01
May

Have Office Will Travel – Keeping Your Mobile Office Organized

As an Entrepreneur or the owner of a home-based business it is typically necessary for you to hold meeting outside of your home office.  You probably have your favorite coffee shop where you can meet with potential clients or network your business.  But how do you   handle the need to carry all of the materials required for you to show your   professionalism.  Do you have a briefcase that you carry everything in?  Are you too embarrassed to have a  potential client “see” your briefcase because it is a disaster?  Are you embarrassed for anyone to see your car (since you “live” in your car, it can have a tendency to look like a bomb has gone off in it)? 

I started this journey over 10 years ago when I signed on with a National MLM Company – which I won’t name.   In the 7 years with the company I noticed one major flaw.  It seemed that every quarter someone (probably from Corporate), came up with a “better and easier” way to organize all of my supplies.  This usually meant me making a purchase of some kind of organizing bag for display purposes and reorganizing, yet again, how I was transporting my materials in order to hold appointments.  Here are my top 3 Lessons Learned regarding having a Traveling Office.

Now, as a true Entrepreneur, the issue is the same.  I need to have brochures, business cards, potential client forms, etc. available – and a way to make notes (and then follow-up with those notes).  Here are a few tips I have learned over the years:

1.  Have a specific plan for where everything goes.  Don’t allow yourself to be lazy and just place an item “somewhere” (for right now).  Odds are that you won’t remember where you put it, get frustrated and then your first thought will be…this systems doesn’t work for me!  When, actually, you aren’t working with your system.  Consistency in where everything is kept is crucial when organizing your Traveling Office.  I recommend using a portable portfolio or file box if you need to carry paperwork.  Keep extra copies of what you need filed away so that they can be found quickly and easily.   For your computer or tablet use a traveling tote that shows your professionalism.  To work with other professionals, you must be a professional yourself.

2.  Don’t allow papers to run around “loose” in your car.  They will get damaged or torn.  If you are carrying around brochures, your image will be based on whether your paperwork is neat and tidy or whether your paperwork has corners that have been turned down and torn.  And remember…you paid good money for those brochures – having to throw them away would not be a good ROI.  Again, keep everything within your Portable Portfolio or File Box in your car. 

3.  Keep an organizer in your trunk.   There are some great organizers that will fit in your trunk, even if you have a smaller car.  It isn’t professional to be caught scrounging through your trunk, looking for that one item that you need.  The system that I use is portable (you can use it to carry items back into your home office, if needed) and it folds up neatly so that it doesn’t require much room to store. 

Your “Traveling Office” is a reflection on you and your business – just like your physical office.  The biggest difference is that you’re traveling office will usually also serve as your family car or van!  So don’t forget to keep your personal items organized as well.  You don’t have to keep apologizing for the mess.  Like everything else in life, keeping your Traveling Office organized requires developing habits.  Give yourself time to get adjusted to your new system and tweak it as you go along.  Now is the time – Get Organized Now.