With remote working being here to stay even after the lockdowns and social distancing that defined the Covid-19 era, it’s essential to look into ways to increase your productivity and transform this way of working into the new normal. Pew Research Center calculates 14% of American workers work from home 100% of the time. 41% work from home part time, or hybrid arrangement.
Many people think about remote working as a work-from-home situation. This is partially true. Surveys have shown 80% of remote workers work from home rather than other locations. Only 7% choose to work from coworking spaces. The reality is, however, that there are lots of places that remote workers can use to work from. Whether you are working in the city you live in, while travelling, or as a digital nomad, you don’t need to be confined into your main residence to get work done.
Here are some of the best places to work remotely, ranging from free(ish) ones to options that would require you to fork out some money to get the peace and quiet you need to be at your most productive and get work done.
Coffee Shops
The most used option by freelancers and entrepreneurs everywhere, coffee shops offer you the chance to get your caffeine fix and get WiFi access. When tele-commuters are surveyed, they report coffee shops are their secondary work location. Their location is their home.
Why are coffee shops so popular among telecommuters? Because, they know they will be well-fueled and productive in a coffee shop, especially if you choose one that’s a hot spot for remote workers so you’ll be inspired by others who are doing the same thing as you.
The only cost associated with working out of a coffee shop is the coffee and perhaps lunch, but you were going to get that anyway.
Major stores and Fastfood Chains
While coffee shops and cafes are well known locations for virtual team members and tele-commuters to work, major retailers and national fast food chains like Target, McDonalds, Walmart, Staples, Burger King, Dunkin Donuts, Office Depot, Panera Bread have jumped on to the train to offer WiFi services to its customers. If you are worried about the lack of privacy, you can just park your car in the parking lot and work from your auto.
Grocery Stores
Yes, this is a new one for me, I admit. But, many major brand grocery stores have cafes upstairs where you can work in a cafe like environment while grocery shoppers are loading their shopping carts downstairs on the floor below.
So if you are looking to get out of the house for an hour or two, or even for the entire day, check out your neighborhood grocer. The advantage of working on the upper floor of a grocery store if you get hungry, you can always head down to the lower level to buy some healthy fruits, prepared meals, an alcoholic beverage, soda, candy or a snack. The world is your oyster!
Public Parks
If you’re a nature lover, there’s nothing better than setting camp in your local park and get work done while taking in the beautiful scenery (weather permitting, of course).
This is a great alternative because it’s really cost-free and you can stay there for as long as you want. Some local parks even have WiFi, but if yours doesn’t, you can use your mobile data plan as a hotspot or invest in a WiFi hotspot that will also come in handy when you’re travelling.
Local Library
If you find your local park full of distractions (think dogs and kids doing their thing), the local library can be the haven of peace and quiet that you’ve been longing for. All libraries offer decent Wi-Fi, and you can also benefit from the resources there as well, with immediate access to books and magazines.
Most libraries offer users access to printing and scanning services as well, so you can easily transform your local library into a real office. Keep in mind, however, that this is not a suitable option if you need to attend virtual conferences or make phone calls.
Welcome Centers and Tourist Information Stations
Have you ever embarked on a road trip headed to somewhere, but you weren’t exactly sure of your final destination? This is where Welcome Centers and Tourist Information Stations are handy. They are staffed with very friendly people, lots of maps, coupons for entertainment centers and local attractions. Often, they have seats and tables for your to sit down, drink a cup of coffee, review the travel materials, and… Yes, that’s right work! If you like to work virtually but find time working alone challenging, head out to the nearest Welcome Center and make yourself at home. You’ll have the opportunity to engage with other friendly people. And at the very least, focus on your work, in the company of others.
RV Parks
If happy families with children, young couples, retirees, and pets running around the campgrounds doesn’t bother you, this might be an excellent option to work from anywhere! You can rent a spot, sit down and enjoy nature. And, the best part about parks catering to recreational vehicles enthusiasts, is location, location. Often, RV Parks and Campgrounds are located near streams, rivers, ponds and lakes. So after you’ve finished your remote work for the day, you can take a fishing, hiking or boating break to revive yourself.
Malls and Near Empty Office Buildings
Malls and near empty commercial buildings are perfect places to tele-work. Why? So that you can be in the midst of people, in the company of others, but not necessarily engaging or interacting with them. Malls offer lots of seating areas (even massage chairs and booths) for you to complete work tasks. Commercial office buildings are an excellent alternative too!
Here’s an interesting blog:
Commercial landlords try to win back tenants to promote return to the office
Why? Because commercial landlords are taking steps to meet full capacity. Right now, there is a dearth of buildings that are under-occupied. Therefore, they are pulling out all the stops to offer amenities to attract tenants. Telecommuters can take advantage and ride the waves by walking in, showing up, and sitting down at many of the common areas to conduct business.
Bookstores
Many bookstores, particularly those in big cities, have areas for reading or full-size cafes. You can easily transform these into your own working area. In many cases, you’ll also get free Wi-Fi and you can sit there for hours on end without anyone bothering you.
Don’t forget that it’s always a good idea to make a purchase from the bookstore from time to time, especially if you are there on a regular basis. If there’s a coffee shop, it’s only polite to buy a beverage every time you’re in there.
Coworking Spaces
Moving on to paid options for remote work, coworking spaces are a quick way to get yourself an office that isn’t located in a corner of your bedroom. Coworking spaces are a highly popular option among remote workers because you get a dedicated workspace while also having access to all kinds of office amenities, such as meeting rooms, printers, high-speed WiFi and more.
Here’s our Top Coworking Spaces
Top 5 Coworking Spaces in Chiang, Mai
Top 5 Coworking Spaces in Berlin, Germany
Top 5 Coworking Spaces in Bali
Top 5 Coworking Spaces in Sydney, Australia
Top 5 Coworking Spaces in London
Top 5 Coworking Spaces in Tokyo
Top 5 Coworking Spaces in Singapore
Top 5 Coworking Spaces in Barcelona, Spain
Top 5 Coworking Spaces in NY
Top 5 Coworking Spaces in Mexico City
With many coworking spaces, you also get access to unlimited coffee and tea, and some of them even offer members access to a fully equipped kitchen so you can prepare your own healthy lunch.
The only drawback of using coworking spaces instead of a home office is the price, with monthly prices being in the hundreds of dollars in most cities. However, if you want to have a dedicated workspace where your productivity can skyrocket while also getting the chance to socialize with likeminded individuals, coworking spaces are one of the best choices out there for remote workers.
Rest Areas off Major Exits on Highways
If you are a traveling business person, account executive, sales representative, event planner scouting locations you know there are several tricks to the trade. Rest areas can be a mainstay for emergencies when you need to pull over, download or upload an important document, or participate in an urgent MS Teams Meeting. Most rest areas offer ample space to set up your portable laptop, mobile printer and phone to conduct business. And guess what else? They often have snack machines so that you can grab a drink and a snack after your work is done. This ensures that you will be refreshed and confident that you made your deadline, didn’t miss a video conference, and you’ve remained on schedule for your next stop.
Desk Rentals
Similar to coworking spaces, desk rentals offer you a dedicated workspace, but at a fraction of the price. They are an excellent choice if you don’t want the monthly commitment of a coworking space, but instead need a place to work in peace and quiet for a couple of day.
Many remote workers rent desks for one or two days when they have a deadline looming and they need a place to focus outside of their home. They also come in handy when something unexpected happens, like an internet outage at your home or construction work takes place on your street and you’re having a hard-time concentrating.
Hotels and Resorts
Now this is a pretty unorthodox choice, but instead of renting a desk or a coworking space for a day or two, you can obtain similar results by booking a hotel room. That way, you’ll get ultimate peace and quiet, as you won’t have to share the space with anyone else.
Booking a hotel room is not a cheap option, but if you have a pressing deadline and there’s no way you can achieve maximum productivity at home, it could be very well worth it.
Co-living Accommodation
When you’re working remotely and travelling at the same time, you may find it difficult to work from coffee shops or rented desks. Co-living accommodation is an excellent solution that blends your need for accommodation with the benefits of having a dedicated space to work from.
Co-living accommodation puts you in touch with other freelancers and remote workers with the same lifestyle as yours and in most cases you get your own private room and access to a fully equipped kitchen and a common living space to socialize with your roommates on your breaks.
As a remote worker, there’s no need to work from home all the time. With many options available for all budgets, it’s easy to find a space outside the home to boost your productivity and help you keep social at the same time.
Landmarks, Historical Buildings and Museums
Did you know that many landmarks, historical buildings and museums offer free WiFi? And free WiFi isn’t the only reason these are perfect options to work from anywhere. These locations are generally kept very pristine.
No loud noises, rowdy guests, kids running around, or consumers spilling their coffee. Or, talking loudly on their cell phones. The environment these places offer are conducive to quiet reading, working and loads of private desk space where you can concentrate to get your work done.