For the past few weeks, I’ve been trying out different coworking spaces. Over the summer I’ve worked in everything from cosy town centre cafes to working farm cafes (they had air con but ohhhh did they smell of manure and death…).

The cafes have a great buzz, but they also have screaming kids and the pressure to constantly have an order of food on the go.

Then a few weeks ago I found what I thought was the perfect solution – a cafe that had a coworking area sectioned off. Brilliant!

It turned out though, that cafe customers could use the coworking area, but workers couldn’t use the cafe, so it was just like being in a normal cafe – except I had to pay £10 for the privilege – plus pay for all my food and drink. What’s the point? It took away the guilt of having to buy food but I still bought food so it made no difference. Then one day they played the Oliver soundtrack full blast (you might have seen this on my Instagram stories) and I hot-footed it out of there and never went back.

This week I tried venturing further afield into Brighton. There are tons of coworking offices there, but it’s hard to park so I hadn’t wanted to bother, especially in summer when it’s always rammed and parking is a premium. Plus it’s about 40 mins away (although it turns out this is rather nice as you feel like a commuter and can belt out your tunes in the car!). But it’s vibrant and creative and young, unlike where I live where it’s all old rich people who live on farms, or a generic high street with one hip cafe (oh god I’m old for saying hip).

So I packed my laptop and put on my most Brighton outfit (I have such Brighton hipster imposter syndrome) and ventured Into Town.

The first coworking place I tried was called Projects, and it was so cool. They have free tea, a very fancy building with views over Brighton, lots of dogs, and lots of creative hardworking small-business owners.

On my first day there one guy in the big coworking room I’d set myself up in (there were many options!) had a very important phone call, and when he got off the phone he quietly announced “the investors said yes” and we all cheered, and he cried.

I knew then I’d found my place.

A place where people work hard, achieve big things and celebrate each other’s wins.

There’s another reason I knew I’d found my place though:

I got shit done.

I found a place that made me feel part of the working world, surrounded by other people working, and it also somehow made me take my businesses more seriously. At home it can sometimes feel like you’re playing business. You do laundry, do some Instagram posting, play with the cat, do some emails, maybe half tick off a couple of things on the to-do list. But when you’re surrounded by like-minded people running businesses too, you only focus on your business.

I ticked off ALL the things on my to-do list.

I closed tabs.

I went home and watched TV with no guilt because I’d DONE STUFF. I’d earned it.

In 10 years of being self-employed, I finally felt like a business to be reckoned with.

It’s about £175 a month for 80 hours at this one I loved, but it’s a business investment I’m willing to make. I’ll earn so much more for the productivity it allows me. Not to mention new friends and contacts – who knows where it will lead? And if you can’t afford a coworking space, try a local library – there’s no tea, but at least it’s free to go there! Or offer regular photos in return for membership. Just getting out of your home, your living space, can do your productivity wonders. If there’s nowhere nice where you live, look a bit further out at your nearest city – it could be worth the commute!

If you want a weekly hangout with other photographers to give you a kick up the ass every week, and feel social and pumped to get shit done, have a look at joining us in the membership – it’s £15 a month and you get weekly hangouts on zoom, several epic courses (website, ghosting, pricing etc) and talks/workshops on various topics that will make you more money!