More and more people are straying from the conventional 9-5 work setup and choosing to launch their own business or go freelance. Modern technology enables many of us to work from almost anywhere, including entrepreneurs who have a passion for travel. If you’re running a business on the go, or you have grand plans to set up a company and you don’t want to give up vacations and overseas adventures, this guide is packed with tips to help you enjoy the best of both worlds.
Embrace modern communications technology
Technology is advancing all the time, opening doors for aspiring entrepreneurs and travel aficionados. Cutting-edge communications technologies enable us to stay in touch no matter where we are in the world, with few places now off-limits to digital nomads. Using advanced online tools and systems and mobile devices, we can now make and take calls from almost anywhere. If you plan to travel frequently while running your business, it’s essential to embrace modern tech and learn how to use it effectively. You can organize virtual team meetings from any location, participate in video conferences or call clients in different time zones without it costing the earth. Research apps, tools and software, modernize your business communication systems and take advantage of innovative features that will help you boost efficiency and reduce costs.
Maintain a local presence
If you own a company with a target client base in the local area, it’s crucial to maintain a local presence while you’re traveling. There are multiple ways to do this from employing a core office-based team and using marketing techniques with a local focus to using a virtual receptionist or call handling service. Whether you’re in Australia, Canada or the UK, or you’re exploring Japan, you can connect with local customers by using a local phone number. Oklahoma phone numbers are more likely to create and convert leads in the Oklahoma region, for example. Customers will be more inclined to answer calls with a local dialing code than numbers they don’t recognize and you can streamline your marketing strategy to focus on specific areas and demographics.
Local SEO is another effective strategy. Studies show that over 85% of people will either visit or contact a business within 24 hours of doing a local search on a smartphone. Use targeted keywords, explore online listings and directories and ask customers to share reviews and recommendations on local websites and social media group pages.
Create a strong team and learn to delegate
It is possible to manage a business remotely, but it’s more difficult to oversee the day-to-day running of a company and keep multiple plates spinning simultaneously when you’re not in the office. Learning to delegate is a hugely valuable skill for business owners, particularly those who plan to be away from their desks regularly. Start by creating a strong team. Hire people who have the relevant skills and experience, but also the same values. It’s important to build a team that gels naturally and select candidates who fit with the ethos of the brand. Choose individuals you trust and encourage loyalty by rewarding hard work and offering opportunities to progress and develop. Delegating can be mutually beneficial. As a business owner, you can free up time and divert tasks to people who have the skills to complete them more effectively. As an employee, you get opportunities to take on more responsibility, learn new skills and gain confidence.
When you delegate, focus on tasks and projects that don’t match your skill set and are better suited to others. If you don’t have any expertise in marketing, for example, you can free up time to focus on other jobs and improve overall business performance by passing marketing-based tasks to employees with expertise in this area.
Explore outsourcing opportunities
Outsourcing can be an extremely effective way for businesses to lower costs, increase efficiency and access skills and services they don’t currently have in-house. To make outsourcing work for your company, it’s critical to choose the right activities to outsource and find reputable partners with a proven track record. Concentrate on services and tasks that are not fundamental to the daily running of the business and use outsourcing to plug skills gaps within your team. If you run a dental business, for example, your focus is treating patients. Look to outsource activities that will improve operations and increase sales without taking away from the main job of looking after patients and delivering first-class standards of care. Examples include digital marketing, IT management, accounting, cleaning and waste disposal.
If you’ve decided to outsource specific tasks and services, take the time to research third-party providers and get to know representatives. View portfolios and case studies, compare quotes and prices and explore service packages and bundles. It’s important that you trust the companies and agencies you work with, as they will represent your brand in some capacity. If you hire a logistics company, for example, and they don’t process and deliver orders fast enough, this will reflect negatively on your business.
Choose suitable destinations
When you work while you travel, it’s important to choose destinations carefully and plan an itinerary that aligns with your schedule. If you only need to check emails from time to time, you can be more flexible when it comes to finding locations. If you have meetings planned, or you need to be able to take calls at any time of day, it’s wise to avoid remote locations. You’ll also need to think about travel time and time zones. If you’re going to be on the phone or in video conferences all the time, you might want to steer clear of areas where time zones are completely different to your client’s base.
Advances in technology enable us to work from almost anywhere in the world. If you love to travel and you’re an aspiring entrepreneur, it is possible to run a business on the go. To make it work, embrace modern communications technology, create a strong team, learn to delegate and consider outsourcing. Plan trips and choose locations carefully and be realistic when setting goals and planning schedules.