How to Combine Travel & Work

I absolutely adore travelling, it's why I became a Virtual Assistant so that I could do a job I love from anywhere in the world. In the last few years, I've toured the UK and worked from every picnic bench you can think of, typed away at my keyboard whilst chilling on a sun lounger in Spain, and carried my laptop backpack with me as I navigated the war memorials of Belgium.

Later in 2022 I'll be touring Thailand for a month and will probably only take two days off the whole time. So, how does one accomplish being able to work and travel successfully? Let me share with you my top tips for how I have made it work for me and hopefully, you will be able to apply these tips to start your own travel whilst working adventure.

MAXIMISE YOUR TRAVEL TIME

To get to your destination, you have to travel there right? Either by car, train, ferry, or aeroplane. I always monopolise this time by working. My husband usually drives which frees me up to fire up my 4GEE box or phone hotspot and work with the Macbook on my lap. Kill waiting time in airports with work instead of sipping beers in bars or shopping, and choose reserved seats on trains and ferries with plug sockets so that you don't miss a beat. Make sure you have your apps and documents set up for offline working so that you can keep going whilst flying too.

ENJOY DAY TRIPS BY USING TIME WISELY

Just like anywhere else, when you travel, you have rest days as well as sightseeing days. When working though, these rest days should be used to catch up or get ahead of work, ready for the days you need to have more freedom. When it comes to day trips, I always start work super early, usually, around 6am, so that by the time 11am comes and we head off for a day out, I've got a solid five hours under my belt.

Again, if we have a car, I'll work as we travel to our destination, and, if what we're doing allows for it, I'll even take my Macbook with me in a backpack so that I can fire it up during a stop for lunch. Preferably though, I'll leave it in the boot of the car ready for the return journey home, it really all depends on the circumstances and if I even need it at all. On these days, I may even work later during the evening, but starting early and working later is well worth it when it frees up the most important hours in your day.

TURN YOUR PHONE INTO A MINI COMPUTER

There's no such thing as 'I'm not near a computer right now', not anymore. Not when you can download Microsoft and Google along with all of their features onto your phone. I have Google chat, docs, sheets, and drive on my phone as well as all the email servers I need, and communication tools like Slack. If you have all of this on your phone, you won't ever get caught out whilst off on an adventure, unless there's no signal of course. Be constantly at the ready by turning your phone into a mini-computer.

DON'T TREAT THE WEEKENDS LIKE WEEKENDS

Ok now, this one might not be a popular one, but bear with me. Whilst travelling, the days merge into one another, so it really doesn't make much difference if a weekend day becomes a working day. Now, I'm not saying you should work a whole 9-5 on a Saturday, but it is a good opportunity to do a few hours here and there to get ahead if you plan to need free time during the week. Alternatively, wherever possible, plan your excursions during weekends so that you don't have to give up so much time during the week.

SAVE TIME BY AUTOMATING

Automation is definitely the way forward. You can save an unbelievable amount of time by automating as much of your workflow as possible. Set up Calendly workflows for automatic follow-ups, use CRM systems like Active Campaign to automate your newsletters and emails, and connect everything with tools like Zapier.

I have lots of automation set up, for example, our free trial form that is embedded into our website is created in Active Campaign, therefore, whenever anyone signs up for a free trial, automation within Active Campaign will automatically trigger, adding the client to a list called Trial Clients, and adding a blog post tag to them so that whenever a new blog post goes out, that client will get an email about it. An email within Active Campaign is triggered so that a welcome email is sent out to the trial client, asking them to fill out a Google Form requiring further information, with the link enclosed. Once that form gets completed, Zapier fires off an email to the account manager to let them know.

Automations are easier to set up than you think and most CRM systems and website platforms have them readily available.

Hopefully, these tips will encourage you to enjoy travelling more, understanding that you don't have to compromise on work by doing so. It's always worth booking yourself a few days off here and there, especially if you have a big excursion planned that requires a really early start.

I wish you all the best in your work/travel adventures! Please let in touch if you need more advice.

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