Remote work continues to gain in popularity. Workers appreciate the flexibility to manage their schedules and to integrate work and personal life; according to research by Stanford University, remote workers productivity boost is astounding, equal to a full day’s extra work each week.
The only thing employees disliked when trialing remote work? The isolation. They felt disconnected from others when spending their time at home rather than in a traditional office setting.
When it comes to remote work, apparently there’s a balance between working at home alone and having the opportunity to interact with others. If you’re looking for a great place to work around Buffalo, so you can feel both productive and connected, we have a few tips on finding a favorite location.
1. Find a Place Where the Coffee Keeps Flowing.
If you’re a caffeine addict, you may want to find a perfect spot where you can settle in and keep the coffee coming while you’re busy working. Buffalo is home to a number of great coffee shops where you can easily plug in, settle in and dig in (to your work or to a hearty breakfast, whatever does it for you).
We’re partial to SPoT Coffee – the 1 Delaware location in particular, although we also like giving Elmwood Village a try every once in a while for a change of scenery. There are also plenty of other good options around the area for hot chocolate lovers who want to find a remote work spot and a change of pace.
2. Find a Traditional Coworking Office.
Traditional coworking spaces charge a monthly fee to use their spaces, in exchange for access to a desk or open seating area.
Depending on your needs, this option may be a convenient fit. While a dedicated desk may be more expensive, an open access option can provide the freedom and affordability to come and go, connect and be part of a community.
Options around Buffalo include Inception Buffalo, dig (design innovation garage) in the Buffalo Niagara Medical Center, and Buffalo Game Space. Each coworking location may focus on specific types of workers (startups, tech workers, creatives, etc.), but they’re generally very open and welcoming to all workers who just need a place to set up and connect.
3. Find an Unconventional Spot that Other Remote Workers May Not Be Aware of Yet.
When you’re thinking about work, you probably think of a traditional office space or a coffee shop. After all, there’s a reason why every Starbucks out there is packed with laptop-carrying customers.
Other spaces can provide that “third place” feel, like your local library or a museum cafe. However, if you’re trying to find somewhere that everyone else hasn’t yet discovered, you might want to consider a brewery.
Yes, you read that right. Buffalo is home to dozens of breweries and many of them have been designed to have a cool vibe and be a great place for hanging out, not just for drinking.
At Resurgence Brewing Company, for example, you might be able to snag a good spot early in the afternoon and make it through those last few hours of the workday. The brewery’s newest location on Chicago street was built with a purposeful and open design, so it would be welcoming to people for a number of different purposes.
In addition, the easy access self-serve kiosks mean you can order food if needed and take care of yourself with minimal interruptions to your work from waitstaff. You get the dual benefits of being able to plug in your headphones and get to work in an inspiring space, as well as being near a lot of other local conveniences.
4. Find a Hotel Meeting Space.
Just because you’re a remote worker, that doesn’t mean you’ll always work alone. Some remote workers work in areas like sales or business development, which means they may need to meet face-to-face to demonstrate a product or connect with a potential client.
If meeting on-site at the prospect’s location isn’t an option, you may need to find a place where you can connect without being disturbed and where you can have access to multimedia tools to demonstrate your products.
A hotel meeting room might be the perfect fit, since you can reserve the space and be assured that you’ll have privacy, technology access and fast Wi-Fi. Hotels in all different areas and prices ranges can accommodate meetings; our Ellicott Hotels have meeting rooms available at locations throughout the city and offer a wide variety of amenities.
5. Find a Great Space to Take Breaks.
Even if you’re not going to enjoy water cooler chat with your coworkers, you still need to take an occasional break during the day. In fact, taking a short break once an hour is shown to boost productivity over the long run.
However, when you take these breaks, you don’t want to have to get in your car and have a long drive consume most of your break time.
Instead, look for a remote workspace where you can enjoy sitting back, relaxing and chatting with others during shorter breaks, or where you can easily step out to enjoy a walk, a bit of exercise or some appreciation of nature when you want to take a 30-minute or hour long break. The Cooperage is one of the best areas in town for planning out a workday with pleasant and restorative breaks.
After a morning of work at home (if you live in one of The Cooperage apartments, even better! You’re practically there already.), you definitely need to have another option to get away. At this location, you can work out at Central Rock Gym, then set up shop for the remainder of the afternoon/evening at Resurgence Brewing Company.
If you’re a remote worker, you’re probably reading this article on one of your breaks and trying to decide where to spend the rest of your day. The good news is that as a Buffalo worker, you have plenty of options available to allow you to feel both productive and connected as you work.
