Making yourself truly mobile has never been more feasible than it is today. A good number of location-independent individuals are now freelancing their way into their own fields of expertise. From consultants to writers, traveling while working is considered a blessing by the majority. The challenges of working on the road often include unstable Internet, lack of office equipment, too many distractions, and serving clients with different time zones as yours. Below are handy tips proven to make you stay at the top of your freelancing form and improve our level of productivity while you find yourself at bus terminals, train stations or at the airport.
Make sure you have fuel in the tank - Charge up!
Delayed flights or getting stranded in some exotic land is not uncommon for the wandering freelancer. Anticipate these not-so-desirable occurrences by making sure your mobile communication devices (e.g. iPad or tablet, phone, laptop) are all charged up. Furthermore, do yourself a favor by tagging extra batteries for those gadgets that your freelancing life cannot live without. A solar-powered charger may just save you from losing your high-paying clients. You do not want to be stuck in an airport for five hours with a client deadline to boot.
Only the essentials, travel light & smart!
This tip may be quite hackneyed but it still holds true for those who would want to enjoy the road rather than make a big fuss over their luggage. The same applies to location-independent employees.
Avoid last minute packing by compartmentalizing your luggage such as having a kit for toiletries and another for gadget accessories such as extra card readers and a spare cord for your laptop. By packing light and smart, you save yourself the hassle of tracking down bags and luggage that house unnecessary pieces of clothing or accessories. It is also best to make use of clothes that are fast-drying as well as items that are multi-purpose.
Print it Out!
If possible, carry a print out of hotel reservations, flight tickets and driving directions. You can never tell when your GPS will fail you nor you’ll find yourself stuck in a rural area with poor mobile phone reception. You do not want to lose a client just because you wandered around a city for hours without knowing where exactly you’re heading.
