Working in one place can be quite mundane – especially if you work from home the majority of the time. You may have created a beautiful and conducive home office space that fits your standards and encourages productivity – but as social beings sometimes a face to face human interaction is very important.

Consultancy work – in most cases, does not need common office space – your clients could be in another city or even country. You may also have clients who don’t have an office space and also work virtually. Unless you are in a position to attend physical meetings and events the chances of meeting your clients face-to-face are not guaranteed. You are inclined to virtual meetings the majority of the time.

However, where do you go when you need to break the monotony of staying in one area and are looking for a different workspace even if it’s just for one day? Here we discuss the pros and cons of two working spaces where you can do your work, break the monotony of working from home and even encourage productivity on those long and hard days.

Coworking spaces

There has been an increase in coworking spaces in Kenya as more and more people are working virtually and across borders. Consultants are increasingly looking for places to work other than working from home. One of the main criteria consultants are looking for when it comes to a favourable coworking space is fast internet access. For some, a coworking space with a restaurant, desk space, accessibility, affordability, cleanliness or even a conference room makes a coworking space favourable.

Pros

• You could meet others working in the same area of consultancy as you.
• Some coworking spaces host events making them viable networking spaces.
• Depending on the space, some have access to beverages and food at an affordable price. Other spaces will have a fridge or microwave where you can keep and warm your food respectively.
• Availability of a conference room to conduct your meetings.
• Coworking spaces are ideal for providing a  change of scenery when you need it.
• Having a physical address may get you more opportunities, especially as a consultant and even make it easy to do physical meetings with the availability of a conference room.

Cons

• The cost to use the space may be high or not within your budget even for one day
• You may have to share a desk with someone.
• There may be too many distractions with everyone doing different activities.
• Not all coworking spaces have the same amenities and finding what you want may be difficult.
• It may cost you more in terms of travel and time to access a coworking space.

Cafés and restaurants

When working from home is not feeling productive, a restaurant or café may increase your productivity.

Pros

• Accessibility – they may be within your home area.
• Cafes and restaurants provide a  change of scenery when you need it.
• This may work for one day especially when you experience a power blackout.

Cons

• You could incur additional costs on food and beverages.
• Cafés and restaurants are noisy hence a virtual or even physical meeting may not be possible.
• Not all cafés and restaurants have good internet access.
• Not all cafés and restaurants have working sockets.