Spring Break
Business percolates in cafes
Cindy Krischer Goodman-->McClatchy Newspapers
Issue date: 10/11/06 Section: News
- Page 1 of 2 next >
|
In a world made increasingly mobile by laptops, Wi-Fi and cell phones, coffee shops and bookstores are becoming the trendy place for small businesses to hang their shingles.
Fitness trainer Terrence Thomas, 32, regularly stakes out a spot in Borders or Starbucks. On this day, Thomas wears his polo shirt emblazoned with his company logo, a free billboard for his upstart business. He checks his e-mail and zips off a few, too. His new office in Hallandale Beach, Fla., will be ready soon. In the meantime, the Aventura Borders suits him fine.
"I'll probably come here even when I have an office," Thomas said. "You know, for a change of pace."
Many people spend a good chunk of their workday in these virtual extensions of their office, where the rich, nutty scent of coffee mixes with entrepreneurial flavor. Some are here for convenience. Others for cafe culture. And some because doing business in public makes them feel important.
It is the "vibe" of Starbucks on the northern outskirts of downtown Miami that draws Thomas Boisvert. Where some see a table and chairs, Boisvert sees a spot ideal for holding business meetings.
At 1:30 p.m., Boisvert has settled into a suede corner chair with his file cabinet on the floor next to him, his laptop plugged into the outlet, his cappuccino and cell phone resting on a small table. It will be seven hours before Boisvert, who works as program director for Teach for America, leaves the coffee shop. For now, he clacks on his keyboard and eyes the chair next to him, trying to get dibs before his lineup of afternoon appointments (stroll in) join him. Boisvert prefers Starbucks to his real office in South Miami, for the coffee and ambience.
"The employees here recognize me," Boisvert said. "I've had about 60 meetings at this location."
Initially, the free Wi-Fi connection for Internet use drew entrepreneurs and small business owners to these hotspots. While some chains like Panera Bread still offer it free, others like Starbucks and Borders offer the service for a fee through T-mobile or other providers. But these locations have evolved into much more than an Internet hook-up.
Be the first to comment on this story