How To Work Efficiently Away From The Office

In today’s always-on-the-go business environment, it’s important to stay in touch with the folks back in the office, your customers, and your suppliers.

In this article, I’ll be sharing tips on how to safely and efficiently complete your tasks while you’re out-and-about, even if you’re just on a caffeine run to the coffee shop down the street.

Make Sure You Have the Right Apps

When you’re out of the office, you need to have access to the same apps you have access to while you’re at your desk. Word processing, spreadsheets, email, presentation software, and numerous other apps are the lifeblood of your workday.

Luckily, there are numerous options available for road warriors like you. When I’m on the road, I usually take along my MacBook Pro, iPad, and of course my iPhone. All three of those devices have the essential apps installed to allow me to work efficiently from the road. You’ll need the right equipment for the right apps, click here for online financing for Macbook and other gadgets.

On all three devices, I have Microsoft Office installed. This allows me to keep up with my email, create and edit documents, update presentations, and more while I’m out of the office. While apps like Word work best with a larger screen such as you’ll find on a laptop or a tablet, I find that in a pinch I can do a quick edit on a Word document or an Excel spreadsheet using just my iPhone.

If you’re not a fan of Microsoft Office, rest assured that no matter what office suite you use there will likely be a mobile version of it available. If you use the Google Office productivity suite, you’ll find apps for that on both the Android and iOS platforms. Plus, many office suites are also available online, so if you have an internet connection, you can work on your documents on the road.

If you’re not sure which apps are available for your devices, check with your friendly IT guy back in the office, or if you are your own IT department, like many of us small business owners are, do a quick Google search. You should easily find the needed information.

Find a Free Wi-Fi Hotspot

While this is the age of “unlimited” mobile data plans, unlimited doesn’t necessarily mean “all-you-can-use” when it comes to mobile data. Most “unlimited” plans will throttle your connection speeds once you use a certain amount of data during your billing period.

While the data caps usually add up to a rather large amount, if you’re on the road for most of the month you could easily use that much data, especially if you’re video conferencing or streaming content. (Even a hard working road warrior like you deserves a Netflix binge now and then.)

That’s why it’s a good idea to find free Wi-Fi hotspots. Coffee shops such as Starbucks and its numerous competitors, hotels, restaurants, and even department stores now offer free Wi-Fi hotspots.

Always Use a VPN to Protect Your Devices and Data

When using a free Wi-Fi hotspot, keep in mind that the same hotspot is also open to other users, and not all of them are as scrupulous as you are. Most hotspots don’t require a password to join, meaning your connection to the network isn’t protected in any way, leaving it open to monitoring by that sketchy dude working at the next table.

To keep your online activities, and their accompanying personal and business-related data, safe from being stolen, ALWAYS use a Virtual Private Network (VPN). A VPN will protect your data from being harvested by others by encasing your connection in a tunnel of encryption.

Think of encryption as a subway tunnel in New York City. When you’re walking on an NYC sidewalk, you know there is a tunnel underneath you, but you don’t know which train is currently passing underneath you, or where it came from or where it’s headed. Encryption accomplishes the same thing. The hacker knows you’re online, but he can’t see what you’re doing.

A VPN is particularly essential if you’re using a Wi-Fi hotspot to connect to your company’s servers or those of a client. A VPN keeps that data out of the reach of the bad guys who would love to get their hands on it.

VPN services are available in all price ranges. Heck, there are even free VPNs available, but I highly recommend staying away from them. Many free services keep logs of their user activities to sell to online advertisers. Stick with a respected, reliable VPN service, like ExpressVPN or NordVPN. If you’re not sure about a particular provider’s reputation, search Google for reviews.

In Closing

By following the advice above, you’ll be prepared for whatever challenges life on the road brings, efficiently facing your workday. Plus, you’ll keep your personal and business-related data safe from prying eyes.