Being cooped up in an office all day is nobody’s idea of a great time. The great American dream of freedom involves hitting the open road and driving where the day takes you, but this seems incompatible with the white-collar workforce. But in fact, modern technology has made it more possible than ever to work on the move. All you need is a well-equipped base of operations — like your car.
The Right Car
The first step in using your car as a mobile work station is, of course, to have a car. Although any car can be remodeled into a powerhouse for office workers on the go, certain features in a car give you a leg up to start with. For starters, some modern cars have Wi-Fi hotspots, which will save you the trouble of finding another mobile device to run your internet devices through.
However, most of these features are high-end option packages found on late model cars, and that may be prohibitively expensive. Also, don’t assume that just because a car has some bells and whistles, it can fill all your mobile office needs. Customizing your vehicle is the best way to ensure that the equipment in the car is tuned to the needs of your specific business endeavors rather than more general pursuits.
The Right Gear
Internet
Once you have the car, the first thing you’ll need to make it a lean, mean business machine is some sort of access to the internet. As mentioned above, some newer cars have Wi-Fi service built in, but those vehicles are still rare and expensive for the most part. Instead, you can hook up a quality cell phone as a mobile hotspot for what is generally a much smaller price. Since using the Wi-Fi drains the batteries, be sure to get a power adapter for your car as well, letting you charge your phone on the go.
Outlets
In fact, charging capacity in general is important for your businessmobile. As you’ll likely be working across a variety of devices, you’ll need the ability to keep the juice flowing to all of them. That means outlets that feed off your car’s energy supply through the surprisingly versatile cigarette lighter. Since these outlets feed off of the battery supply of the car, however, it is good not to overuse the outlets. You can use them a bit more on the go, when the alternator is helping maintain the battery charge level. At the same time, it is probably a good idea to bring along a spare car battery and a charger for it.
Workspace
Finally, you’ll want a comfortable workspace. Backseats often work better than front for those purposes, lacking as they do the dash and controls. Consider picking up a lap desk to help steady your laptop, helping reduce errors and strain on your back.
Working on the go is a reality in the modern marketplace. If you are prepared, it’s not a big problem. With the aid of items like those listed above, you’ll find working on the road gives you more freedom than you thought possible.
Image via Pixabay
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