How to Take a Vacation When You Work for Yourself
Self-employed? Taking vacations is essential, and easy to pull off if you plan ahead, communicate, and stand your ground.
Within their day-to-day schedules, freelancers are faced with a unique conundrum – how can they be productive when working alone? Freelancers are allowed a vast amount of freedom. Much like authors beholden to agents, they do not have work hours, simply deadlines. A full-time freelancer can wake up, open a laptop, and start work without leaving bed. Unfortunately, this much freedom does not breed productivity in everyone. There happen to be several distractions that can easily get in the way of work. Freelancers in cities, such as New York, however, have the advantage of being able to rent out coworking spaces, or temporary office spaces, in order to be able to work in a focused, professional environment. Being in an office environment, while maintaining autonomy, can make freelancers work harder and more efficiently than they would at home alone. The below New York City temporary office spaces are some of the best for freelancers in the area. Freelancers bring their talent, and these spaces provide the rest.
Office Sharing: PivotDesk
This is not so much one shared office space as it is many. PivotDesk is an office sharing marketplace that matches up companies with excess office space, with those that need it on a flexible basis. Offices with extra space are able to create a posting on the PivotDesk website detailing their availability and rates. Freelancers can peruse PivotDesk for available spaces. Once they find one they may like, they contact the host and the two exchange information and arrange a tour of the space. If the host decides the guest is a good match for their space, an invitation is sent and the guest is allowed to move in.
A Space for New York’s Writers: Paragraph
Any freelancer looking for a no-frills, no-nonsense, affordable space need not look further than Paragraph. This space, located right next to Union Square, describes itself in five words as ‘A Quiet Place to Write.’ Paragraph is an enormous loft divided into a writing room and a kitchen/cafe space, with soundproofed walls separating the two. It provides all members with lockers, high speed internet, and free printing. Additionally, Paragraph has the amenity of free coffee and tea, a Facebook community board, and a ‘passport membership,’ for members who want to find a similar space when traveling to Chicago and Toronto. Day passes, part time memberships, and full time membership are all available, and none extend above $205.
Supportive Coworking: Alley
With three locations in New York City, and more on to come, Alley is spreading supportive coworking communities across Manhattan. Alley spaces can be found in Chelsea and Midtown, all containing open areas, desks, and private offices. Their buildings can be accessed at any time, any day of the week, and are supplied with a large list of amenities. For example, any member of Alley is privy to discounts, coffee, kitchen space, happy hour invitations, mailboxes, and more. For freelancers who want to work at Alley all the time, monthly payment plans are available. Anyone with different needs has the option to pay a daily rate.
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Counteracting New York City Stress: Nomadworks
Nomadworks is your destination for premium coworking. Located in the heart of Manhattan, just steps away from Penn Station, Nomadworks is the perfect business hub for freelancers, startups, and established companies alike. They pride themselves on the inclusive nature of their community, as well as providing the flexibility you need to get your business growing.
The Big Name on the Block: WeWork
This coworking space has exploded in New York City, as it now has several locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn. With its motto being ‘Do What You Love,’ WeWork is dedicated to providing its members with everything necessary for an uninterrupted work day. Its offices have been home to tens of thousands of freelancers, entrepreneurs, and larger startup companies, all connected through the WeWork social network. Every location hosts monthly events that range from educational workshops to happy hours for entire buildings. Every floor of a WeWork building has a different layout, so members are able to pick and choose to work in whatever space fits their mood. Other membership benefits include a network of thousands of potential customers, phone booths, conference rooms, partnership discounts, and a constant supply of coffee, tea, fruit water, and beer on tap.
