As I am sitting here at my local Starbucks, I just purchased a $1.85 Tazo Calm Grande Tea and plopped myself down in a comfortable table with a nice view people coming and going while working away.

A thought occurred to me. How many small businesses and entrepreneurs actually have Starbucks as their office outpost?

I did a quick google search, but wasn’t able to find any solid numbers. The reality is from back in the day when I started a company, I remember signing my first big contract right there at a table at Starbucks. It helped launch my company for the next couple of years.

If you step into any Starbucks today you can always see a person with their bluetooth headset and coffee in hand talking to their client and coworker. If it is not that one person, it is a two or more at a table and you just know based on how the papers and folders are spread on the table that they are doing some presentation or trying to sell something to someone!

All of this for a small investment in a purchase of a warm beverage.

Since most Starbucks have some form of Wi-Fi and the ability to connect to the web, now my time spent here could elongate into hours. A strategy by Starbucks to keep me here to purchase more product? Maybe.

All I know is that it is a perfect place to come for an office away from the office and still get alot of things done. (Panera Bread included). Viva the Starbucks Outpost!

Where is your office outpost?