One of the biggest perks of running your own business is the freedom it gives you to work where and when you want instead of being chained to a desk from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. With careful planning, you can enjoy traveling without letting it derail your work.
But how do you ensure your business priorities don’t go over your head as you stow your carry-on in the overhead compartment? Here are a few tips for managing your business while traveling from point A to point B (and points C, D, and E).
Harness the power of an online PO box
If you identify as a digital nomad, managing your business mail is usually one glaring to-do awaiting you the moment your plane touches down on the tarmac. Luckily, with an online PO box from reputable providers like iPostal1, you can handle your mail no matter where you are–be it a cross-country conference or an international oasis boasting white sandy beaches.
An online PO box lets you check your mail online, forward physical mail and items you want to your address, and toss the rest. That way, you don’t have to lug your jet-lagged body to the post office box to retrieve your mail or make a special request beforehand to have your mail held for you at the post office during your travels.
Best of all, you don’t have to delay mail processing until you’re home from your trip.
Stick to a schedule
Whipping up a work schedule each day will ensure your travel festivities don’t interfere with your professional productivity. Provide yourself with an hourly play-by-play of what projects you’ll tackle morning, afternoon, and evening, and stick to the plan.
You can get as granular as you want by assigning specific tasks to specific times, such as phone calls, checking in with your virtual mailbox, handling emails, or whatever you need to do.
The critical part of scheduling yourself is sticking to it and getting the work done.
Use available technology
Use the technology at your fingertips to make working while traveling easier.
Whether it’s learning the Windows keyboard shortcuts to save time or using call forwarding efficiently to have business calls forwarded to your cell phone or hotel room phone, take advantage of the valuable tools at your disposal.
Work during your best hours
Are you a morning person who can crank through a list of tasks at super-speed before 10 am? Do you work best in the afternoon or evening? Schedule most of your high-priority tasks during those peak efficiency windows. That way, you can wrap up projects in lightning speeds.
If you wait until you have downtime from travel or vacationing activities, you’ll be physically and mentally tired, and the work will take much longer to complete.
Take time off
One danger of working for yourself is working all the time. Don’t forget to take time off. The best way to ensure that you let yourself relax is to include time off in your schedule.
Schedule fun walks and activities while traveling, so your trip abroad won’t be wasted in front of the blue light of a laptop screen.
Plan ahead
Don’t wait until you’re in the hotel room to start planning your work schedule or activities.
Take a few minutes while you’re planning the trip and booking flights and hotel rooms to envision how each day will go so that you can gradually weave work projects and high-priority meetings into your itinerary. .
Do prep work
If working on the trip is unavoidable, get as much done before your trip as possible. By cranking through your to-do list, you’ll be able to free up time in your schedule for zip-lining tours, walks on the beach, and visits to can’t miss tourist attractions.
Delegate
Unless you’re a one-person operation, you can probably delegate some of the urgent projects that coincide with your departure date to your colleagues or subordinates. Reassigning tasks to high-performing employees will alleviate some of the burden resting on your shoulders and souring your vacation.
Wrap up
Freedom is one of the biggest perks of being an entrepreneur. With a bit of planning and careful scheduling, you can travel and keep your business running smoothly.
