Tag: working from …

Working From … the cafe

Posted on by richardbingham

Some of the advice homeworkers often get includes ‘getting out of the house‘, such how to cope during school holidays. As such, here are my tips for actually achieving work in a cafe.

Visit the Bathroom First. Be ready even before you order. Once you’ve settled you should not leave your gear unsupervised unless you want it to go. I wouldn’t even trust a ‘nice-looking’ person to keep watch. As such packing everything up is a pain, plus you might loose your seat (tip: leave a book/pen/paper on the table and your jacket on your chair).

Check the WiFi. Oftentimes it’s not quite as advertised (e.g. free) or doesn’t actually work very well. Barista’s are not going to give you technical support, and the 3rd party provider is unlikely to help immediately. Consider what kind of work you’ll be doing and consider including some off-line tasks for such a situation. Sure, you might have a mobile data connection, but you probably don’t have unlimited use.

Check for Noise. I use (noise-cancelling) headphones to reduce audible distractions, and never try to do conference calls … I find there is just too much (unexpected) noise, making it hard for everyone (including you) to hear. It also looks unprofessional when others can hear espresso machines and clicking crockery in the background. I retreat back to the car if I need to speak to someone.

Check the Opening/Closing Times. Ensure there will be enough time to complete your tasks. Not every cafe opens early and closing times vary wildly in my experience.

Check access to Power. If you’re planning a full day you’ll need to recharge your machine and possibly phone. Does the place have outlets you can use, and where are they?

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Working From … the hotel Restaurant

Posted on by richardbingham

As part of the “working from …” series of articles this one covers those times when you’re travelling for work and find yourself having a meal-for-one in the hotel restaurant.

I admit to some laziness driving the use of the hotel restaurant, although few people want to go out every night with colleagues. I used to be even more of a hermit and use room-service sometimes too, however this comes with a bunch of problems I am sure you can emphasize with:

  • Indigestion from eating whilst in a horizontal position (lying on the bed).
  • Spills and mess, again due to poor posture.
  • Repeatedly flicking through TV channels, neither eating properly (see above) or doing any meaningful work.
  • Limited choices on the in-room menu. They usually drop the best and freshest choices in preference for easy-to-prepare options like burgers and pizza.
  • Extra charges which can land you in hot water.

So, get yourself down to the restaurant and find a suitably peaceful and expansive table, and consider asking about power outlets too.

Now if you’re a drinker then there is a risk you might hit the bar of course. A tipple with your meal is fine, however don’t be sidetracked or tempted to stay late out of loneliness – encouraged by the artificially-friendly bar staff.

Different types of work suit the dining experience better than others. Mobile and tablet-based tasks such as correspondence and research, are easier on a laid-up table, and the devices quicker to put-down and pick-up as you drink and eat. If you’re thinking of breaking out the laptop, then I would recommend you put it aside when your food arrives, and reopen it once you’re done eating. No-one likes a sticky keyboards or screens with splashes of sauce.

Sadly if you need a bathroom break the ‘right’ thing to do is to pack everything away. This is annoying, so try to think ahead! In the same way, be at least a little discrete about others seeing what you are doing, protecting all logins and sensitive information.

Finally I don’t recommend you rush back to your room once you’ve eaten. Take a walk or continue working in the bar or a lounge area. Another 30 minutes aids your digestion and makes the whole exercise a bit more productive.

I find working while eating dinner a good time for some reflection and resulting idea generation. It’s formal enough to make my brain engage, plus since everyone is focused (on eating) it’s relaxed while not distracting. There is also something of an ego hit involved, as you (attempt to) demonstrate to the world how productive and engaged in your work you are.

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Working From … The Car

Posted on by richardbingham

Sometimes you need to work when you’ve also committed to being somewhere else. Maybe your dad’s taxi or away on vacation – whatever the reason, being able to work from a car is helpful. As such here are a few tips I’ve found through trial and error:

Keep it Short and Infrequent. I cannot actually recommend trying to do too much ‘real work’ in a car. It is not healthy for your posture or especially productive, however the occasional conference call meeting works fine.

Don’t Drive and Demo. If you’re driving, don’t try to watch a screen-share or worse still attempt to demo something. It’s horribly dangerous and is just not worth trying (being illegal also). Either pull-over, ask to demo later on (once you’ve parked up), or simply reschedule. Also, once you’re stationary and using your mobile phone for conference calls, don’t forget to disconnect the bluetooth from the car.

Quiet Parking Space. Find a parking spot away from too much background noise. Nothing worse than distraction and others thinking you are not committed to your job.

Comfort. Ensure the space (if you can) is not in direct sunlight, as the glare can be tough on the eyes, plus in summer you soon get hot without air-con running. Opening windows/doors lets in too much background noise. Similarly in winter ensure the car is warm before you start, as it soon cools down with the engine (heating) off.

Discretion. Stay away from very public or high-crime areas. Visibly showing you’ve got computing equipment in your car could lead to a later break-in.

Personal Space. Having the ability to juggle devices is important … I use the passenger seat, with the chair all-the-way back, allowing enough space for laptop screen at a visible angle, phone in a cradle, and various other peripherals.

Internet. Don’t rely on sharing other peoples internet, especially if you’re attending important calls. You could pair with your phone to share connection, but it can be expensive and slow. I recommend a mobile internet dongle, they’re under-publicized, and plugs straight into your laptop USB port and magically works. It has a data SIM card inside so you pay a monthly (or top-up) fee – just like a mobile-ready tablet. It has a phone number assigned, but as a dongle clearly you can’t make calls. Amusingly I recently wanted to change my dongle plan, and the provider kept telling me to enter the two-factor authentication key they just texted … to my dongle! Frustrated I telephoned them and they told to slip the sim card into a mobile phone – obviously really. The dongle is my home internet backup plan too, meaning I don’t have to relocate if my home internet goes down.

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