Running a location independent business can be a bit of a learning curve. While you can be working from anywhere, there are some genuine considerations you need to make.
I’ve been running a business and moving around a bit for the past few years, and here are the four things that I cannot seem to function without:
Good Wi-fi
It goes without saying that you can’t run a remote business without reliable internet. So, good wi-fi is a must-have whether you’re sitting in your apartment or at a beach resort soaking up the sun.
What defines reliable internet service? Essentially, you want something that you can access at ANY time. But what that looks like highly depends on what you’re working on. If you work mostly offline and simply need to send email every once in a while then something not so heavy-duty is probably fine.
My tried-and-true test is flipping open a streaming service when I get to a new location and watching (or at least playing) a full episode of one of my favorite shows. If it can go from beginning to end with little interruption, I’m good. You can also run a speed test if you want to be technical about it.
Meeting Scheduling Software
When someone starts a remote business they almost always forget about time zones. Unless you’re particularly adept at time zones, chances are you’ll have to double check if you need to meet with someone in Germany while you’re sitting in New York.
That’s where a great meeting scheduling software comes in. You can use something like Acuity if you want people to book time with you or Time Zone Converter if you simply want to verify a time. There’s not much worse than showing up for a meeting with a new client two hours late.
Project Management Tool
Project management is not always my forte. I do alright, but that’s because I have a great tool to back me up.
There are a dozen tools out there that you can use for free or cheap that can help you manage your time and project workload. My number one rule is that there HAS to be somewhere I can go to find out EVERYTHING I’m working on at any given moment.
And I highly recommend borrowing that for your business.
Defined Rules for Yourself
You simply cannot work all the time. I know, because for some reason I seem to be consistently trying to do this.
But realistically, you need time off. You also don’t want to take meetings at 4 AM (unless you do) or work on the weekends, which means you need pre-determined rules that you absolutely need to adhere to.
It’s OK to tell your international clients that you only answer emails between specific hours in your time zone, or like me you can say you take 24-hours to reply, or be set on the fact that you don’t work on weekends.
Do you run a location independent business? What are your must-haves?
Read More:
- When I Start Planning for the Next Year of Business
- How to Inform Employees of Salary Delay
- My Favorite Tools for Organizing My Business
Tae started out as a journalist before following the money into the corporate world. But it turns out that the grass isn’t always greener and now you can find her spending most of her time writing about all the things she loves. Namely, money, travel and business with a hefty dose of self-deprecating humor. She is a podcast fanatic, blogging aficionado and loves to find new ways to turn passions into cold hard cash!