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Self-Employed Freelancers & Small Businesses: How To Get Work Done During Down Time When Traveling
By Nigel Gordijk
nigel@nigelgordijk.co.uk
It
happens every time I meet with a new client and hand them my business
card. First they look at the design of my card. Then they look
at my weirdly spelled surname (from the Dutch Caribbean, since
you ask). Then they read my address.
"Brighton?!"
they say, as if my daily commute begins in Bogotá.
For
the uninitiated, Brighton lies on the south coast of England,
about 80 miles from London. To some, that may as well be a million
miles. Inhabitants of the capital don't think The Big Smoke is
the centre of the universe - they think it is the universe.
Most
of my clients are design consultancies who want me to work
onsite at their London-based office, hence the lengthy commute.Some of my 'direct' clients prefer that I work from my home
studio because of their lack of space or design hardware/software.
(I've even designed a site for a client in Canada, but I draw
the line at transatlantic commuting.)
The
express commuter train from Brighton to London Victoria or London
Bridge takes just over an hour. I get a seat and, if I'm feeling
industrious, a table so I can work. Most days I prefer to read
or listen to my CD Walkman. It's a relaxing and stress-free journey.
My reading is prolific, making me probably the most knowledgeable
designer you'll ever meet. I usually go through three magazines
a week.
Self Employed Freelancers: How to Make The Most of Your Commutes When Projects Lead You to Work On Premises (Onsite)
Freelancers, A
couple of tips for Making Use of Your Commuting Time:
make good use of your commute and don't treat
your journey as an unnecessary waste of time. That doesn't mean
you have to do work; if you're fortunate enough to have some control
over your time and workload, it shouldn't be necessary. Instead,
do something that isn't directly related to what you do for a
living - read the latest Patricia Cornwell (unless you're a coroner),
play with your GameBoy, or do The Times crossword. I find that
thinking of this as my time means I'm in a relaxed frame of mind
when I reach my destination.
Every freelance designer or creative should
have paper and pen close at hand while travelling.
Forcing
myself not to think about work often results in involuntarily
coming up with fresh ideas and I need to be able to scribble them
down immediately. My Handspring Visor is okay for the odd game
of Yahtzee or to make a note of a meeting in the diary, but despite
its graffiti function it's still too slow for recording information
quickly.
Travelling
between Brighton and London isn't a problem - getting anywhere
from within London is. On a good day, the journey from the mainline
train station to a client's office takes half an hour; on a bad
day you can double that.
I
prefer the bus to the tube, despite the fact that the rush hour
traffic brings London to a standstill. (To the bemused car drivers
looking for the reason why they aren't moving - duh! You're sitting
in it!) I'd rather have scenery to look at - even if that means
dull grey office buildings on a wet Monday morning - than be stuck
in an underground warren. Can you think of anything less inspiring
than being in a black hole?
Besides,
you can forget catching the tube from London Victoria to, well,
anywhere. The herds of suits milling about is a regular sight
whenever the station gates are shut in the morning due to overcrowding
on the platform.
I
used to live in north London, travelling into the centre of the
city to work. That commute used to be an hour each way. Being
a petite (or should that be 'petit') 5' 5", I'd had enough
of examining my fellow commuters' breast pockets and shoulder
pads. Adding half an hour to my morning journey is a small price
to pay for living a ten-minute walk from the sea.
Okay,
so there's a down side. In order to get to a client's office by
9.00 a.m. I need to catch the 7.17 from Brighton, which means
being away from home for about 12 hours if I'm working an eight-hour
day. I'll get it in the neck for saying this, but the best design
projects are definitely in London - another reason for undertaking
the long journey. Sure, there are plenty of Web design consultancies
on the coast (or 'Silicon Beach' as Brighton likes to style itself),
but most of the big clients seem to prefer working with designers
in the capital.
I
have the best of both worlds - it's just a shame they're so far
apart. To the Londoners who can't understand why I would want
to travel all the way from Brighton every morning, you're missing
the point: I get to go back there everyday, too.
=================================
Nigel
Gorodijk
Clear,
intelligent Web site designs
http://www.nigelgordijk.co.uk
nigel@nigelgordijk.co.uk
