The clattering of dishes. The smell of roasted coffee beans wafting through the air. People chatting nearby.

Coffee shops are terrific for getting your daily dose of caffeine and eavesdropping. What they might not be so good for is working.

While some argue that coffee shops are the ideal office space for any freelancer, the level of noise they produce may not be.

Researchers from the University of Illinois found that a background noise of 70 decibels increases productivity levels. Many coffee shops stay in that range, but when they don’t the result is disastrous to your creativity and focus.

More Bad News for Coffee Shop Freelancing

Despite 70 decibels being the ‘magic’ number for productivity, once the noise level shoots up to 85 decibels all creativity goes right out the window.

Unfortunately, that just so happens to be the same level of noise downtown traffic conjures up. And if your coffee shop is located downtown, you’ll find it impossible to concentrate.

Additionally, while the study from the University of Illinois concentrated on creativity it didn’t account for focus.

Add to that the fact that too much stimulation in the form of nearby conversations and traffic passing by can be incredibly detrimental to your productivity, and it’s easy to see that a coffee shop can be a death trap for concentration.

The Alternative to Coffee Shops…

If you are an entrepreneur it is crucial that you find a workplace that benefits your productivity. Since coffee shops aren’t exactly ideal, the question is, where can you go to streamline your work?

Coworking spaces are starting to capture the attention of freelancers around the world. An office space that cuts out the noise of coffee drinkers and eliminates outside distraction enables you to get more done quickly.

With science on our side, we highly recommend ditching the coffee shop and substituting it for a quieter coworking office space designed for the entrepreneur in you.

In fact, the upcoming DeskApe will help you find a work space in your area so that you can enjoy the benefits of this revolution in entrepreneurship. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive updates about this exciting new business!