The Secret to Being an Effective Location Free Entrepreneur

WANT TO BE A LOCATION FREE ENTREPRENEUR?

Location Free Entrepreneur is someone who can operate the business from ANYWHERE they want.

Do you enjoy traveling?

Maybe you want to start attending conferences?

The secret to being an effective location free entrepreneur is PLANNING.

Don’t be fooled by pretend Location Free Entrepreneurs who tell you to just go with the flow….. To be an effective Location Free Entrepreneur means you can run your business from any location and the quality of customer service, consistency in message and your business does not suffer due to your location. Just packing your laptop and checking your emails once is just someone checking in on a holiday is NOT a Location Free Entrepreneur.

Internet Access Options

If you are one of the ever growing number of online entrepreneur, internet plays a big part in your daily operation of your business, no matter where you are operating from. From social media, blogging, client relations, accounts to servicing your tribe and growing it.

It is essential to have a plan for internet access if you rely on it for your business.

Internet options:-

• Internet Dongle
  • Contract
  • Pre-Paid
• Accommodation ADSL
• Wi-Fi
  • Paid
  • Free Access
• 3G / 4G Mobile Internet

You can find internet options available in different areas by contacting local tourist associations and most accommodation facilities can let you know your options.

Check if the country you are traveling to has any internet restrictions, and develop a plan to work around that (eg: masking your IP address).

Always have a backup plan. Don’t rely on just one option, because if that is not available or poor signal it can affect aspects of your business.

Power Source

I am sure the number 1 most forgotten item on any trip is the power chargers :- mobile, laptop, camera (battery charger), electronic devices – and if the charger manages to make it to your location it is also commonly left behind at the airport or hotel room.

Pack 2 of all the essential charges to prevent issues if you loose one while in transit. It can be extremely hard to find a new laptop charger in some locations.

Invest in portable power pack – great for charging devices on long trips or when you might have have access to a power point. Great when you are using your phone all day on social media (especially at conferences).

Streamline Processes

When you are away travelling you want to be enjoying yourself not slaving away at your computer. Putting systems in place that help streamline processes in your business / blog are a great way to claim back some free time.

Below are some examples of ways you can gain more time:-

• Emails 
  • Have email access on your phone – that way you can do a quick check in to see if you are missing any important emails, if not you know there is no need to race to internet location with your computer.
  • Set up an auto-responder if your replies will be longer then your clients are use to or expect you can use the auto-responder to let them know they can expect a delay. This also helps if you have limited internet access.
    • It is also a good practice to have different emails associated with different aspects of your business or blog, to assist with auto-responders based on which email they are emailing. For Example:-
      • Sales – Auto-responder can advise the time they can expect a reply but also go through some commonly asked questions – delivery times, refunds, returns.
      • Media – Auto-responder can advise time for reply but also send them your media kit, or more information about your media options.
      • Guest Posts – Auto-responder can advise if you are taking guest posts or available for guest posts, and if there is any conditions or how they go about apply for it.
• Scheduling
  • If you offer services, ensure there is an easy pay and schedule option on your website, to eliminate any need for your interaction in the process. This can go as far as automated system to send required questionnaires or homework, payment for session and scheduling of appointment in a time slot that you have said you can be available. No more needing 20 emails to secure that free discovery session.
    • Ensure you have your calendar set to time zone location or automatic timezone settings – this will ensure there is no issues with incorrect timezone conversions of bookings you have already placed in your calendar and it will ensure that your scheduling software is booking your appointments correctly (nothing worse then having to reschedule because your calendar told your client you were available at 3am).
    • Ensure your calendar is cloud based – so you have access to it through different devices (just incase you can not access your devices and need to use a public computer)
• Purchases
  • If you are selling products through your online store, have systems in place that the person packaging the goods is notified as soon as an order is place and payment has been made, this removes the need for you to process the order.
  • If you are selling a digital product have it set up using a platform that completes the sale from start to finish – payment and delivery of the purchased item.
  • Ensure you have an FAQ page on your website with common asked questions from the sale of your products. For example:-
    • How long does delivery take?
    • If downloadable can it be printed?
    • I have lost my download, can I download it again (Do you have a number of times they can download it or a timeframe)

Remote File Access

Ensure that all your business / blog files are easy to access from any location at any time. It is also important to ensure that you can access these from any device (just in case your devices are stolen, or you need to use another device).

Dropbox – Dropbox allows you to store files on a cloud based server, can be accessed from any device. However the device you are accessing them from needs to have the program that the file is made in to open or change it.

Google Drive – Allows you to create documents, store documents online. Great if you are accessing from different devices as you don’t need any additional programs installed if you are using Google programs to create documents, it also allows you to know that the current version is the latest as you can operate straight from the Google Drive no downloading and uploading of files, and more then one person can work on it at the same time.

Asana – A task management program but also allows you to store files, systems and process and connect with clients through messages that you can access on your phone or have emailed to you.

Remote Communications

Skype – Accessible using internet connection (so no more international roaming charges to make a phone call or receive messages). You can also log into Skype and call from a internet browser without needing to download the program.

Facebook – You can do video calls through Facebook, and also private message.

WOULD LOVE TO KNOW WHAT YOUR ESSENTIALS ARE WHEN RUNNING YOUR BUSINESS FROM A DIFFERENT LOCATION?

This blog post, although designed for my readers is an entry for a brand-led competition between ProBlogger and Virgin Australia. I’m sharing my top travel tips to be in the running to win a yearly Gold membership and 250,000 Velocity Points. You can find more details about it here.