By Phil Spalding

cambolc.co.uk, @cambolc, linkedin.com/in/philipspalding66

Today I have been working from the Epicentre in Haverhill as Cambridge Online Learning Community. When I was a director of the Telework Association the co-working, hot desking online working environment away from home was a concept talked about but probably unachievable with the deamnd and the technology available. So sitting in the ground floor cafe over lunch I started weighing up the cons and pros of the daily billable charge against trying to trip over work that I had brought home. The no contract pay as you use concept appeals to the digital nomad in me.

I mix contract work (long term supply teaching handled by an umbrella company for PAYE purposes) commissioned by Simply Education and the self employed bit of Cambridge Online Learning Community (cambolc) which necessitates I am registered as dual status of employed and self-employed. I am also having to use as many e-tools with my business bank as I can to keep track of the finances. When it was still in its trial period (13 years all told) it was a cheap “hobby”, cheaper than a golf club subscription and I was also using and learning about applications of Computer Science for my day job at the time.

Monitoring how you work is also very important. A work environment with other people around leads you to also be energised even if you are not part of their project. The advantages in the non-monetary value column of non-isolated workspace aids that intangible sense of wellbeing. My smartwatch (a Samsung Classic 4 refurbshed) is today telling me that although I have met a lot of tasks head on I am in the green zone for stress. A good place to be on POETS day, Push Off Early Tomorrow is Saturday.