A tiny bit of planning can save you hours and keep your mobile office complete

A tiny bit of planning can save you hours and keep your mobile office complete

As co-founder of NextSpace, a coworking location in downtown San Francisco, I frequently see members without all the tools they need for the day, and the frustration and loss of time that accompany this. A tiny bit of planning can save you hours and keep your mobile office complete, no matter where you choose to work. Here's how:

Laptop. The wide and wonderful world of laptops has single-handedly given rise to the mobile office. We take it for granted, but it's amazing -- your whole business can now live on this one, small device. If you still have one, you can even access your home or work computer Acer aspire 4720 battery directly from your laptop with free services such as LogMeIn or Remote Desktop Connection.

As far as the laptop itself, I'm a Mac fan and carry my laptop everywhere. I suggest a MacBook Pro or a MacBook Air for extreme lightness, plus a lot of power and finesse. If you cart it around on your shoulder all day, it had better be light. Your cheap laptop won't be much of a bargain if you end up paying regular visits to a chiropractor.

A few useful add-on features are Bluetooth capability and an internal wireless card. Bluetooth allows you to connect to your peripheral devices (mouse, headset) without wires, and it allows your smartphone to act as a mini hot spot if you aren't in a place with free Wi-Fi -- also without wires. You can also use Skype Skype or Ring Central Skype to make phone calls from your laptop if you don't have your phone with you. (*You may need to add the mobile hot-spot feature to your mobile plan for this to work.)

Smartphone and an extra battery. Your smartphone is the second-most important item in your bag after your laptop. You can surf the internet, make calls, make plans, message friends or staff, schedule calendar events, take notes, take dictation, get directions, etc. It's your lifeline. It will also let you get online when you don't have Wi-Fi internet access. Given all you are doing with it, what it is NOT likely to have is good, long battery life. To that end, always carry an extra battery with you. There is nothing worse than your lifeline going dead on you. It usually means game over, or buy another charger -- and then another.

Headphones. I am not an audiophile, and I have really small ear canals, so most ear buds are uncomfortable for me. But buying an inexpensive set of ear buds is absolutely necessary for a mobile office. That's not because you have to listen to music wherever you go, though there's no reason you shouldn't. But the real reason you need headphones is because the world is loud.

Something to hold it all. Whether you go the ergonomic-but-still-not-cool rolling job (Men can get away with it, but not us ladies. Not yet.) or a nice shoulder bag or backpack, you need a great bag to hold your gear in. My personal favorite is the Mango Tango Printed Stripe Canvas Laptop Bag. I've been buying it over and over for years. It costs $50 and, in my experience, holds up for years.

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