For the past few months, I have been introducing you to the concept of working in new ways beyond the old, familiar routine of working a regular, full-time job in an office.

Now, many ask how to optimize their independence from the old, familiar world of work. How are they doing good, making money, overcoming feelings of isolation and having a healthy lifestyle?

Let’s begin a new journey by addressing freelancing — i.e., working for yourself.

  • The Freelancers Union predicts that over 50% of the U.S. population will be freelancing full-time in 10 years.
  • Today that number hovers over 30%
  • What started out as “gigs” has become the preferred way of working for many — and if ever there was a perfect landing spot for a prepared mature workforce, freelancing is it.

What I have been repeatedly asked is: “Does freelancing confine you to working from home?” The answer is no.

Option 1: Collaborative Workspaces

Have you heard of it? This is the fastest emerging way of how, why and where to work. There are now a couple of dozen shared office spaces throughout the islands. While I have not visited all these shared spaces, I am very familiar with two in Honolulu. Box Jelly is a co-working space that offers monthly memberships as well as meeting and event space for members and non-members alike. The Impact Hub near the Whole Foods main downtown store is handy and the parking is easy. Both offer a Wi-Fi connection and a collaborative atmosphere where people share ideas and knowledge. Thus, the need for collaboration and social interaction are met.

Option 2: On-Location

While we like working from home some of the time, half of us spend some work time in our clients’ offices. We bond with full-time teams. We integrate into several of the daily experiences others share. But we get a break from the daily grind, and often, this break is just what we need — especially at traffic time on a highway anywhere in Hawai‘i.

Option 3: Off-Location

Quite frankly, working anywhere is possible. Have you been to your favorite coffee shop lately? Look around. Or worked at the corner library? Come on; you’re only limited by the past. This is now. Define your time and space.


NEW WORKFORCE HAWAII
Carleen MacKay
916-316-0143 | carleenmackayhi@gmail.com | www.newworkforcehawaii.com
Contact Carleen via her website and receive New Ways to Work, a free PDF book co-written with Phyllis Horner.