Cofficers - A New Breed in a New Economy

Vicky Weiss, a Toronto blogger and social media pro spends five days a week, in coffee shops – different ones – working.  She’s a cofficer, a new breed of freelancer, who has traditionally worked from home  but now finds herself bored, lonely and demotivated when working solo in mid-town Toronto. 

“I get distracted too easily when I work from home,” says Vicky.  “There’s lots of stuff to do that weighs on my mind when I’m there – and besides, I’m a people’s person – so working solo just does not cut it.” 

Vicky works from different coffee shops – some within walking distance of her home, others a short drive.  And if parking isn’t fee – she keeps away.   It’s not the commute to the office every day that bothers Vicky at all – in fact the change in routine is welcome.   Rather Vicky is concerned about getting reliable internet, a comfortable chair and table, and the perfect coffee wherever she happens to be – all life-bloods of her small social media business.

“It does happen from time-to-time that the store I happen to choose on any given day is experiencing internet connectivity issues – and well – that really sucks,” says Vicky.  “Without it, I can do nothing – but fortunately, the technology has developed such that it’s pretty reliable in North America now – so it’s almost never down these days.”

The coffee shops like it a lot too.   On a recent trip to a Peet’s Coffee Shop in Manhattan, I noted several people who appeared to be working on their computers.  When I returned four hours later, those same several people were there – still working.  Some were using Skype.  Others email, while others seemed to be conducting face-to-face business meetings, all over what seemed to me like countless cups of steaming java.

Closer to home, The Mad Bean Coffee House on Eglinton Avenue, hosts numerous cofficers daily in addition to mommies with toddlers and dating couples.   It’s a mixed-crowd.

“We’ve tried to create an ambience that is as conducive to working as it is for socializing,” said Brian Roxborough, the store’s owner.  The Mad Bean has about a dozen cofficers, most of who spend between 3 and 7 hours every day seated at one of the cafe’s tables – working.  And Brian doesn’t mind at all.  “Cofficers are welcome here.   We have made it inviting.  There are lots of power outlets too.  Cofficers tend to be quiet, focus on their work, and don’t say too much.  They also order several coffees a day, and eat as well – and even if they didn’t – they’re welcome.”

The Mad Bean Coffee House

Brian’s store has an aura of tranquility.  There is soft music playing.  The ambience is alluring – almost sensual.   Also, it’s not frenzied and frighteningly hot, like some of the other coffee shops I’ve visited which quite frankly, I’d have a hard time concentrating in. 

But not all coffee shops share Brian’s sentiment.   Peter Dore-Smith owns Kaffeine, a coffee shop in London, England.  The shop does not offer wi-fi at all (even for a fee) – and is no more than 60 feet away from a coffee shop that does.

“We founded Kaffeine on the notion that we be about socializing, not sitting in deathly silence glued to a computer.  We are not an internet café – we are a great coffee shop – and will always be just that – a place where you can get great coffee and sandwiches.

Kaffeine’s not a big store.  Despite the fact it’s only 400 square feet large, more than 3,000 people a week visit it – no-one using internet.  According to Smith, he likes patrons to stay less than 45 minutes in the store.   And most do.  As hospitable as he is, short stays are better than long ones.

Rasool Verjee is a global entrepreneur that commutes between London, Paris and his native Nairobi – spending equal time in each city.  His office is the local coffee shop – wherever in the world that may be.  Rasool loves the variety and the diverse clientele each store attracts.  He likes the high-end stores in Nairobi, often spending between eight and twelve hours a day in each store where he has several cups of coffee (straight black – mild please) and at least two – and sometimes – three meals. 

“It’s an adventure for me,” says  Rasool.  “I like going to the mom-and-pop type coffeeshops over the chain stores.  The internet always works and they tend to make excellent coffee – better than the chains in fact.” 

Reliable internet is not an issue for Rasool,  however, like Vicky, sometimes finding enough outlets can be a pain-in-the-derriere.  Rasool says that it’s often not easy to power up his iPad and Blackberry, given the scarcity of electrical outlets and the many people needing power to keep their devices juiced.  He predicts this to worsen as more and more people like him work from coffee shops, requiring their myriad electronic devices to be powered in today’s always-connected economy.

Meanwhile, it’s all business for Vicky and Rasool.  Vicky’s making her way to a client meeting – this time at her client’s office.  And as for Rasool, he plans on spending the day at one of his favorite coffee boites in Toronto – a place called Jet Fuel that according to Rasool makes a wicked coffee.