Taking off Travel blog

I’ve been writing a lot recently about doing business in the cloud, considering whether it’s workable and highlighting how cloud business has worked for me. But as a location independent professional, what also interests me is what tools people are using while they move around. Please feel free to share in this open thread.

I’ll start with my top tools:

Hardware

• Samsung Netbook
• Nokia Smartphone – though I have my eye on an Android phone the next time I upgrade.
• Logitech headset

Software

• Word
• Excel
• Skype

Web apps and tools

• SugarSync – for instant backup and file accessibility
• Google Docs – for collaboration
• A password manager – currently LastPass
• Google Chrome – with a variety of useful extensions and apps, including Tweetdeck for managing Twitter

What are you using to do business on the move?

Running your business from anywhere is no longer a pipe dream – that’s the premise that underlies the Location Independent site. Site founders Lea and Jonathan Woodward explain: “Being location independent is a concept, a lifestyle and a mindset. It’s a lifestyle based on freedom, choice and flexibility.”

They should know. They have been traveling the world for the last couple of years and have used their site and blog to share the lessons they have learned. With more and more people experiencing the delights of teleworking, there couldn’t be a better time to explore this site. Read more »

Last month I asked whether business travelers dared to unplug when taking a trip. If your answer was no, then you’ve probably got a list of items that are essential whenever you travel. As a location independent writer, I like to think I’ve got managing my business on the road down to a fine art. Here’s how I do it.

In The Cloud

One of my main strategies is to be able to access as much stuff as possible from the cloud. That means having a good online backup system which also has editing facilities. My choice for that is Syncplicity. Anywhere I go I can get to the latest backup from my home computer and get the files I need. As a backup, I occasionally email things to myself (I use Gmail) so that I can open things in Google Documents. With word processing, spreadsheets and presentations, Google Documents is a pretty nifty MS Office replacement. Read more »

It’s been a couple of months since I last did a roundup of interesting travel blog posts. There have been some great posts around since then. To kick off this month’s roundup, a post on Vagabondish reminds us that traveling is not just about leaving places but about returning to your old home. How to Embrace Reverse Culture Shock (Sunny Side Up) says:

“many travelers return home to find themselves at odds with their native culture — that their view of normal has shifted. Although sometimes frustrating, these unique first moments after arrival — the moments of culture shock — can be incredibly valuable.”

Traveling The Blogosphere - August 2009

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