Working remote is all fun and games until the WiFi runs out. For everyone who is new to working remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic, here’s the one thing you need to plan for before you take a “workation”.
Laptop, Suitcase, Coworking Space?
Working remotely is the best. Until its not. Trust me – I’ve been doing it since 2012. With a laptop in hand, heck even just a smart phone, you can get way more work done and be more productive that bosses would like you to think. That is until you can’t find a quiet place to host that zoom call, or if your internet connection is slow as a snail.
If you’ve never been worried about working while on vacation, the most basic internet speeds can easily suffice. Posting pics on Instagram, checking weather and email is easy on any mobile LTE device if you happen to not even have WiFi. But, what if you need to download a 3 GB file from the cloud? Or if you’re trying to host a really important conference call where going off camera isn’t an option?
Hotels are notorious for offering slow WiFi (or charging an arm and a leg for higher speeds). And, when it comes to vacation rentals, who knows what you will encounter. Even if the host wanted to offer high speed internet, a lot of rural destinations where we’re all renting lake houses and the like don’t have the infrastructure.
So, what do you need? You need to have a backup… coworking space.
Better Safe Than Sorry
Hear me out: it only takes 5-10 minutes to search for a coworking space on Google Maps. If you’re betting on 5+ days of working/playing/relaxation, what’s more stressful than showing up and by day 2, have to throw in the towel because you can’t get work done? There are coworking spaces opening up every day and in more and more areas you wouldn’t normally think.
The best part is that you don’t HAVE to use the space, but if a technology issue persists, you can already be informed and have a plan. Rather than frantically searching for something. And for those of you saying “I’ll just find a Starbucks…” good luck finding any cafe these days with an open lobby welcoming customers. Not to mention, most coworking spaces offer their first day for free, or you can use a handy dandy app like Deskpass, Proximity Nomad, Coworker.com, LiquidSpace, etc.
All in all – it’s the easiest thing to “pack” to ensure a stress free workation.
The post Here’s One Thing You Need for a Successful “Workation” was first published on Coworkaholic.