To get things started on this change to posting more often here, I will be looking at making some theme changes, for the moment, the default theme for WordPress is going to be showing, as the theme I was using was quite dated, I think. However the the theme will not be the only thing to change here.

One of the first things that I would like to do with the website here is work towards build more of a community here. The first step in this will be looking for input in the form of guest posts from other people who are working with No Fixed Office. Because to be honest my experience in working with No Fixed Office, is a fairly closed and narrow representation of what is really out there. So I really want to get some other people’s experiences to share with everyone out there. If you would like to submit a guest post please visit the Contact Page and get in touch, to discuss your interest.

At some point this will also include adding a forum to the site however the last thing that I want to do is, add this on to quickly. I am also a little unsure at this point of the best way to implement this. So suggestions are always welcome.

I look forward to your suggestions or thoughts on the site here and hope that I can get back to providing you with some great information in the near future.

It is really one of the quite attractive parts of working with no fixed office.  The ability to be able to take your work with you and spend the afternoon working in a coffee shop is something that I am sure many people would prefer then having to sit in a small office, be it at home or as part of your job. Trying not to get distracted by other things that could just as easily take your attention, eg coworkers, meetings, email, and the likes at work, or when in a home office things like TV, kids, games, or anything else around the home.

While taking your work to a coffee shop will not avoid all these distractions all the time, it can be sometimes easier to set the differentiation between what you are doing and what distractions you will encounter. But we will take a look at how some of the distractions can be avoided by going and working on a full time coffee break at a coffee shop.

Co-workers – This will be an easy distraction to avert, as it can come down to most of your co-workers will not be willing or able to step outside like you are. Of course if you are planning to go and work in a cafe for the afternoon, ensure you have it approve by your boss, but this often will not be overly difficult if you can prove increased productivity, and may even lead to you needing to work less hours to get the same amount of work done. As long as you can actually buckle down and get it done.

E-Mail – This distraction can be a tricky one to avoid. Everyone seems to try and work with email, to get in touch with clients, management, and other co-workers. One way to negate this distraction is to not connect to your email when out of the office, leave email to be checked in the office, and make anyone who may really need to contact you aware they will need to contact you by phone.

The distractions that you encounter when working from a home office are going to be a little easier to negate when you are working in a cafe or other remote office location, but lets look at the benefits.

TV – This is a no brainer, while you do find that many cafe’s have a TV in the store somewhere and it may be switched on, it is probably going to be rare the show is one that you are interested and often times the sound is off or turned down low anyway. Working in a cafe really does make it that much more difficult to just get up from your work work and go and sit in front of the TV to watch a football game or other show.

Kids – This is another easy one. By taking yourself out of the home, away from where children might be, it makes that definite cut between being at home, and working. Do ensure that children have proper supervision, of course. But children can be a big distraction as most of the time they do not realize or understand the differentiation between playing and working.

These are really just some of the distractions that you can face there are many different distractions which will be different for everyone, the challenge comes down to identifying these distractions and ensuring that your stepping out of the office or home, and going to get your work done in a cafe is actually going to make a difference to the distraction.

The first change I knew I had to make was to get something better to use to carry both my laptop and my camera in. I got a backpack, which was a perfect fit for the job. It had a pocket which will hold up to a 15in notebook, Even though mine is only 12″ it still does the job. The bottom of the bag fits the footprint of my Camera bag perfectly. While it did cost a little $90, this was considerably less expensive then an equivalent, specialized camera bag, which were starting around twice the price. Good Choice all in all I think.

The second issue I had was connectivity with the 3G broadband, I suppose this is however not something that you always have a lot of control over. I know on this trip staying right in the center of the city would have made a considerably difference to staying in a suburb not so close to the town center. So this in particular will potentially more depend on where you need to stay then anything else. If you can get in closer to the city center you will probably have a better chance then if you are getting away from the city.

Finally I have found a new sort of issue in taking my office with me. In particular is that I do realize there are some limitations to the laptop that I have to travel with. I purchased it mainly for the longer battery life, and smaller lighter size. Unfortunately doing this at a reasonable price can impact the performance to some degree. I have not really had any problems when using the internet, or word processing, it is more when I have been doing some work with photos. However I suppose from a netbook, you shouldn’t expect to much really. I may try adding some more memory if it has space and see if this helps to improve performance, otherwise I can work around the speed, I just need to be more patient.

Overall though the trip worked out pretty well. There is really only one more problem to solve, to actually get a business going to make use of the portable office more efficiently when on the move. So onto the drawing board, and if you would like to read any more about the holiday to Melbourne, you can visit my other blog at www.joelbrown.com.au, for all the day to day happenings.

The first thing that I quickly realized was an issue was the carry on luggage that I had. When you are carrying a Laptop and a Digital SLR camera, you want to try and avoid damage to them anyway possible. So rather then taking them in two separate bags, I improvised with a carry bag, it was really to big and impractical really. So this time I am going to go shopping tomorrow looking for a single bag which will hold both the camera, and laptop and accessories. This is going to cost a bit of money, i think. However it will be a good investment for future travel. Preferably I will be looking for a backpack style bag, however if there is something else just as convenient I will consider that as well.

The other problem I encountered was that even in Australia’s Capital Mobile reception is not that great everywhere. This time being that I am going to be staying in the center or pretty close to center of the city, that i will be able to expect close to the best coverage. If I find poor reception this time traveling I think that it will be time to look at a different mobile broadband provider, with better reception and coverage areas.

These were really the only two challenges that I had before, the only other issue was getting through security checks, however i think that this will be more then solved with the new carry bag/backpack bag that I am looking to buy.

So it is going to be an interesting week come 20th March, to see just how I go at getting through the week away with my portable office. This could be an interesting turning point, maybe. If it all works well I can be sure that I will definitely be looking for a career that allows me to do more traveling.

This is where the concept of having No Fixed Office can really come into it’s own. It makes it easy to keep the business running no matter where you are. However this does not mean that when you go away on holidays that you are going to be working all the time because you are just taking your business with you. No if you set the business up correctly it can be much the opposite, the business continuing with a minimal involvement from yourself.

Decrease work levels – The first thing if you are planning a holiday is to lower the work your are scheduling for that period. The last thing you want is to be working on a large project while you are suppose to be enjoying yourself on vacation. This could mean cutting back your advertising for a period leading up to your time off. Or working a little harder to get things finished before your holiday, if they are going to be due while away or not long after your return.

Ensure staff have procedures – If you employee staff, be sure they have a set framework they can work in. Even give them a little control of what they need to do. Giving them a little more control can mean less interruptions for you. For example, maybe you find that you get about 10 instances a day where a member of your staff needs to ask you what to. You could set a procedure that staff can make the decision what to do if it is going to cost the business less then $20 or take less then 15 minutes to complete. For the most part staff often know what they should do, and the time spent confirming this with you is often not needed.

Let Customers Know – Depending on your customer base just getting in touch and letting your customers know that you are going to be away on leave for a certain time. Can be enough to lower your work load for the time. You can still be available in emergencies, but it can slow down all the little things that just crop up.

Depending upon how you choose to set up your business and how you approach the leave that you want to take will be a very big factor in just how your business will survive when you take a holiday. It is often something that is not even thought about until you want to take your holiday and by that time you often find it to be quite difficult to do without spending a huge effort just to make it possible.

• The Carrybag – It seems that the carry bag which I own, that will fit pretty much all my gear in, is actually to large for carry on luggage. However all i really needed was my newest laptop (Samsung NC20) Which is no issue to fit in as carry on. However i also needed to take my Camera (Canon DSLR EOS 450D). Had to find something to fit them both into for next time, i made use of a half measure this time. More so to keep them together and minimize the chance of either getting moved around to much. But very much a to do item, to find a good in between bag which will fit both.
• Security Checks – This sort of goes along with the need for a better solution for a carry bag for traveling. As it seems that getting a laptop out of it’s carry bag, which is inside another bag, and has a camera bag on top of it inside that, is not that easy. Getting it back in means almost repacking this bag entirely. Which I have no problem with, security is the top priority, just something you learn from.
• Connectivity – Of course with maintaining blogs, having internet connectivity is important. I had thought going to the Capital of Australia, would have had better mobile reception. However I was a little wrong. While, there may be good reception in the City Center, the purpose of my trip did not bring me to the city center except for one morning. The hotel I stayed in Hawker, i was lucky to get a connection, on GPRS, and this was slow, Additionally the connections I achieved at Nicholls, was similar. While I was able to connect at 3G speeds at Latham, however this was still slower then i was used to achieving in Brisbane’s outer suburbs. Maybe I was in a bad area or who knows, not something though that it is easy to find out about before hand though. As Coverage maps can only go so far.

There were some good points however in this experience, I have a better understanding of what i personally need to make travel and a portable office work now. Additionally, I was glad to have made my acquisition of this smaller and lighter laptop (Samsung NC20) as even this with my Camera, felt a lot heavier by the time i boarded the plane. The longer battery life was also a good bonus, it meant charging was only required at night and one time during the day (on Monday when i used it a lot more).

All in all I can see that traveling and working with a mobile office is something much more then doable, it is a habit for many people (you just need to look at the number of people using their laptop sitting in the airport. But more then this it is going to be something that i will do a lot more of.

Every industry has companies that land somewhere between great and poor customer service. It would seem that all businesses look at what sort of customer service they provide in different ways. Some will be priced higher and provide better customer service, while others will sell at low prices and provide the absolute minimum customer service that they have to.

The biggest problem that i find with companies and the customer service they provide, is often the difference between the service they promote and they claim to provide, and the actual reality is quite different. It would seem that they want to be seen as providing something, but then feel they can almost get away without providing it but still get the boost from claiming to provide it. This has started to become more visible to me, especially in how i want to work with No Fixed Office. Lets take a look at one industry that best fits here specifically, that being Cafe’s where as a mobile worker we do most of our work.

CAFE CUSTOMER SERVICE

What’s on offer – When you look at cafe’s there are a few different style’s of customer service which you will encounter. Each is dependent upon the type of establishment, and is often reflected in the prices.

• Counter Service only – In reality these are not really Cafe’s however there are a number of different businesses that could be seen in this category. They mostly offer Coffee and Cake take away options without seating (or very little) and is usually reflective in the price.
• Counter/Table Service – This is similar to the above however you place your order and it is served at the table. Pricing is entirely relative, you pay a little more for being able to sit down and have the order brought to your table. Dependent upon the cafe though you may still need to wait for your order at the counter and take it to the table yourself.
• Full Table Service – Just as the name suggests this is where you are fully served at the table. In other words you can walk in and sit down, have a menu brought to you, have your order taken at the table, and served to you at the table. Of course this service is a little going to cost a little more in the price of food and drinks, however it can often make it easier.

What to expect – As you may see there can be a big difference and there is certainly a different in the pricing as well. The difference can be anywhere up to 30-50% more for table service. Which is maybe rightfully so. There are definitely more cost associated with providing full table service in leasing of space, additional staff, costs of furniture and reusable cups and glasses, and a need to wash it all up.

Why this post – Well maybe you are asking why this post and why the focus on Cafe’s particularly. Well as a mobile worker we rely on cafe’s often as a quick place to work and easy to get a cup of coffee or something to eat or drink. For many people, but i know for myself especially i choose where i go for the level of service.

I choose the cafe that i go to because of the fact they offer Full Table Service. I also am happy to pay the little bit extra for that service. What i cannot stand though are cafe’s that claim full table service that do not really provide it. Now with table service you have to be willing to accept a little variance in time to take the order and getting that order to your table, and the busier the cafe the longer this might take. Which i can completely understand.

However I have been becoming more aware of a drop in service at the cafe that i am very much a regular at. Where for quite some time the level of service often saw me with a coffee in less then 5 minutes. However more recently this has been more like 10-15 minutes to take my order, and on occasion anything up to 30 minutes before getting a drink at the table. While on occasion this has not been much of an issue for me, as i always have something to do on the laptop. With it becoming more frequent and longer wait time, it just becoming more and more obvious to me, that the extra I end up paying for the table service, is not worth the extra.

Whats the morale – The first part of the morale starts with the fact that due to the service getting worse there is a good chance that i will be making a change in the cafe that i visit often. This leads to the second part, you need to ensure that your business can live up to the claim of the service that it is going to claim to provide. If as a Cafe you want to offer Full Table Service, then you need to be sure that is what you are able to offer, not just in the respect of eventually, but in a reasonable time frame that the customer is going to be happy with.

So take a look at your customer service level, even find someone that can test the level of service provided by your business, and be sure that the service provided when you are there is the same as the service provided when you are not.

This can often be caused by a lack of space that helps to build motivation, creativity and productivity. The space that is often used for working at home, is just a spare of the moment spot on the dining table or pushing a pile of other things out of the way on a desk. Having a truly workable space does require a little effort but it can be greatly rewarding in the increased productivity and amount of work that you can manage to get done.

There are a few simple places that you can start, and often the hardest part if just getting started.

DESIGNATE AN AREA

Creating a specific area for your business work is possibly the most important first step. Having something that is a specific area, and separated even if only by a small space, can greatly help. It helps to make that first step of actually seeing that you are operating a business and not just playing with a hobby.

MINIMIZE CLUTTER

Clutter and unneeded accessories are your worst enemy. They not only take up space, and make the area feel more confined. It will make it hard to find things, and more difficult in some respects to get work done. There are of course some things that you probably do need. Things like a pen or two, a notepad and maybe file trays. Beyond this there are not many things that you really need to keep on your desk. There are many things that people think they need to make it look like an office or work space but in fact they are just distractions. Try to avoid wasting not only your time and money buying these distractions, but also the space you would have to store them in.

HAVE GOOD STORAGE SPACE

Having good storage space is essential for maintaining a clear and organised work space, which in turn leads to better productivity. While you don’t really need to store a lot there is always a certain amount of files and records that need to be maintained along with price lists and brochures, and such. So  one almost essential item, is a Filing Cabinet, either 2 or 4 draws. Depending upon your needs of course. As long as you do not have huge amounts of things to store, then often the filing cabinet can be useful for both files and many other items.

Really it can be that simply, creating a clear, clutter free space with suitable storage, can be all that it takes to create a better more productive home office area at home. Possibly the only additional item you may like to consider a combination corkboard/whiteboard, to keep track of important tasks and items that may be coming up.without cluttering you desk with notes and reminders.

The innovation that i believe drives many with no fixed office to innovate is the idea of making things, quicker, easier or just more flexible. Working without an office people often look for all of these things. The idea of No fixed office is based in increasing productivity, while bringing down the amount of time that you dedicate to creating or managing your business.

In most cases innovation comes from a need, anyone of the needs mentioned, quicker, easier or more flexible. In many ways when you work in a normal office much of the need does not exist. You often don’t need to think about how many things you have around price books, samples, brochures, and any number of other things that take up so much space. However when you have no fixed office you need to find ways to eliminate these things. Price books become electronic, then web based, and finally integrated between your back end version which updates your website as well. Which often can be automated. Which often can be seen as innovation straight away.

Another area that people will tend to try and automate, or innovate is invoicing, or accounts. Almost one of the key area’s that people don’t like to have to deal with any more then they need to. While this area often does not get innovated as much as automated, there are times that both will be important. I have seen systems and know of people that create elaborate systems, that require little effort from themselves but take care of so much of the important items required of them.

One of the most interesting aspects of the innovation that is created because of having no fixed office. Is the fact that the people who create the innovation think of it generally as just something they did, to make their life easier. To save some time to give them an extra 15 or 20 minutes for other tasks or to spend with their family. But most often the surprising aspect is that they think nothing of what possibly could be a giant achievement, and have great potential as a product to others, yet they see it has something they threw together to help them.

Having no fixed office really is the best chance and the biggest reason to innovate how you do business. Find a way to do away with the cumbersome amount of paperwork that you might have otherwise ended up with. Look for time saving automation which will cut your work day in half. Find ways to make it easier for customers to connect and deal with your business. Just get out there and take the chance and it may just help you see what is possible, and why having no fixed office is great.

It should come as no surprise that when you work with other people you are going to find yourself involved with quite a number of different types of people. Interesting people, helpful people, inspiring people, annoying people, rude people, and even some scary people. Depending on the job that you end up taking you can encounter these people in different ways, through working with them, or for them, as customers and as consultants, and through random happenings.

The one thing that you will find in almost all cases is that you can very, very quickly place most people you encounter into one group or another. Which is really the truth behind the “First 30 seconds counts”. While in time some people might move from one category to another, in general that first impression will often count the most.

Often there are also a number of other things that you will come to find show through in many people the longer you work with them. Beyond the first impressions, the second thing you will find you quickly can notice is which people you are working with are the hard workers, which are willing to help you and also which are getting by with doing as little as actually possible. This is unfortunate for some as often it leads to a great inequality in just how well some people will do, and really gives little if any incentive sometimes for the brighter people to actually move forward.

Another of the more common things that i have found to be more disturbing then enlightening in anyway is the fact that some people just do not get it. It can be literally anything, how to do the job, what working actually entails, or why they need to really use common sense when they are working. This can often be such a large problem that you sometimes even have to wonder how people actually live theit life, let alone get by as they do in the job they are doing.

While some of these things, i am sure that you really dont want to have to experience working with, there are potentially some benefits that can be gained. For one the appreciation of working for yourself and not having to work with people that often make things more difficult. Additionally it can help you to create a better idea of what type of people can help you move forward and which will do nothing more then pull you backwards, and knowing which is which can be a decent benefit for  little inconvienience.