An estimated one in five Americans works from home, which doesn’t always mean working from home. More often than not it means wedging yourself between the wall and the cream station of a packed Starbucks, or stalking long airport corridors for outlets. The mobile workforce is a force to be reckoned with — once it finds a place to sit.
Workfrom, self-described as the “largest platform for crowd-sourced alternative spaces to get work done,” could help thousands of wandering freelancers find their place in the world. It’s a sprawling interactive database of work-friendly venues, from coffeeshops and bars to libraries and shared workspaces. With a few taps, you can find nearby spots, see who else has worked there, and get details on Wi-Fi signals, background noise, outlet availability, and bonus amenities like food or beer (once you’re done “working from home,” of course).
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PRO User-submitted “pro tips” can be hugely helpful when navigating cafes for that one comfy chair or avoiding the joint with the iffy Internet connection. There’s a palpable sense of solidarity that runs through the crowd-sourced ends of Workfrom experience — you can even use it to organize community meetups.
CON Workfrom is only as useful as its users (and the businesses who buy in) make it, so don’t be surprised if some cities (Boston included) remain a little sparsely covered. Pitching in means spilling the beans on your favorite secret spots, but this is the sharing economy, after all.
Michael Andor Brodeur can be reached at mbrodeur@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @MBrodeur.