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10 Apps to make your business trip easier

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If you work in a job that requires you to do a lot of travelling then it stands to reason you are going to want to make life as easy as possible. Whilst not many people relish the thought of being away from home for a business trip, if you can make life a little easier then all the better.

One of the best ways that you can make life easy when it comes to travelling for business trips is to download apps onto your smart phone, laptop and or/tablet. These give you instant access to all sorts of utilities and information, which can make travelling that much easier.

Booking.com                                                                         

Whether your business trip is unexpected or booked in advance the booking.com app can help. For starters you are able to search out local accommodation choices, check prices and even book a room if you need to. Your booking details are then stored on the app for you to look up when it is time to check in.

Sky Scanner

If you need to travel internationally or even up and down the country then Sky Scanner can help with sourcing affordable flights. You are able to check flight details, times and prices given by a variety of different travel agents. This helps to ensure you get the best possible price with minimal searching when you’re ready to book a flight.

Asana

This app is a great task management tool for keeping your team and colleagues organized and connected.  With Asana there is no need for back & forth emails, you can create work tasks you plan to do or need a teammate to do whilst organising your tasks into shared projects for your initiatives, meetings or lists.

Expensify

Expensify streamlines the way you report your expenses, the way expenses are approved and the way they can then be exported to an accounting package (back office).  When it comes to business trips it can be hard to keep track of all your expenses. This app helps with that as you can store all of your information in one place, thus making life much easier.

Google Maps

It is easy to assume that the Google maps app can only help with driving directions but it does so much more.   It can provide interactive maps, street view, walking distance from point A to point B and well as provide you with a variety of possible routes that can be taken with duration no matter where in the world you happen to be.

Yelp

This app can help when it comes to looking up details of local businesses and services across the UK.  This can range from general things to do, place to eat, checking ratings, or reviews from past customers.   It’s great for when you’re away over night and want something to do with your spare time.

Google Apps

This allows you to download Google apps all in one place. You can then use these to create, save and share documents alongside checking your emails and using chat app GTalk.

Drop Box

Use this to store your files in one central location. You can then access these from your laptop, desktop, mobile phone and tablet etc. You can even share the files with colleagues and keep documents updated in real-time to help make your working life even simpler.

XE Currency

This helps when you are travelling abroad as you can instantly work out currency conversions and therefore see how much something is costing you before you part with your hard-earned cash.

Google Translate

Great when travelling abroad! It can assist you with working out what things to say and therefore making communication with others much easier when you’re in a different Country from your own and using a different language that you’re not familiar with.

 

 

 

 

 

Image courtesy of Intelligent Travel Australia

Top tips for when you’re working from home

Top Tips for When You’re Working From HomeAs a virtual assistant, I can work from virtually anywhere in the world – providing I have a reliable internet connection. The flexibility that this affords is fantastic and one of the definite

perks of my line of work.

In fact, I am actually writing this post from Canada where I am currently enjoying some much needed time out with my family. But, just because I am almost 4,000 miles from London, doesn’t mean I can’t continue to service my clients albeit at a slightly  reduced schedule, but nevertheless I am still contactable.

Our holiday is focussed on the areas of Calgary, British Columbia and Toronto. Trips to the Rockies, Banff National Park and other places of interest are on our itinerary. Basically, a little bit of relaxation with tons of day trips and visits to places of interest.

So, as I am currently working remotely, and there’s a good chance that more people are going to start working from home going forward, I thought a post outlining my top tips for working from home would be suitably apt.

Follow a morning routine

Just because you’re at home doesn’t mean you shouldn’t follow a morning routine. You wouldn’t head to the office without brushing your teeth, showering, getting dressed or eating breakfast etc. so don’t neglect these things when you’re working from home.

After all, you’ll inevitably have to do them all at some point throughout the day and so better to get them out the way at the start. Not only will this put you in the right frame of mind for optimum productivity but it’ll also mean you’re not taking time out later in the day.

Have a set schedule

Much like keeping a morning routine, having a set schedule is also very important. Often, people who work from home find themselves in a situation where they’re online extremely early and sign off very late.

This isn’t a good habit to get into, which is why you need a set schedule e.g. 9-5, even if you are working from home. The line between work and personal time can become blurred and it’s up to you not to let this happen. Of course, you can logon for the odd conference call or to deal with an important email but don’t let it become the norm.

Furthermore, it’s important to have regular breaks when you’re working from home – just like you would in the office. Give yourself a set lunch break and don’t look at your laptop again until it’s over – unless you use the time to conduct your personal internet browsing.

Create a dedicated workspace

It can be extremely tempting to work sat on your sofa with your laptop in front of you. But this is a setup that will ultimately lend itself to reduced productivity. This is because you need to be in the right frame of mind to be productive and if you’re lounging on your sofa with the TV on in the background, you are not going to be as productive as you would be sat at a desk

You don’t need to spend a small fortune creating a bespoke office but a dedicated work surface, like a desk, is a must. Try to create a small space that allows you to be as productive as you would be in an office environment.

Eliminate distractions

When you’re working from home it can be all too easy to be distracted by all manner of things. For example, you may have a pile of washing up that needs doing and it can be very tempting to take time out from your work to do it.

The trouble with this is that you’ll find yourself crossing off lots of small tasks from your household chores list, all of which are distracting you from your work.

Likewise, your favourite social media sites can also be big distractions when you’re working from home. You wouldn’t have your Facebook page or Twitter feed open in the background when you’re in the office (I guess?) so don’t do it when you’re at home. Use your dedicated breaks to catch up on your social media accounts and then close them before starting work again.

 

 

Image courtesy of BrianHolm / FreeDigitalPhotos.net