It has been three months since I started managing my blogs and business from the road. We are spending 12-18 months in Latin America aiming to see as much of it as possible in that time.
My office environment now consists of random desks, couches, benches, beds and tables both indoors and outdoors. My husband has taken up working from a hammock on occasion, but my fading battery excludes me from this luxury!
To run your business blog/website from the Caribbean (or anywhere else in the world) you need to be flexible and have reliable tools. Here is a checklist for success.
Back up
When travelling and staying in new places there is always the possibility that your valuables may be stolen, forgotten, rained on, crushed or dropped in the ocean.
So it is important to have back-ups! We manage all work files in Dropbox, which copies the files instantly to the server. Then in case we have a problem with Dropbox, we do a fairly regular back up to removable hard-drives as well.
Warranties
If you are buying new gear check your warranties cover the countries you are visiting. We bought an ASUS laptop in Australia and were told that the international warranty would be valid in Latin America. After needing it we have found so far that none of the places we have visited so far will service the warranty, live and learn!
Access to financial systems
Make sure you can access your websites financial gateways like PayPal from other countries! Although internet is global, your access to certain applications may not be and financial institutions can understandably be wary of certain countries.
I use PayPal for website transactions and it pays to confirm that your account is verified before leaving your country of origin especially if you are going somewhere that is a known hotspot for hackers. Make sure you let your banks know each country you plan to visit too.
Managing time zones
Regardless of where you are it pays to post your social media updates and email marketing at times when the majority of your audience is online. Likewise if you offer any services, like coaching or training timing is on the essence.
Tools like Meeting Planner will help you decide which times to post or book, and you can automate or schedule some of your marketing with tools like Tweet Adder for Twitter or Mailchimp for your emails so that you get the most out of your marketing.
Communication
With the advent of smart phones there is now a plethora of ways to connect with people without needing to use “normal” mobile phone services.
Free apps like Skype, FaceTime and Viber will get you talking to clients, friends and family.
I also use Skype for coaching and training with clients in different parts of the world and Skype credit for calls to phones locally and internationally.
If you need a local number in any one country Skype offers a local number service. Your number can be printed on cards and used for marketing. When people call, it will go straight to you in Skype. As with any phone if you are not there, they can leave a message or you can divert the calls to any number you choose.
Internet connectivity
One thing you will become very familiar with is the reliability and ease of access of internet in a country! Most hotels, hostels and many cafes offer Wifi –check before you book your accommodation what they have on offer.
If you are moving a lot you will have gaps in your connectivity so be organised; pre plan blogs and communications and have multiple ways to connect (notebook, smart phones etc.).
There it is! Some of the tools you will need to run your website while travelling, now over to you…
What tips do you have for working on the road?
(Note: Sometimes we use affiliate links, but only for awesome things we use ourselves)
