Starting a business means a serious amount of coffee and Wifi connection is needed – it gets pretty boring sitting in the same place day in and day out. Add to this that being a startup means cash flow is low and the chances of having your own private office are even lower. While developing Dignity, we spent six months also finding our favourite wifi and coffee spots.
Now these places are integral to our business catch ups, meetings and skype calls. We have searched Wellington high and low for the best coffee, scenery, atmosphere and, most importantly free Wifi. These have changed a little since we first began, but the objective remains the same – share the great things we’re doing at Dignity.
Thunderbird
7am-5pm
154 Featherston St, Wellington, 6011
http://www.thunderbirdcafe.co.nz/
What we love
We love their $9 T-Bird Toastie and free wifi that lets you eat and work in a busy, fun central location. Thunderbird is a must visit for every meal and has the bonus of being open early for you go-getters that want to start your day well with great coffee and even better wifi.
What we did
We met with our high school contact and bonded over the need to make sure sanitary items are accessible to all women.
Civic Square
24/7
101 Wakefield St, Wellington, 6011
What we love
On a good day, this spot is perfect for sitting in the sun and taking all the wifi from CBD free. This area has many seats and a large astroturf to stretch out and let your ideas fly. The perfect spot to meet after work for some thinking or to catch up on those emails in the fresh air.
What we did
Dignity had its photo shoot and interview for the NZherald right in Civic Square itself on a very bright day.
Glover Park
24/7
What we love
The open air of the park and the ability to CBD wifi to still reach this lovely location. Great meeting point in the middle of town and is a second away from the bustle of Cuba St.
What we did
We met with a wonderful member of the Loomio team, Nati, who encouraged us to be bold with Dignity and gave us inspiration when we didn’t quite believe in ourselves. It’s meetings like these that really encouraged us to pursue our dream for Dignity and work hard towards our early goals.
Vicbooks
8am-5.30pm
What we love
We love the Vicbooks coffee - exceptional service and wifi available even as a guest to the university. With two city locations, up at Kelburn and down near the train station, we have used these spaces to meet with people easily and use the free wifi. There is a great table up at Kelburn that is hidden near the book's sectiion which is great for those private conversations you need to have.
What we did
Met with our incredible advisor Mark to go over our pricing and practise pitch - he gave us lots of encouragement and helped us refine our business model to a T.
Neo
7am - 4pm
What we love
As well as the coffee; the wifi, the food and the spacious tables (our favourite is the one at the back) allows heaps of room for eating and planning your next move.
What we did
Neo is a popular spot for our early-morning business meetings or post-day job Dignity team catch-ups – it’s the perfect location to refuel and get your to-do list done before heading off for the rest of your day or winding down after a busy day.
Waterfront Kaffee Eis
9am - 5pm
Frank Kitts Park, Boat Shed 8, The Lagoon
What we love
The view! As well as the TradeMe waterfront wifi which has excellent speed and range.
What we did
Sending off a few business emails alongside sending some cheeky snaps of the waterfront to people stuck inside is always a good time.
Prefab
7am until 3.30pm
What we love
Prefab has great wifi and incredible table service. They are attentive and couldn't be more patient and helpful – all you need to do is bring your A-game to crack on with your work.
What we did
Many business meetings, including with the incredible Akina Foundation. We got excellent help to setup Dignity the way you see it today. Prefab’s open space and beautiful decor helped us to ensure our we kept our professional brand intact and provided us a great space to sit in a sunny corner and chat about our business.
Wellington City Library
9.30am-8.30pm
57 Victoria St, Civic Square
What we love
We love how central this location is. The library has become our de facto office as we regularly meet for after work catch ups and skype calls with our awesome partners Organic Initiative. The best part is it is always WARM and that is high on the priority list in windy Wellington.
What we did
After signing up our perfect first customer Flick Electric we went to Clark’s cafe at the Wellington city library once our nerves had disappeared and given back our appetite. This is where we first came up with our awesome poster design and content ideas for the future.
Cable Car
7am - 10pm
280 Lambton Quay, Wellington, 6011
https://www.wellingtoncablecar.co.nz/English/Home.html
What we love
The wifi at the top of the cable car is super fast and provides the goods of an incredible view of the city. Not only can you reply back to that important client you can take so many pictures to capture the moment itself.
What we did
Sending emails off on route from home to work is a mission sometimes when you do not want to see your data tumble away like it's sand. The cable car is the fatest, prettiest form of transport to rush from Kelburn down into the city.
Milk Crate
7.30am-4pm
35 Ghuznee St, Te Aro, Wellington 6011
What we love
Not only do they do a great coffee, but if you’re on a bit of a detox their freshly squeezed juices and nut mylks do the trick. The interior is small and busy, but the chilled out staff, great food and coffee make up for it.
What we did
The innovative vibe and convenient location (we got chu Cuba street) was the perfect place to drink freshly squeezed juice (not sponsored - we just bloody love their juice) and discuss our strategic goals for the next year.
The Botanist
9am-10pm
219 Onepu Rd, Lyall Bay, Wellington 6022
http://thebotanistlyallbay.co.nz/
What we love
An escape from the CBD their seaside views, comfy booths and free wifi. This spot helps you stay focused and take a break from the hustle of the city. Not to mention it’s range is super great for vegetarians.
What we did
We revamped and designed our logos, posters and packaging. The ocean and cool aesthetic was a great place to get our creativity flowing.
Did we miss any of your favourite spots? We’ve found a few more in the last year or so but no matter the place, we’re always so grateful for a friendly face, great coffee and the freedom to use these Wifi spots as a business resource, allowing us to further the our movement of free sanitary items for all women, all over New Zealand.
Since we originally wrote this post, our little social enterprise has doubled in size, we’ve given away over 6000+ boxes of sanitary items, partnered with 45 schools and supplied 10,325 with free access to sanitary items in businesses and schools all over New Zealand. We’ve also recently added OI’s menstrual cups to our range of products available through our business packages.
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