How To Set Up Your Office In A Coffee Shop

Why A Coffee Shop Office?

• God Gave Us Laptops, And There Was Much Rejoicing
• Home Office Burnout
  It's a beautiful day, you have work to do, and if you spend one more day alone for eight hours staring at the same four walls we'll be seeing a made-for-TV movie about your awful crimes.
• Inspiration
  Conversations well around you, intriguing snippets of information float by, and most importantly, you feel like part of life.
• Hot! Fresh! Coffee!
  And you didn't have to make it.

Basic Coffee Shop Etiquette

• Tip.
  A common standard is $1 a visit, minimum, and a dollar tip per specialty drink or a request to make fresh coffee for you or a pot of decaf if there isn't already one.
• Share.
  Remember that you're sharing a public space: take cell phone conversations outside if they're not low volume & brief, wear headphones to listen to music, and scoot over if it gets crowded.
• Make Up Your Mind
  Preferably before you get in line.
• Don't Leave A Mess
  Throw your garbage into the can & clean up your spills. Also, see if the staff buses the dishes, or if the customers do.

How To Choose Your New Office

Decisions, Decisions...

• The Neighborhood Coffee Shop?
  Being able to walk to the "office" is great, but if it's not right, look elsewhere.
  One way to choose candidates is to start looking around the places you normally drive to - you child's school, your favorite grocery store, or places you run errands.
  Another method - useful if you plan on being seen and networking - is to look around the areas where the people you want to meet work.
• "Date" A Few Places Before Getting Serious
  After you've found a few places that seem intriguing, spend some time in each of them. Also, be aware that the rhythm generally changes in a double pattern: morning - lunch - afternoon/evening - night and weekday - weekend.
  You may find yourself choosing one cafe for weekdays and lunch meetings, and another for nights and weekends.
• Pick A Local Mom-and-Pop Cafe Rather Than A Chain
  Mom-and-pops are usually friendlier, more flexible, and supporting small business is something you should do because it stabilizes the economy.

Your Coffee Shop Office

Once you've moved in...

• Table For One
  Of course you want to spread out & get comfy - you're here practically everyday, so why shouldn't you pick the large table by the window to plant yourself?
  You shouldn't hog space because you're there as a guest of the business, and space equals potential income. Unless you're spending the equivalent of the number of spaces you're taking out of the seating pool times a coffee per hour you're, with tips, sit at a small one or two person table.
  The exception to this is when the cafe is almost empty - and move to a smaller seat when it begins to fill up.
• Wifi Is A Courtesy, Not An Entitlement
  Free wifi is grand, so don't abuse it. Keep large uploads and downloads to a minimum. Porn is not acceptable coffee shop viewing. Volume should be off, or use headphones/earbuds.
  If you're required to use a password, ask for it politely, and if you're required to make a purchase to get one, well, you should be purchasing already since you're using their space, heating/cooling, electricity, and wifi.
  If the wifi isn't working, mention it after the other customers have been served.
• Bathroom Bomb - Don't.
  You know what I mean. Take care of those things beforehand, when possible. There was a guy who used to come into my favorite coffee shop early each day and spend a little quality time in the bathroom, funking it up for the whole day. He wasn't a customer; he just came in, used the facilities, and left.
  Don't be that guy.
• Bathroom Etiquette, Part 2
  Aim.
  Put the seat down.
  Flush.
  Wash your hands with soap & water.
  Wipe up splattered soap & water.
  Throw the paper towel into the trash can.
  
  Simple enough.
• Consider Moving Before Complaining
  Novel thought? Seriously, if you get cold easily, don't sit next to the vent. You're using a public space, and temperature, music volume, and traffic flow are arranged to be generally pleasant to everyone.
• The Barrista Is Working.
  Part of the barrista's job is to be friendly and outgoing, but they're not there to entertain you. If you need a break from work, stretch your legs, get a refill, and briefly chat up the barrista if there's no one in line.
  Briefly.