Many of us are working more flexibly than ever before, able to do our jobs and even run our businesses from outside the office. This greatly benefits those who hop from location to location for their work, but there are a few risks this brings with it. Here are some of the major ones to consider and what you can do to combat them.
The lack of communication
Being out of the loop with the team back at the office can lead to significant problems. You might not be on hand to deal with issues that you’re equipped to, or you may be selling your clients on out-of-date information. Team management software is making it easier for everyone to stay connected to the conversation and to work together, no matter where they might be. For business owners, they can even show productivity goals and project outlines so you can track their work wherever you are.
The tools you don’t have
There’s some work that can only be done on the road but, up until recently, there’s some work that couldn’t. That’s changed, however, as the tech tools we most commonly use to complete our work is being made more portable thanks to Cloud software. From general office software to CRM tools, accounting, marketing platforms, and so on, the Cloud is making it all the more accessible. Identify your most frequent business processes and consider moving them to the Cloud so that you don’t have an ever-growing pile of work waiting for you back in the office.
The real health risks
We are at a greater risk of accidents when we’re traveling, that’s a simple fact. Ensuring road safety is number one, if you’re driving. Making sure you have enough stops planned out to avoid drowsy driving is key. For other methods of transport, the most important thing is having the right protections in place, such as aviation accident lawyers if you’re a frequent flier. It’s important to also take steps to ensure a proper diet and sleeping pattern when traveling, as they can easily get a little jumbled up. The best way to do that is space enough days for recuperation between trips.
The stress of travel
While you can see a lot of the world, dine on the company credit card, and meet all kinds of clients for really productive and engaging encounters, travel is stressful. Most people are going to miss their own beds, not to mention their families. As such, it’s important to know how to take a load off, to make sure you have time to relaxation and recuperation during your travels. You should also avoid having too many large trips back to back, otherwise you can very easily burn out before long.
The freedom of being able to work outside the office and the ability to visit clients directly to help convert and work with them is a great benefit. However, that doesn’t mean we should be ignorant to the downsides. Know the risks and have the strategies above employed to deal with them.
