Every entrepreneur needs ‘stuff’ – even the location independent one’s working from their sunlounger in the Caribbean! And the key to ‘stuff’ here is really about everything being compact and virtual where possible – after all, no one want’s to be lugging around a fax machine with them while they travel the world!
No matter what your location independent career entails, there are certain tools to help us all along the way, and quite a few I only learnt about recently which have already started to make my life a whole lot easier! From gadgets to remote working ‘aids’ – here are my must have resources for anyone wanting to go location independent and work from anywhere in the world.
Work From Anywhere Gadgets
A Good Laptop – It goes without saying that you need a laptop, but the question is, which one? I personally think you should go for convenience and whatever suits your needs, and not worry too much about the ‘coolness factor’ of owning certain models – I don’t do much more than write, email and surf the web, so to me that means a fast laptop with no less than 3 USB ports that is able to fit easily into a bag. If you’re a photographer or editing video then you will probably have different needs, so it’s just about finding the right fit for you.
An Even Better Smartphone – How we ever lived without smartphones I’ll never know, and while it’s destroying the work/life balance for some, it’s also making a whole generation of nomadic entrepreneurs lives easier thanks to the abundance of free wi-fi around the world. Whether your on the iPhone camp, of that of HTC, being able to download apps, respond to emails and write notes on the road is an invaluable thing, so if you don’t already, get your hands on one of these little beauties!
External Hard Drive – If your work is based around producing content in any way shape or form then you need to make sure it’s backed up – after all, there is no insurance on loss of a whole years worth of blog posts, or a drafted eBook, so make sure you carry one of these around to back your work up frequently, just in case.
Headset/Webcam – If you’re using Skype a lot, or holding a lot of web meetings then you definitely need both of these.
Work From Anywhere Online Tools
Gmail – The best free web mail in my opinion, and links in with your other google accounts such as Documents, Analytics and Web tools meaning single sign on convenience and a great range of features.
Hootsuite – A dashboard for all of your social networking accounts, Hootsuite allows you to schedule tweets, facebook posts and lots more all through one easy to use interface.
eFax – A great invention allowing anyone to send and receive faxes via email. eFax offer a free 30 day trial, after which you can sign up for around $10 per month.
Wisestamp – A great little add-on for Firefox, Safari and Chrome allowing you to add a snazzy email signature to any email you send via the web. Full customisable and loads of fun – every business owner should have one!
Online Storage – In addition to backing your work up on an external hard drive, you should also be storing your documents, or copies of your documents online. You never know when you could have your suitcase stolen, or lost, so it’s best to be over-prepared rather than under! Depending on your requirements, there are both free and paid online storage services available. I personally use Google docs to store most of my word files and photos, but if you use large files or need lots of space then Mozy is the way to go. With plans for as little as around $8 per month there is one to suit everyone.
Google Calendar and Tungle.me – Gone are the days of the paper calendars hanging on our walls, and in with fancy online ones! I manage my diary via Google calendars, but I’ve recently discovered Tungle.me which is a free tool for syncing your social networks and calendar all in one place, eliminating any time zone clashes or double bookings.
Anymeeting – A free online conferencing tool that allows you to share your screen with anyone in the world and hold and record meetings from the comfort of your laptop.
Skype – A no brainer, but still has to be mentioned – make sure you not only have this on your laptop, but on your smartphone too!
Tweet Buffer – A fantastic tool allowing you to add tweets to your ‘buffer’ which will then space them out throughout the day, meaning you wont be overloading your followers with a million tweets in one go. Great for people on the go who may not always have access to wi-fi.
Dropbox – Free online sharing tool allowing you to store and share your files from anywhere in the world, to anyone you like – via email, text, facebook, or twitter.
Remote Working Aids
Regus – Regus is a worldwide provider of remote office space, meeting rooms and business services – they have offices that you can walk into all around the globe, which means wi-fi, a desk and printer whenever you need it. I’ve come to rely quite a lot on using Regus offices recently, and they are a great place to work or the day if you need some peace and quiet or a change of scenery.
It may sound expensive, but there’s a great trick that I’ve learnt – If you sign up to the Priority Club rewards club (which is free) you also receive a gold Regus 12 month membership – which is AMAZING considering these are quite expensive normally. This gives you access to their business lounges anywhere in the world meaning free desk space, printing, wi-fi and most often a fabulous view from some of the best buildings in the world!
AirPort Express – A great tool at home that allows you to stream music or send documents to print anywhere in your house through your home network, on the road this little gem lets you to convert any ethernet connection into wi-fi in an instant.
External Modem – If it’s your priority to be able to work from the beach or sunlounger then make sure you have an external modem on hand at all times, allowing you to access connection via the telecommunications network anywhere in the world.
Photo Credits – Thanks to 13dede and ciscokid (sxu license)
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These resources are pretty much awesome.
Although I’m really not a big fan of “stuff” (be it my minimalist-attitude or the fact that my 30L backpack doesn’t have a lot of space for you know, extras) but the other sites and links you suggested are extremely beneficial!
My biggest must-have when my location is inconsistent? A fantastic writing spot…like the picnic table you posted. I seriously feel so much more connected to my words when I’m writing from a spot I enjoy. I know that sounds corny, but I’m typing this in front of a beauty campfire…so can you really blame me? 🙂
Skype, Dropbox, Gmail, Webcam, smartphone and Macbook pro are my must haves. Though I think my wife would prefer I not travel with them and did more relaxing things. I’ve never heard of WiseStamp and really have no need to recieve faxes since i usually only travel for vacations not for long periods.
Sounds like you have a good list there – Its always hard travelling with others who aren’t working but thankfully theres so many tools that help you get things done quicker on the road!
Thanks for stopping by!
Yeah – too much stuff is never a good thing, but just the essentials! : )
If you are a person who needs to have clients sign contracts, I recommend Echosign.
I use it for digital signing and it’s awesome!
I use a lot of those tools already but I’m checking out a few that you recommended, like Hootesuite. So thanks!
Thanks Kyle, I’ll check it out! : )
I had to bite the bullet and buy my own satellite phone. They are expensive but it would have paid for itself in 3 trips had I done it sooner. It’s amazing though, the dang thing fits in my pocket!! You can actually send and receive text messages for a pretty reasonable rate. Calls are another story, especially if someone calls that phone… yikes! But a lot of my travels involve a boat or some remote location so it’s pretty essential for me. Nice post…
Thanks Matt, satellite phones are a great idea, I think when I am not based most of the time in the UK I will switch – thanks for the tip!