If plenty of beach time is your desire, build a business that allows you to reach that goal.
By Henry Brown
Do you dream of running a business on the move? Many business models will require you to travel, meeting with clients or sourcing the best products. Or perhaps you just want a business that will mostly run itself, so you can enjoy traveling. If you want to do this, it takes some careful planning. It can be tough to do when you’ve only just launched your business. However, as you start to grow, you can feel free to leave your company without your constant presence. You can also take your work with you wherever you go. Read on to find out how you can do it.
Start with the right business model
Some types of businesses lend themselves to allowing the owner to have a lot of travel time and others don’t. So if seeing the world is at the top of your list of life goals, you’ll need to have a business model that allows you to meet this objective. Trade-offs will have to be made. Consider reading Tim Ferriss’ best-seller, The 4-hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich before you decide what business model is best for you.
Hire virtual services
If you’re never in one place for more than a few days, it can be hard to stay in touch with people. You might be in a different time zone to the people you need to talk to. You could be spending all day doing much more interesting things than talking to clients on the phone. Besides, you don’t want to give people a cell phone number to contact you. Using virtual services can help to solve this problem. You can have someone answer your calls and take messages so you can get back to people when it’s convenient. Use a virtual office space service so you have a permanent address and phone number. You can have your mail and phone messages forwarded to you.
Delegate tasks to an employee you can trust
If you have a business that needs constant attention, someone else needs to be in charge when you can’t be. If an important decision needs to be made on the spot and you’re not available, who will do it? You need someone you trust to make these decisions for you. If there isn’t someone who you feel can do it now, you need to train or hire someone. Ideally, you have an employee who will be able to handle everything with some extra training. Also recognize that one of the trade-offs you’ll have to make is paying this person an excellent salary, which may cut into the amount of money you have to spend on your travels. You’ll have to decide which is more important to you…the money or the freedom.
Stay connected
Being able to connect with your business and clients is vital. Luckily, it’s much easier to stay online and have access to a phone than it once was. You don’t need to rely on Internet cafes, although they might still come in handy. Lots of places can provide you with the facilities you need to get some work done. Hotels, libraries, cafes, and more have Internet connections. With a cell phone, you can call anyone whenever you have a strong enough signal.
Use the right tools
There are some great tools you can use to help you run your business on the move. Obviously, tech like laptops, tablets and phones will help you. You can also buy portable wireless hotspots, portable chargers, and other handy items. It can be helpful to have useful apps and software to stay organized. Managing your time can be tough when you’re traveling, so organizing everything can only help you.
If you want to work from anywhere, it could be more attainable than you might think. You need to create a plan to get where you want to be.
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Henry Brown is an online marketing executive. When he isn’t talking shop he’s roaming the streets of London; uncovering the extra-ordinary in the ordinary.
