasonable price. Before I found the business center option above in Cottonwood I was connecting with a local insurance agent (through my Airbnb host) who said they probably had an extra desk that I could come in and use a few times a week. Being curious, friendly, and willing to ask for help might get you all sorts of options!
4. Staples or Bank “Workspaces” – I know that a few office supply stores and a couple banks that I’ve seen have realized that they can get more people through their doors if they offer free co-working spaces to local small businesses. I think these options might be more rare, but look around… you might be surprised to find one if you’re in a big city.
5. “Airbnb for Office” Websites – While many of these are very new and have a limited inventory of options, there are several companies trying to offer an “Airbnb-type” experience for office/workspaces. Here’s a rundown from Coworking Magazine that lists 8 different sites… maybe one will be in your area.

Public Spaces

1. Local Library – Yep, there’s always the local library. Some are great, beautiful even! Some are dirty and full of homeless people surfing porn on the computers… It’s pretty hit or miss, but find a good one and you might be all set! Also, if you’re trying to find options for other workspaces, then ask your local librarian! It was the librarians that turned me onto the local small business center option in Cottonwood. They are a wealth of useful local information often.
2. Hotel Lobbies  – Many hotel lobbies have free wifi even if you’re not a guest. I’ve seen some really beautiful lobbies where you could settle in for hours and get work done, then walk down to grab lunch at the hotel restaurant whenever you’re hungry. I’ve even seen many with beautiful outside spaces that are covered by their lobby wifi. Have a drink and enjoy the view!
3. College Campuses – Many college campuses have student centers or libraries that are open to the public and beautiful. I remember a former client of mine mentioning that he loved to work at a specific college library. He was a 40-something financial planner at the time… definitely not a student… but he was quiet, professional, and walked confidently, sp no one ever asked or cared that he was there.
4. Outdoor Spaces – If you can tether to your phone for wifi service, then you can go anywhere you can get a signal. While most of us have tried the “work from the beach” dream that everyone is told is the holy grail of location-independence… most of us have also discovered that sand in your USB port or keyboard sucks and squinting with the glare on your screen is just exhausting. However, how about a local park with shaded picnic benches? Or a local gazebo with a folding chair? Heck, I’ve even driven to the ocean parked somewhere beautiful and worked from my car for an hour or more at time. You get a beautiful view, music you can control, and open the windows to smell the ocean.

Next Steps