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No Office, No Problem

Where the Inc. staff worked in an officeless month, and what we learned

Courtesy subject

Inc.’s Kalina Mazur at the main branch of the New York Public Library

Home office

Cost: Free
Focus Factor: High
Don't Forget: To be courteous to your spouse
Best For: Solitary work. Private phone calls. Wearing slippers
Avoid When: You have small children or noisy neighbors

Beach

Cost: Free
Focus Factor: Very low
Don't Forget: Your mobile broadband card
Best For: Swimming. Sunbathing. Light e-mailing
Avoid When: You have actual work to do. During hurricane season

Coffee shop

Cost: Moderate
Focus Factor: Low
Don't Forget: To tip your barista
Best For: Human contact. Casual meetings
Avoid When: You need to focus

Library

Cost: Free
Focus Factor: Very high
Don't Forget: Headphones
Best For: Writing. Finding a good mystery novel
Avoid When: You are expecting a phone call

Co-working space

Cost: Moderate
Focus Factor: Moderate
Don't Forget: To reserve space ahead of time
Best For: A change of pace
Avoid When: You need privacy

Conventional office*

Cost: Expensive
Focus Factor: Moderate
Don't Forget: To take a shower
Best For: Meeting with clients. Collaborating. Foosball
Avoid When: You need peace and quiet

*We admit it. A few of us cheated occasionally.

Senior contributing writer Max Chafkin has profiled companies such as Yelp, Zappos, Twitter, Threadless, and Tesla for the magazine. He lives in Brooklyn, New York. @chafkin