Working abroad, can you do it?
Ever wanted to travel and work at the same time? Is it possible? Can it be done? Will I lose clients? These are some of the questions I asked myself before I packed my bags and went travelling. I answer some of the questions that plague entrepreneurs that want to travel.
Throw the routine out the window.
Because believe me, it’s going, whether you like it or not. You’re going to be working weird hours and in odd positions to meet those client deadlines. If your clients are on the other side of the world, be flexible enough to take 1am phone calls regarding SEO, it’s part of the deal when working and travelling at the same time. Make sure you’re prepared when the working mood strikes and channel it as long as you can. Eliminate distractions if you can, turn the TV low or off and I like to make use of my noise cancelling headphones when working to help me channel my focus.
be prepared to move your office online.
Before travelling I loved having stationary everywhere, a nice desk, an ergonomic chair and an office to call my own. You’re going to have to say goodbye to that. Try moving as much as you can onto web based applications such as G Suite for file management and email storage, Xero or Quickbooks to do your accounting with so all you have to take is your laptop and some good headphones. You’ll need these if you’re like me and Skype with your clients.
Location, Location, Location
There are many sights to see when travelling and while taking your phone to see the Empire State Building is a good idea, taking your laptop ~ not so much! Pick and choose where you are going to be doing your work. For me, it’s in the hotel or if I need the ambience of business people, I choose to hot desk. There are many around in metropolitan areas such as WeWork or Croissant. You can rent by the hour and for me it helps me channel my focus when there’s a bunch of people working along beside me.
