MakeSpace For A Home Office

People like to joke about freelancers working from bed in pajamas, but to truly crush it as a freelancer, you’ve got to find a spot where you feel comfortable and productive. In New York City, where space is at such a premium, it can be tough to find a comfortable workstation around your apartment. Here are a few ways to upgrade your work station:

Create A Cozy Home Office

If you really just loving working from under the covers, invest in an ergonomic laptop stand, like Rain Design’s iLap. It’ll protect you from carpal tunnel and keep your hot MacBook away from your sensitive legs.

But working from home doesn’t have to mean working from bed; lots of freelancers find that they have a hard time working in the bedroom — naps are way too tempting. That’s why Forbes recommends setting up a designated work area that is far from your bed and the refrigerator.

If you’re having a hard time finding space in your tiny apartment for a home-office, don’t give up hope! Consider investing in a writing desk, or something similarly compact. If you don’t even have enough floor space for a small desk, a folding option might be the way to go. At $30, IKEA’s wall-mounted, drop-leaf Norbo table is as aesthetically pleasing as it is affordable.

If you’re really cramped, try using MakeSpace to declutter and move some of your stuff into storage so that your home-office will be comfortable and spacious.

Get Out In The World

Maybe you’re the kind of person who gets lonely working at home and thrives on the energy of being surrounded by other people hard at work. Cafes are nice, but for more serious projects, a coworking space is probably going to be your best bet.

There are tons of these fun productivity centers all over New York, like AlleyNYC, WeWork. or The Yard. These entrepreneurial hubs are full of go-getters who will keep you inspired and might even be able to help you out with any problems you run into.

If you just need an office for a day or two, Breather offers on-demand office and conference room rentals.

Be a Technomad

If you’ve got the kind of job where you rarely meet with clients and can more or less set your own hours, consider taking a page out of Tyler Tringas’ book and leaving the United States behind. You can probably do what you do now for a lot less money in a developing country, and you might even be able to work from the beach!

If you’re looking for even more freelancing tips, be sure to check out the Freelancers Union’s blog.