How To Set Up Your Office In A Coffee Shop

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Make Your Favorite Local Coffee Shop Into Your Office

Grab your laptop and plenty of silver & ones for tipping...

It's time to go to the office.

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.

Laptop=Workface

MacWonderful Tool

I use an Apple, and I highly recommend them. They're worth the higher cost if you're doing graphics or any sort of video or music editing.
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The Number 1 Reason To Leave The Cube Farm

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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.

The Office - In Case You Actually Miss Being There

French Presses & Fair Trade Coffee

I love french press coffee! I first had it at a coffeeshop in Knoxville's Old City called Java, years and years ago. You could order a pot of french press and take it to your table. You'd let it steep as long as you liked & then pour yourself rich, mellow coffee...
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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.

Music Video Breaks

Well, You're Already Having Coffee, So What Sort Of Break Did You Expect?

Apple 80 GB iPod video Black (5.5 Generation)

Apple 80 GB iPod video Black (5.5 Generation)

Apple iPod - Continuing its tradition of hardware more...1 point

Apple 30 GB iPod video Black (5.5 Generation)

Apple 30 GB iPod video Black (5.5 Generation)

Apple iPod - Continuing its tradition of hardware more...0 points

Apple 30 GB iPod video White (5.5 Generation)

Apple 30 GB iPod video White (5.5 Generation)

Apple iPod - Continuing its tradition of hardware more...0 points

Apple 80 GB iPod video White (5.5 Generation)

Apple 80 GB iPod video White (5.5 Generation)

Apple iPod - Continuing its tradition of hardware more...0 points

Movie-of-the-Week In The Making

"...I used to be over by the window, and I could see the squirrels, and they were married, but then, they switched from the Swingline to the Boston stapler, but I kept my Swingline stapler because it didn't bind up as much, and I kept the staples for the Swingline stapler and it's not okay because if they take my stapler then I'll set the building on fire... "
Milton Waddams, Office Space
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Better Than Modular Walls

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Cool Coffee Mugs & Thermoses

As if you don't drink coffee at home...

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WiFi Manners

Note To Self

The internet is *NOT* just for porn.

c(__) ... Conversation ... \__/o

  • agneshuxley Mar 21, 2012 @ 2:32 pm | delete
    It will save you money if you bring your own coffee and just ask for hot water.
    Office space
  • braudwilliam Dec 22, 2011 @ 5:02 am | delete
    Copy gives us refreshment in office...
    Office Furniture
  • quaybusinessoffices Nov 23, 2011 @ 6:45 am | delete
    Impressive lens.Thumbs up !!

    Quay Business Offices
    Managed Office Space
  • coffeeshop Aug 27, 2011 @ 4:24 am | delete
    http://www.coffeeshopfurniture.net/
  • lucky21 Jul 25, 2011 @ 8:34 pm | delete
    Proper etiquette is a must for laptop work in the coffee shops. Buy something there and keep the cell phones turned way down. Nice to have somewhere to go just to unwind or just change the scenery once in awhile. You may find yourself the best
    cup of coffee
    you ever tried if you visit several of these places.
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JaZilla

JaNell Golden designed many of the t-shirts in her CafePress shop JaZilla while in her favorite coffee shop. more »

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