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Last Updated on May 27, 2024 by Work In My Pajamas
When you’re traveling, business doesn’t stop. You know you need to keep up with what’s going on back at the office, but being in business on the go poses many challenges. This is a situation that many on-the-go business professionals face on a regular basis. If you own your own business, you might even find that it’s necessary to work a little bit while on vacation. No matter how you’re traveling or why, here are a few ways you can keep up with business while on the go.
In This Post:
Take Your Laptop or Tablet
One of the easiest ways to stay in touch while on the go is to always have a laptop available. Most work nowadays is done on the computer, and sometimes the lack of a computer is the biggest obstacle for traveling business professionals. Even though most hotels have a business center, the security on those devices is usually less than ideal. By traveling with your own laptop (or business laptop) you can stay up to date on work from virtually anywhere. Bringing your own device also allows you to quickly receive notifications of any important messages you may receive or urgent notices.
Bring the Internet With You
Don’t rely on the internet or wireless connection wherever it is you’re going to be. By picking up a device like an air card you can take the internet with you wherever you go. Most companies do charge a small fee per month for this service, but the availability to work wherever you are and know you have a secure, reliable internet connection is very well worth it. Whether you want to work from a local coffee shop or you’re traveling to Istanbul, your internet will be with you, and that’s a major benefit. If you will be going on a long flight, you’ll also want to make sure that you have internet access while you are in the sky. Many flights offer in-air wifi so you won’t miss out on anything while up in the air.
Set Up Home Base Work Hours
Wherever you are in the world, the time zone is still the same at your office or “home base”. To avoid getting too far behind, you should set up a period of a few hours per day that you’ll be available for those at your home office. Whether it’s video calls or telephoning in to an important meeting, being available during the same period of time every day – even if it’s only a few hours – will help keep everyone connected and on track. This can be tricky, especially if you are traveling to a foreign country or somewhere with a completely different time zone. Generally you can schedule a time either early in the morning or late at night that will work for both sides of the globe.
Forward Your Calls
Most land line phones have a call forwarding option. If you are going to be gone for more than a couple of days and it’s a work trip, set up call forwarding so that your office calls are forwarded to your cell phone. It’s an easy way to keep up with calls and not get behind. Checking e-mails from your phone is also helpful. Make sure that your wireless carrier offers global options so that your phone will have service while you are on the go.
The key to staying up to date with office activities while traveling relies on connectivity. If you aren’t sure where to start or if it’s your first time traveling, take some advice from the experts. If you take your laptop with you, have reliable internet wherever you go, are available for remote collaboration during certain hours of the day, and keep on top of your phone calls and e-mails, you’ll get more done and won’t be as behind when you get back.
