March 23, 2009 218 Comments

Why Bookstores Are My Office

I work in bookstores and coffee shops most often. Sometimes, I work in airplanes, and other times, I work in my hotel room. I almost never go to my actual office space south of Boston. There are lots of reasons why.

Bookstores have books, which are full of ideas. When I work here, I can pluck a book off the shelf, get an idea, and get a new perspective on my project.
Bookstores and coffeeshops have fresh food and lots of people anxious to serve me the food. It means I can focus on what I’m doing and not worry about the sustenance part.
Bookstores have big parking lots and lots of room to hold brief, cafe-shaped meetings with a few people. They’re not the best place to conduct official business, but they’re perfect for brainstorming and idea gathering and status delivering.
Bookstores are usually staffed with pleasant people who don’t do what I do, so they’re willing to chat for a few minutes, but won’t bury me in the details.
Bookstores are actually fun. How many people’s offices are fun?

What surprises me more is the answer to this question: how come so many people still go to the office?

People’s biggest answer usually relates to collaboration. It’s harder to get stuff done when everyone’s spread out. The second answer seems often to be “we can’t tell when people are working or not.” That’s the one that bugs me. It just means that management and measurements need tweaking.

So what about you? What does the whole web commuting experience mean to what you’re doing? What is the value of your office (the place, not the people)?

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http://www.coachtia.com Tia Singh

While I love love love bookstores and cafes, I get too distracted with people watching and engaging with others in cafes to get much work done. A bookstore might be a better idea but I can`t stop browsing and reading when I`m there!

Not a fan of offices and that`s why I work from home in a very non office looking envt.

Any tips for not getting distracted when working at cafes then?
http://www.coachtia.com/ Tia Singh aka @TiaSparkles

While I love love love bookstores and cafes, I get too distracted with people watching and engaging with others in cafes to get much work done. A bookstore might be a better idea but I can`t stop browsing and reading when I`m there!

Not a fan of offices and that`s why I work from home in a very non office looking envt.

Any tips for not getting distracted when working at cafes then?
http://TopViet.blogspot.com TopViet

This is a good article. With today technology, we can work anywhere, any time.
http://TopViet.blogspot.com TopViet

This is a good article. With today technology, we can work anywhere, any time.
http://TopViet.blogspot.com TopViet

This is a good article. With today technology, we can work anywhere, any time.
http://www.chrisbrogan.com Chris Brogan

I buy about 4 books a week, one way or another. It’s a bit incurable at this point.
http://www.chrisbrogan.com Chris Brogan

I buy about 4 books a week, one way or another. It’s a bit incurable at this point.
http://www.chrisbrogan.com Chris Brogan

I buy about 4 books a week, one way or another. It’s a bit incurable at this point.
http://myonehundredthings.com/about Christian

bookstores are the bomb. and panera. panera is my favorite corporate headquarters right now. great place to meet with a client, then sit for hours on free wifi. nothing better :)
http://myonehundredthings.com/about Christian

bookstores are the bomb. and panera. panera is my favorite corporate headquarters right now. great place to meet with a client, then sit for hours on free wifi. nothing better :)
http://myonehundredthings.com/about Christian

bookstores are the bomb. and panera. panera is my favorite corporate headquarters right now. great place to meet with a client, then sit for hours on free wifi. nothing better :)
http://myonehundredthings.com/about Christian

dude I totally don’t get why people go to the office anymore. i have a meeting with my team once a week. besides that, i’m gone.
http://myonehundredthings.com/about Christian

dude I totally don’t get why people go to the office anymore. i have a meeting with my team once a week. besides that, i’m gone.
http://myonehundredthings.com/about Christian

dude I totally don’t get why people go to the office anymore. i have a meeting with my team once a week. besides that, i’m gone.
http://gregcryns.blogspot.com greg cryns

I was out walking around my little town of Paso Robles today. As usual the farmer’s market was open in the square.

I stopped at each booth taking time to strike up conversations with each business owner. Some sold fruits and veggies, of course. Others sold olives and juices.

I forgot how much fun it can be to chat about business with people you never met before. They all were anxious to talk to someone who offered a free ad on the front page of his local website. That’s a great ice breaker.

The point is that I was away from home, away from the phone, TV and other mundane disturbances. My office was on the streets of Paso Robles and I was enjoying myself immensely.
http://gregcryns.blogspot.com greg cryns

I was out walking around my little town of Paso Robles today. As usual the farmer’s market was open in the square.

I stopped at each booth taking time to strike up conversations with each business owner. Some sold fruits and veggies, of course. Others sold olives and juices.

I forgot how much fun it can be to chat about business with people you never met before. They all were anxious to talk to someone who offered a free ad on the front page of his local website. That’s a great ice breaker.

The point is that I was away from home, away from the phone, TV and other mundane disturbances. My office was on the streets of Paso Robles and I was enjoying myself immensely.
http://www.tommartin.typepad.com Tom Martin

Chris

Love the post and think that a lot of folks, especially freelancers are trading office rent for the daily latte. But as someone who’s done it both ways, I have to say that the value of an office is that it creates intersections. While you and I can quickly chat about an idea (IM or Twitter) you can’t overhear my conversation with another member of the team in the hallway.

Some of the best ideas I’ve ever been around have come from a chance intersection where I and another staffer were both in the right zone or frame of mind and a spark happens. I guess that can happen in the virtual world and it does, but an office seems to create more sparks.

My .02.
http://www.tommartin.typepad.com Tom Martin

Chris

Love the post and think that a lot of folks, especially freelancers are trading office rent for the daily latte. But as someone who’s done it both ways, I have to say that the value of an office is that it creates intersections. While you and I can quickly chat about an idea (IM or Twitter) you can’t overhear my conversation with another member of the team in the hallway.

Some of the best ideas I’ve ever been around have come from a chance intersection where I and another staffer were both in the right zone or frame of mind and a spark happens. I guess that can happen in the virtual world and it does, but an office seems to create more sparks.

My .02.
http://www.tommartin.typepad.com Tom Martin

Chris

Love the post and think that a lot of folks, especially freelancers are trading office rent for the daily latte. But as someone who’s done it both ways, I have to say that the value of an office is that it creates intersections. While you and I can quickly chat about an idea (IM or Twitter) you can’t overhear my conversation with another member of the team in the hallway.

Some of the best ideas I’ve ever been around have come from a chance intersection where I and another staffer were both in the right zone or frame of mind and a spark happens. I guess that can happen in the virtual world and it does, but an office seems to create more sparks.

My .02.
http://RealSmartNow.net Andrew Lightheart @alightheart

Since I got a netbook with mobile broadband, I have a category in my business expenses called ‘Mobile Office’.

I figure a few coffees is way cheaper than keeping a separate space and being able to get up and browse some books makes my inner writer feel like it’s playing hooky.
http://RealSmartNow.net Andrew Lightheart @alightheart

Since I got a netbook with mobile broadband, I have a category in my business expenses called ‘Mobile Office’.

I figure a few coffees is way cheaper than keeping a separate space and being able to get up and browse some books makes my inner writer feel like it’s playing hooky.
http://RealSmartNow.net Andrew Lightheart @alightheart

Since I got a netbook with mobile broadband, I have a category in my business expenses called ‘Mobile Office’.

I figure a few coffees is way cheaper than keeping a separate space and being able to get up and browse some books makes my inner writer feel like it’s playing hooky.
http://agupta20854.blogspot.com Ajay Gupta

I work in bookstores (Barnes & Nobel), coffee shops (Starbucks), etc. too. I own a small business and we are a 100% telework shop – mainly to reduce our carbon footprint and let people spend the commuting time with their families. As long as you trust your staff to be accountable for their productivity, there are no problems.

I do have an office though, when clients want to meet us there.
http://agupta20854.blogspot.com Ajay Gupta

I work in bookstores (Barnes & Nobel), coffee shops (Starbucks), etc. too. I own a small business and we are a 100% telework shop – mainly to reduce our carbon footprint and let people spend the commuting time with their families. As long as you trust your staff to be accountable for their productivity, there are no problems.

I do have an office though, when clients want to meet us there.
http://www.jamiesanford.com Jamie Sanford

I have been meaning to try out one of my “working from home” days in the bookstore instead of in my living room. Great list of reasons why I should definitely do that. Thanks Chris.
http://www.jamiesanford.com Jamie Sanford

I have been meaning to try out one of my “working from home” days in the bookstore instead of in my living room. Great list of reasons why I should definitely do that. Thanks Chris.
http://www.jamiesanford.com Jamie Sanford

I have been meaning to try out one of my “working from home” days in the bookstore instead of in my living room. Great list of reasons why I should definitely do that. Thanks Chris.
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http://www.largemouthpr.com Amanda Denton @amandala

I am preparing to transition from working in an office environment to the digital nomad work/lifestyle. I appreciate all the insights shared here on the pros and cons of each and while I will miss the conversations sparked in the hallway and the ease of walking in my colleagues’ offices, I am excited about the new opportunities posed by working in varied environments. Thanks everyone for sharing your insight, it’s great to hear your collective thoughts on what “going to work” means today.
http://www.largemouthpr.com Amanda Denton @amandala

I am preparing to transition from working in an office environment to the digital nomad work/lifestyle. I appreciate all the insights shared here on the pros and cons of each and while I will miss the conversations sparked in the hallway and the ease of walking in my colleagues’ offices, I am excited about the new opportunities posed by working in varied environments. Thanks everyone for sharing your insight, it’s great to hear your collective thoughts on what “going to work” means today.
http://www.talentbuildersinc.com Barb Giamanco

What a great topic! I don’t necessarily go to bookstores to work, but I certainly do spend a fair amount of time there, because I’m addicted to reading:). To stir my creative juices, I often take the laptop to the park or just sit outside in the backyard when the weather is nice.

Surprising that we still don’t see more people tele-commuting for work. The “we can’t tell if people are working or not” comment is so crazy to me. I totally agree that it is a management/measurement issue. Maybe more on the management side. Managers need to do a good job setting expectations, make sure people have the tools to get the job done and stay involved in the process (not micro-managing mind you). If you are paying attention, you know pretty quickly if the RESULTS are happening or not. Seems to me there is a trust issue for many managers. They assume that if they can’t “see their people” then they will take advantage of the situation. Any manager who mistakenly believes that seeing someone’s body in the office means they are working effectively may well be in the wrong job. As we all know, that is not necessarily the case.

On the flip side, not everyone is ready to work virtually. You can’t be home doing laundry while trying to get the job done. Many new business owners figure out the hard way that “working from home or in the coffee shop” isn’t always easy. You have to have a certain amount of discipline or you’ll just flounder around.

After all this time, it is still surprising that companies don’t get the virtual office, tele-commuting idea.
http://www.talentbuildersinc.com Barb Giamanco

What a great topic! I don’t necessarily go to bookstores to work, but I certainly do spend a fair amount of time there, because I’m addicted to reading:). To stir my creative juices, I often take the laptop to the park or just sit outside in the backyard when the weather is nice.

Surprising that we still don’t see more people tele-commuting for work. The “we can’t tell if people are working or not” comment is so crazy to me. I totally agree that it is a management/measurement issue. Maybe more on the management side. Managers need to do a good job setting expectations, make sure people have the tools to get the job done and stay involved in the process (not micro-managing mind you). If you are paying attention, you know pretty quickly if the RESULTS are happening or not. Seems to me there is a trust issue for many managers. They assume that if they can’t “see their people” then they will take advantage of the situation. Any manager who mistakenly believes that seeing someone’s body in the office means they are working effectively may well be in the wrong job. As we all know, that is not necessarily the case.

On the flip side, not everyone is ready to work virtually. You can’t be home doing laundry while trying to get the job done. Many new business owners figure out the hard way that “working from home or in the coffee shop” isn’t always easy. You have to have a certain amount of discipline or you’ll just flounder around.

After all this time, it is still surprising that companies don’t get the virtual office, tele-commuting idea.
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http://dainareed.com Daina

I fortunately live in Tel Aviv which is full of cafes. While I miss stores like Borders dearly…we have no such concept here…However here in Israel, unlike the states, you can sit in cafes for hours without a bill being delivered. In fact sometimes it takes me 40 minutes just to get my check!

I am a freelance web designer and I sit in a cafe nearly everyday to work for about 5 hours. If I stayed home I would get hungry and preparing a meal would be a 3 hour event for me. My time is more valuable…I don’t pay for an office and my cafe bills are very reasonable compared to what office rent would be…and no one is going to serve me food there! (well delivery I guess? but I don’t like to waste all that plastic containers everyday into the earth).

I like the sunlight and windows..my apt is a cave…However. I’d like to see more cafes built on the concept of a “working” cafe…ie…no loud cell phone yakkers…or big party groups…or music that is disruptive to work …sometimes I have bad cafe days where the people that come or music that’s played just don’t go with my cafe workday vibe…often though, I find at least 3-5 others doing exactly what I’m doing…seems like there is a huge audience in this city for a freelancers work cafe! I would love to help start a cafe built on that concept…
http://dainareed.com Daina

I fortunately live in Tel Aviv which is full of cafes. While I miss stores like Borders dearly…we have no such concept here…However here in Israel, unlike the states, you can sit in cafes for hours without a bill being delivered. In fact sometimes it takes me 40 minutes just to get my check!

I am a freelance web designer and I sit in a cafe nearly everyday to work for about 5 hours. If I stayed home I would get hungry and preparing a meal would be a 3 hour event for me. My time is more valuable…I don’t pay for an office and my cafe bills are very reasonable compared to what office rent would be…and no one is going to serve me food there! (well delivery I guess? but I don’t like to waste all that plastic containers everyday into the earth).

I like the sunlight and windows..my apt is a cave…However. I’d like to see more cafes built on the concept of a “working” cafe…ie…no loud cell phone yakkers…or big party groups…or music that is disruptive to work …sometimes I have bad cafe days where the people that come or music that’s played just don’t go with my cafe workday vibe…often though, I find at least 3-5 others doing exactly what I’m doing…seems like there is a huge audience in this city for a freelancers work cafe! I would love to help start a cafe built on that concept…
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http://www.opensourcereleasefeed.com Schalk Neethling

“we can’t tell when people are working or not.” – I have heard this and the alternative “we are not set-up for it” so many times I want to run to hills and scream. What a great article, thank so much I hope this gets read by everyone and I hope to meet you one day in a coffee shop over a cup of coffee and an inspiring book.
http://www.opensourcereleasefeed.com Schalk Neethling

“we can’t tell when people are working or not.” – I have heard this and the alternative “we are not set-up for it” so many times I want to run to hills and scream. What a great article, thank so much I hope this gets read by everyone and I hope to meet you one day in a coffee shop over a cup of coffee and an inspiring book.
Conrad Buck

I have to agree with many of the comments here, mainly:

1.Hard to find a good, comfortable chair.
2.What about phone calls with all the noise going on around you?

I have a great independent coffee shop just down the road that has free wifi but because I am a regular and the cafe community is like a large family I can never get any work done as there is always someone there to chat to!!
Conrad Buck

I have to agree with many of the comments here, mainly:

1.Hard to find a good, comfortable chair.
2.What about phone calls with all the noise going on around you?

I have a great independent coffee shop just down the road that has free wifi but because I am a regular and the cafe community is like a large family I can never get any work done as there is always someone there to chat to!!
Herb Jones

Chris – great post and comments. I too LOVE the bookstores (and my favorite local coffee shop) but it is entirely TASK dependent. I am completely addicted to my Matrox dual head to go and my 3 monitor setup in my home office when I am publishing, doing keyword research or landing page optimization but when I am writing, reading or just looking for ideas I always head out to the bookstores.
Herb Jones

Chris – great post and comments. I too LOVE the bookstores (and my favorite local coffee shop) but it is entirely TASK dependent. I am completely addicted to my Matrox dual head to go and my 3 monitor setup in my home office when I am publishing, doing keyword research or landing page optimization but when I am writing, reading or just looking for ideas I always head out to the bookstores.
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http://www.vorsight.com/blog Beth Avery

Great post! If I wasn’t working in the office, I’d love to be in a bookstore (or cafe).

I didn’t realize you were from the Boston area – I grew up south of Boston, and now reside in DC.

I found you on Twitter recently, and I’m really enjoying your blog.

I’m in inside sales management, but have recently been asked to take on addition responsibilities for the time being.

I’m excited about getting involved with our marketing team, and your blog has been very insightful!

Beth
@bpvorsight
http://www.vorsight.com
http://www.vorsight.com/blog Beth Avery

Great post! If I wasn’t working in the office, I’d love to be in a bookstore (or cafe).

I didn’t realize you were from the Boston area – I grew up south of Boston, and now reside in DC.

I found you on Twitter recently, and I’m really enjoying your blog.

I’m in inside sales management, but have recently been asked to take on addition responsibilities for the time being.

I’m excited about getting involved with our marketing team, and your blog has been very insightful!

Beth
@bpvorsight
http://www.vorsight.com
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http://anniegirl1138.wordpress.com annie

Yeah, I hated that second reason when I was a teacher. There was always this assumption on the part of admin that if they couldn’t cage me somewhere, I wasn’t thinking, creating and problem-solving in the name of education. I actually get great ideas walking or running and bookstores are awesome places to meet and collaborate (so is Panera).

I have a home office now, but I find that I work more diligently at Starbucks or the library.
http://anniegirl1138.wordpress.com annie

Yeah, I hated that second reason when I was a teacher. There was always this assumption on the part of admin that if they couldn’t cage me somewhere, I wasn’t thinking, creating and problem-solving in the name of education. I actually get great ideas walking or running and bookstores are awesome places to meet and collaborate (so is Panera).

I have a home office now, but I find that I work more diligently at Starbucks or the library.
http://freelancewritinggigs.com Deb Ng

I enjoy working at the library for the same reason. it’s quiet, there’s free wifi and handy reference materials are all over. The coffee shop is missing but that’s why Starbucks is on the way. Because I work at home along all day, I often work at the library just to be around people.

I think in this economy more employers should consider allowing employees to work remotely, not only to save expenses, but because of higher productivity and morale.

Why Bookstores Are My Office

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