Having the Right Tools for Business Travel

Travel can be a necessary evil in business. According to Statistics Canada, Canadians made 673,000 business trips to the U.S. in the first quarter of 2012, and 157,000 one-day trips overseas in the same quarter.

Having the right tools and services when traveling can allow a businessperson to reliably remain connected to the office and clients back home. But what tech tools should be included in a road warrior’s arsenal?

A portable hotspot. These devices are great for frequent travellers. Once you’ve set up a wireless access plan, you’ll be able to wirelessly connect to the hotspot from your computer to get online from anywhere there’s 3G/4G coverage. Portable hotspot devices like the Novatel Wireless MiFi 2 can connect multiple devices at once, which is great for travelling with the team, or using it for everything from your laptop to smartphones and tablets. You can even transfer and share files wirelessly, using it as a conduit.

Cloud-based productivity services. There’s nothing worse than being away on business and not being able to access all of the necessary files you need to get work done. A cloud-based service like Office 365 allows you to access important documents, files and information securely, from virtually anywhere. It also means that one person can access said files from China, for example, while his boss can also tap into them from London, England. And changes made from one side are viewable, in real-time, on the other.

A portable charger. Some smartphones offer great battery life. But for the most intense road warriors, a portable backup charger, or charging case, is essential. The last thing you need is for your phone to die right before an important client dinner, or worse, in the midst of a boardroom meeting where you plan to pull a presentation from it. Part and parcel with that is a universal power adapter that will work in power outlets in countries you may frequent.

A good roaming plan. Before you hit the road, you may want to consider setting up a long-distance calling and data roaming plan. You can subscribe to one as part of a monthly service package (for frequent travellers), or on a month-to-month, as-needed basis. Bell’s Travel USA Data, Travel USA Calling, and Travel USA Text add-ons can easily – and affordably – keep you connected when you’re south of the border. Heading further afield? Bell has international options as well, in over 200 countries. Just add them to your account via Bell’s self-serve portal or call 1-888-4MOBILE to activate them on your device.

The Bottom Line
With a bit of advance planning – and a quick call or online connection to Bell – you can equip yourself with the right productivity tools to ensure you’re productive from wherever you are.

What tools do you carry with you when you travel for business? Let us know in the comments section below.