Travelling with the kids this half term? Tips for being productive while travelling

Travelling with the kids this half term? Tips for being productive while travelling

Travelling with family is great if you can afford it, but if your business depends on you still working, or you’ve got a big project at work that cannot go on hold while you’re in annual leave then you’ll be thinking of just how you can juggle family fun and work without the two encroaching on each other.

For many working mums who travel, a big concern is how to remain productive when you don’t access to the normal resources.

But, with a little planning, you can make your time away transparent to those you communicate with daily. Here are a few tips to make it happen:

  • Make a list of the things that need to be accomplished before your departure. If you know exactly what you need to do, you can tick them off as you go along so you don’t get stressed or forget things.
  • Make a resource list for the things you will need to do while away. Include phone numbers, email addresses and fax numbers, website addresses, access codes, and passwords. Store this data on your laptop, phone, notebook and in a document file so you don’t lose it.
  • Make a copy or scan an image of documents you may wish to reference while away. This will allow you to stay on top of the most important issues. These days tablets and smartphones take a pretty good picture so you don’t have to scan each one painstakingly.
  • Save important letters, forms, and files to a flash drive, a CD, or e-mail them to yourself so that you can access them as needed. Convert documents that you would normally fax to a PDF format so they can be emailed but not altered. If you haven’t already signed up with a cloud-based storage service like Dropbox of Google Drive then you Gould – you can upload all your important files and access them anywhere you can access the internet…your mobile phone, laptop, internet cafe etc.
  • Check the quality of your mobile phone and laptop batteries. Get new ones if you will be without access to electricity to recharge for long periods of time. And don’t forget to pack your chargers as well…it might be an idea to pack an extra one – you can buy them for a cheaper from ebay and online I stead of going to the manufacturer.
  • Pack an Ethernet cable and a phone cord. This will allow you to get online no matter what type of connectivity your hotel has.
  • Pack pain reliever, antacid, and cold medicine just in case. If you have to buy these things on the road, they’ll cost a lot more than what they normally do at your local supermarket.
  • Make use of the special features on your phone as download any apps that can help you stay on top of things.
  • Get the scoop on your hotel’s amenities in advance. The last thing you want is to have trouble connecting with your customers and your team because of limited resources. Take a name so you can ask for services based in what a named person has told you if there is a problem once you get there.
  • Make contact with your customers and team members early in the day while you’re away. This will allow you to deal with challenges or concerns at a time when it is convenient for you. Otherwise, you may find yourself bombarded with phone calls and emergencies that could have been avoided had you made contact earlier…and that won’t go down well with your family.
  • Be realistic and take care of the biggest priorities. You are on holiday so as long as you communicate this an let all concerned that your response times will be limited – and in advance – you can get by.

Remember to enjoy yourself!

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