Outdoor and mobile home offices
It’s always good to have a change of environment, and many home workers jump at the chance to work outside or on the move. We hope our gallery of outdoor and mobile home offices will inspire you.
Outdoor and mobile home offices
‘I cycle regularly and always stop here at my favourite resting spot – a disused church with patches left for wildlife and a stone bench that makes a perfect desk. It’s a wonderful place to write and the creative juices always start to flow here.
The church spire got bent over by high winds when a flag was hoisted to celebrate Queen Victoria’s coronation. Can’t help wondering who scaled the spire to place the flag, what were they wearing, what were they thinking about, what were their lives like?
Also, inside the church there’s a choirstall with graffiti from naughty 18th century choirboys!’
Linda Anderson, EFT Coach & Trainer, tapintoyoursuccess.co.uk
‘As much as I love my office I was starting to feel I was missing out on this lovely weather. The table actually comes from a German Beer Festival and was definitely not getting enough use, so I set myself up with a LogMeIn account and moved myself into the garden. It was so simple to do. Now my laptop controls my PC; everything that’s on there is accessible to me including the ability to print. It means that I can work from anywhere be that the garden, my daughter’s house or even a field. It’s like taking a little holiday – and being in a different location certainly seems put the ‘zing’ back into work!’
Sheena Russell, Executive PA
‘It took me a while to realise that working from home meant I didn’t have to sit at my desk every day. Fortunately the penny dropped and now you’re just as likely to find me on the sofa or in a café. But as soon as we get a sniff of sunshine, I’m in the garden. The parasol (just visible in the top right) is essential and I follow the patch of shade around the table. The laundry on the line is a reminder that I don’t just work at home; my whole life is here, hence my blog.’
Liz Proctor, charity fundraising consultant, writer and blogger at liveandworkathome.wordpress.com
‘The photo on the right is of my home office in summer, which is just outside the house, an old Victorian school we converted from derelict, but never straying too far from the wireless signal & the kettle. This is the inside/outside place which is great when I’m drawing and don’t want to be distracted by household chores.’
Katy Duke, director, www.thermalblind.co.uk
‘This is my office away from my office, and one of my favourite spaces for working. It’s on the veranda of my home and where I come when I want to take myself down a notch or two because that’s when the creative ideas flow. So I write my articles and newsletters from here or respond to emails while listening to the birds and the trees. It’s a good place for keeping up with reading and attending webinars too. The only “trouble” is, it’s not a place you can get in and out of in a hurry, so if I forget to bring the phone with me and someone rings….well, thankfully there’s voicemail!’
Veronica, business growth strategist, Queensland, Australia, www.veronicalim.com
‘In 2006 my family and I downshifted from a busy city life to the middle of nowhere in South West Scotland. I now work from home (a farmhouse on a hill) surrounded by peace and quiet. As a therapist and business mentor, I advise taking time out and so in the spirit of ‘walking my talk’ I take every opportunity to connect with the natural space all around me and can be found typing away on my laptop in the garden listening to the birds and being grateful for my new life and my stunning office view.’
Heather Bestel, business mentor, www.MumsGotaBusiness.com
‘I moved to Calvados, NW France with my husband almost 9 years ago. After a lifetime in the civil service, I thought I was ready to kick back and do nothing more than make jam and watch the grass grow… That dream didn’t last long, and I now love working from my home office, where I can take a break from cold calling to potter in the garden, take the dogs for a walk, or feed the chickens and ducks. I can’t imagine ever being employed again!
‘I am developing the social networking strategy for First Rate FX, a firm of currency specialists in Canary Wharf, and I also give presentations – in French – to French firms who export goods or who have clients across currency boundaries. Alongside that, I set up the Normandy Business Group for entrepreneurs who do business in or with Normandy. I’m currently talking to French officials (and anyone else!) about Normandy Jelly – or ‘Le Coworking’ as it is called here!’
Judy Mansfield, www.firstratefx.com
I still get pathetically excited when my site is spotted around the world and somebody far away sends in their picture! Today’s is not only from the USA but also slightly different 🙂
‘I’m a trial attorney with the Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney in Lynchburg, Virginia, where I prosecute misdemeanor and felony offenses. I still commute to a (government) office building each day, but I do most of my work at the courthouse on my iPad waiting for my cases to be called. Each of my case files are stored electronically, and I use my iPad to call witnesses with Skype, perform legal research, and stay connected via email. As I write in my blog, working with my iPad is truly a walking office of sorts. So, I present my “home office”.’
Robert Dean, www.about.me/redean
1. Post-it notes. To feed my addiction
2. Business cards. Always have a stash!
3. Pens. All sorts. Preferably not blue.
4. Notebook. A pretty one. I’ll never have one of those cheap, generic, ugly ones I used to have in the office!
5. Chocolate. For emergencies.
6. BlackBerry. Email, phone and Twitter on the go.
7. Mobile internet. Most places have free wi-fi now, but I have this on hand just in case they don’t … or just in case I want to work in the sun!
8. Other essentials. Lip balm, tissues, hand cream and mints, usually.
9. BlackBerry USB cable. I’ve been caught out by a dead battery before, so I keep this cable with my laptop in case I need to recharge.
Fortunately, I’m a social media VA, so I don’t need much equipment. My office is my laptop bag. This means I can work wherever I fancy on a given day – home, a cafe, a pub, a posh hotel, a collaborative working space, anywhere!
Sheree Lowe, social media VA, www.sundowneradmin.com
Archie Workman lives in Cumbria in the tranquil Crake Valley, which flows from Lake Coniston into Morecambe Bay. He works three days a week at home and four about his 50ft narrowboat “Whyayeman” on the Shropshire Union canal!
‘I have the best of both lives,’ says Archie, a business adviser and mentor to small companies through his consultancy called “The Gamechanger”. ‘I help people change their game by using my network of contacts and experiences working for regional and sub-regional development agencies, it’s not just about me! Many people work from their boat on the 2,000 miles of the UK canal system. I use mine to slow people down and think!’
Archie Workman, business adviser and mentor to small companies, www.gamechanger.co.uk
‘I have a home office and a home-from-home office. My home-from-home office is a room above the library at a local society I belong to. One of the challenges of working from home with your partner is what happens when we have looming deadlines or extra concentration required tasks. I come here to my sanctuary. It’s a lovely little space, book lined on all 4 walls and with a lovely cosy vibe. The feeling of being surrounded by books both ancient and modern while I am tapping away on my sexy shiny laptop is a glorious one. It’s even staffed by a handy librarian. The only problem are the 25 000 books in the main library downstairs. Such temptation.’
Rosie Slosek, www.onemanbandaccounting.co.uk
‘We don’t often experience sunshine here in the UK, so when we get one of those rare sunny days I hate the thought of being cooped-up inside, so I take my office outdoors. My garden is south-facing so it can get a bit hot at times, hence the parasol, but there’s something about being out in the fresh air that gets the brain working. Working in the field of natural skincare and holistic health, I find being surrounded by the beautiful flowers and herbs of the garden, as well as the bees and butterflies going about their daily habits, to be a real source for inspiration.’
Sami Blackford, holistic skincare specialist, www.love-yourself-naturally.com
