Is Working out of a Cafe all that? The Answer is No. It is Not.
During the pandemic, many people turned to coffee shops and cafes to get their social fix whilst ‘working from home.’ While at first it was a great hit for both café goers and the coffee shops themselves, there soon were issues of overcrowding, privacy, noise and much more. Read below for our deep dive and tell-all of what our readers experienced at coffee shops (we can’t make this stuff up!)
“We breakdown walls so that we can find breakthroughs in our businesses” – Cynthia Chiam, GCAL Global
1. Noise: Think Crying Babies
Whether it be white noise or loud noise, coffee shops have a plethora of weird and wacky sounds. From the coffee grinder and milk frother to the crying babies and chatty neighbors, there is a high level of unpredictability associated with a coffee shop. Whilst these noises may ‘make’ your experience if you are coming for a casual coffee, they are major disturbances whilst trying to work or even worse, whilst trying to take calls. Further, as a visitor of a coffee shop, it is not really possible to tell people to keep their voices down, as at the end of the day, you are a guest in someone else’s public space. Coworking spaces on the other hand ensure proper soundproofing, designated quiet areas, and phone booths to facilitate productive work conversations.
2. Distractions, distractions, distractions
Whilst I love white noise as much as the next, I often get distracted by my fellow cafe-goers around me and end up playing little mind games to put off tasks. I find myself looking around trying to decipher the dynamics between various individuals. Is that couple on a first date? Is it going well? Is this his daughter? Oh that baby is so cute. Fundamentally, people watching can just be extremely entertaining, fun, and highly unproductive. Coworking spaces on the other hand allow you access to people, community, and events, whilst also providing you with quiet areas such as private offices, meeting rooms, and phone booths. The Bureau Business Center (The Bureau Dubai) is the perfect mix of social and productive in a coworking space.
3. Privacy? What’s that?
Whilst some individuals may be inconsiderate and loud, others will be silent, nosy nancies. In a public space such as a coffee shop, there are many individuals who will intentionally or unintentionally be listening into phone calls, and may be privy to your confidential information or that of your clients. On the off chance information gets into the wrong hands, it could prove an issue to your business or clients. Avoid this calamity, and work at a coworking space in Dubai such as The Bureau Dubai, where you have the privacy of closed offices, meeting rooms, and phone booths.
4. Baristas; a love hate relationship?
Whilst coffee shops may seem like the perfect nooks to set up base for the workday, many cafes and baristas do not concur, and would prefer work to be done elsewhere. In places such as Dubai, many coffee shops and eateries are taking measures such as removing their wifi, blocking plug point access, or restricting coworking access. This is due to the fact that a single worker has the tendency to occupy a four person table. Therefore, when it comes to the lunch rush, the cafe loses out on 4 potential fully paying lunch customers if not more. Unlike cafes, coworking spaces such as The Bureau Dubai have both strong coffee and workspaces.
5. Is the Wifi down again?
There is nothing worse than a zoom call cutting out, or worse dropping off completely. You miss things, there are awkward pauses, and overall chaos often ensues. Whilst many coffee shops are liberal with with their wifi passwords, many cafes have timed or limited internet, and many do not offer up their wifi codes at all. In that case, you have to hop around at the last minute to find a new workspace, or even worse, hotspot from your phone. For me personally, the stress is just not worth it, when there are more reliable options of coworking spaces such as The Bureau Dubai. Coworking such as The Bureau Dubai offer great wifi, and also the sociability and hot coffee of a cafe.
Work smarter and not harder. All in all, shared offices such as The Bureau Dubai and WeWork Dubai are becoming increasingly popular these days. Coworking spaces in Dubai are a must for all freelancers, entrepreneurs, working mothers, or anyone in a remote or hybrid job. When you sign up for a shared workspace or private office, you get the privacy of your office with the comfort of your home. Could you really ask for anything more? For the perfect combination of functional and inspiring, sign up for the bureau coworking & Community today at www.thebureaubc.com
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