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Taking Your Business on the Road - Create an Office on Wheels
How do you combine your passion for travel, a desire to discover new communities and keep your business running without interruption? Create your office on wheels.
As an entrepreneur and professional speaker, I travel a lot… by plane and by car, to get to speaking engagements and events. When my husband Christopher retired, we discovered a new way to take our business on the road. Christopher enjoys driving which gives me the opportunity to catch up on work, write blogs, and return phone calls or simply recharge.
In the fall of 2015 we had the opportunity to really take our business on the road, in a 32 foot office on wheels. Fraserway RV sponsored a motor home for our six week Million Acts of Kindness tour, 14,000 km across North America. This experience was incredible, in fact surreal. It was our first time ever travelling in an RV. In six weeks we became pros at emptying the septic tank, picking easy to exit parking spots, stopping at tourist attractions we have never visited, and working while on the road. We also gleaned travel tips from other fabulous at fifty women we met along the way. In fact, we met many women over fifty who are enjoying a lifestyle of business and holidaying on the road.
One of our campground neighbors has travelled extensively in RVs for the past ten years, and her words of wisdom were worth repeating. She said “put your soup cans on the lower shelves, stand to the side when you open your cupboards, and, take time to talk to other RV travellers. Their stories will stay with you a lifetime.” Another couple visiting California from Australia shared that travelling in an RV shows you “how little you need to survive, look great, get your work done and have fun!”
So how can you create the life and business of your dreams and take it on the road?
1. Carefully plan what you need to take your business on the road such as Wi-Fi, portable printer,
2. Carry a KOA Campground book with you. They feature great maps, and a listing of all campgrounds on your route. You can generally count on a very clean, well serviced and very safe RV grounds minutes off your highway route.
3. Make a point to stop at Visitor Centres and Tourist Bureaus along the route. You can find out about the business community as well as recommended tourist attractions.
4. Recharge and plug in. When you are travelling you may find yourself in areas where you don’t have access to electricity (e.g. if you are camping over at a Walmart parking lot or campgrounds without electrical services (such as many provincial sites). Plug in whenever you can to keep your cell, computer and GPS charged. Ensure you have a USB or lighter plug in electrical source to keep charging while you drive.
5. If you are taking your pet, do some “test runs” around your neighborhood to get your pet used to the movement of an RV, and so that it begins to feel like home. Pack familiar items (bed, toys, dishes) and keep your routines as close to normal as possible.
6. Talk to the people you meet at the campsites. You will meet some of the most incredible people who are on an exciting journey just like you!
Happy Trails!
Charmaine Hammond, an expert in leadership and resilience, is professional speaker and author of On Toby’s Terms, co-author of GPS Your Best Life, and several children’s books. She is the creator of the Team Toby’s Million Acts of Kindness tour which travelled 14,000 km across North America. The Kindness RV was sponsored by Fraserway RV. Be Fabulous Magazine and Fabulous at Fifty were proud to be a media sponsor of the kindness tour.