I am crazy about the mobile life. Smartphones, laptops, and Wi-Fi are the Keys to the Kingdom as far as I am concerned. I am no longer a faceless drone in some giant organization, and I do not spend 8 hours a day trapped in a cubicle. Life is good! However, this freedom from routine brings its own challenges. Finding a place to work is among them.
The trouble is that distractions are plentiful. I tried to create a website and work with some auto responder software once in a reading lounge at a public library, the atmosphere, though, was more like a bus station! Lots of energetic children, public address announcements, frequent cell phone rings, and the constant comings and goings of others kept me from concentrating on my work.
Then there is the whole problem of email and the Web. You need to answer your Email right away is one good excuse to not concentrate on the task. Games, news sites, and YouTube provide many other excuses. Like many others who choose to work at home, I need my home office.
You may not be as vulnerable to these distractions as I am. Even so, you will benefit from an office as well. It is important, efficient, and effective to have a dedicated space in which to work. In this space, you are sheltered from the distractions of the world. Telephones, unexpected visitors, and the noise of the public place disappear behind your closed door.
Many people, realizing this, do start their online businesses by setting up a home office, but these are sometimes not everything they need to be. A desk tucked away in a corner of the kitchen, or a table against a wall in an overstuffed den, hardly answers for the needs of a serious entrepreneur. The situation is worse if you do not own your own home. Trying to create a dedicated work space in a small apartment is next to impossible.
As an online business owner, much of what you do is unconventional, so the solution to the problem of getting an office can be unconventional as well. Traditional office space is quite expensive, making it less attractive. Besides, for how long do you really need an office? You may just want one for a few hours a day—or less–to focus on the parts of your work that demand privacy and concentration.
In this instance hot desks are a great option. You just pay for the hours that you need. Inexpensive and often a God send if you have a dead line to meet.
That being the case, there are several options open. Storage units work, if you can find one in a nice neighborhood. They are not much to look at, but they are often climate-controlled and can be very, very cheap. There are no windows, but you are supposed to be concentrating on your work, anyway! When your task is completed, take your laptop and go somewhere nicer.
If you have got a bit more to spend, spread the word around your network that you need office space. Many independent professionals have office suites with a vacant room they would love to sublet. This can also be very affordable, and you get a private office whenever you need it. If there is no one in your network who has the space you need, you can try craigslist—just make sure not to make any long-term arrangements until you are sure you get along with your new property owner.
A new trend is property owners who are subletting office space as a business. They will buy large office suites, and then rent out the individual offices by the hour at extremely low rates. The offices are furnished and decorated, and provide a great professional environment in which to settle down and get some work done.
Some even offer extra amenities, like a break lounge with coffee, and storage space for your files and equipment. For a price, they will even provide shared reception and support services, mail service, and a unique telephone number for your business.
