No Laptop Allowed!

Last year when I was in Bali, I was in a cafe that was putting up a "no laptops allowed" and passive aggressive sign that basically tells its partron not to open their laptop inside the establishment. Then, recently from instagram, I read a few comments saying that such sign has been increasing and more establishments aren't allowing people to work from there. With more and more people going remote, instead of shooing people away, I think more cafes should embrace remote workers in their establishment by offering some type of plan like a coworking spot. I have been to a few cafe coworking concept and they seemed to be doing pretty well. And in today's post, I'd love to share my thoughts and the things that you can consider if you're going to work from a cafe.

To narrow down the topic, I am leaving a small note that working from a cafe may not be everyone's cup of tea and like anything else in life, it has its own advantages and disadvantages. There are also a different point of view that you can look at this phenomenon, from the establishment and the patrons who come to the place to get some work done while also enjoying the service that the place has to offer. But in this one, I will be in favor of the patrons, people like myself who utilize cafes as a working space and a place to break from a day-to-day routine working from home.

Personally, I find coworking friendly cafe to be an appealing place to work from. And one thing I always tell people is that I make a pretty clear distinction between a regular cafe and a coworking friendly cafe. It may not be easy for a first timer but a good indicator would be either 1) the place clearly stating that it is coworking friendly, 2) the size of the table and chair as well as the availability of power sockets in each of the tables. If these two basic requirements are met, that cafe may be your go-to place to work from. Even though I made that distinction, I still get a few questions such as how am I able to concentrate and the security of my network as I'll be in a shared space with unsecured WIFI.

So, here are some of the things that I normally do when I work from a cafe/coffee shop.

Have your own hotspot or portable WIFI.

I have a portable WIFI that I carry everywhere and it's what I use whenever I am at a coffee shop. I also use my phone for the hotspot especially when I am handling sensitive information such as PII or SPII data- these are the terms that exist within cybersecurity and they stand for Personally Identifiable Information and also the other S stands for sensitive. So, while handling those types of data, you do not want to use unsecured public WIFI but rather have your own network.

Don't just order one item if you're sitting for more than 3 hours

Considering that you're making some money while sitting there, investing a little more on that coffee or a meal would be a nice gesture. I am not sure how it is in another country but around SEA, coffee shops could also sell a meal which if you're like me, who can survive on bread and coffee, cafe is practically the best place to be. In return, I get ultra productive and get things more done especially when I am in a rut and needing a new environment to work from.

Use headphone/earphone when necessary

Though I avoid cafes with loud music, there are times when I have to be on a call or when I need extra music to listen to. It's also better if you have a comfortable noise-canceling headphone that could put you in the zone as you're working from your laptop.

Don't use all the space

Sometimes I find a person occupying a whole table that could fit for 5 people while there are some that could fit for one just fine. It's best to also be mindful about it especially when it is during peak hours. Try to find a spot that perfect for you and catered to only one or two person especially when you’re going to also work with your friend.

Never leave the place a few minutes before closing time !

I am still guilty of this because sometimes I get too immersed in my work to the point that I forget about the closing time. The staff had to remind me about it and they would tell me to leave the compound.

Use Sticky notes or your preferred tools to keep track of your progress.

If I am working from a cafe it could mean two things, 1) I am on the move and 2) I HAVE to get things done ASAP. I am prone to procrastination and cafes helped me get things done faster than I could compared to if I am working from inside my place or my mom's. So, to keep track of everything I have to do, I usually carry small sticky notes or a notepad containing all the things I need to get done.

Working from a cafe has its own charm and especially for me, I save a lot on delivery and can always get as much as coffee as I can. It also has some imaginary pressure effect on me that I certainly have to get something done as I spent the time going there, dressing up and eventually surrounded by people who are also trying to get productive and things done. But again, it’s not for everyone and even from a business point of view, this type of patron's behavior can have some disadvantages as well, especially when they’re not ordering and just sit there with a glass of water or maybe one of the cheapest coffee from that place.