Never get caught without these essentials for entrepreneurs on the move
I've been working from home since 2012 (before it became cool) and I can honestly say I have perfected the "work bag" to the extent that I feel like Mary Poppins on most days. In this post I'll share some of the must haves to keep close-by when shuffling between kids, work and home on any given day. I'll also cover a few essentials to keep your schedule on point.
Why an "On The Go" Office Bag
I made a very poor transition from corporate life to working from home. At first I was excited about the "work from coffee shop" culture you would see in the movies. Although there is a strong allure to spend mornings sipping on green tea while typing emails and staring off into the sunset and dreaming up next week's social media calendar, I quickly figured out that, not only is this an expensive way to work, but also one that requires "stuff" to make it work in a semi-efficient way. I also figured out very quickly that being outside of the home means that the opportunity to "quickly" grab something from a shop is increased ten-fold and usually results in buying duplicates of things that are usually only single use. Here are a few of my favourites to pack in your bag or in the back of a car or glove compartment to ensure that you don't end up with a red face;-)
Get Your Bag and Car Kit Set Up
On any given day I could be playing moms-taxi, picking up groceries, making business calls, dropping off shipments from online orders, hitting the gym, attending client meetings, planning campaigns, working on technology implementations (or even sneaking off to have my hair or nails done). I used to think nothing of it to quickly stop and pick up a bottle of water, grab lunch on the go or even stop at a fuelling station to pick up a headache tablet. What quickly became apparent when perusing my bank statements afterwards, was that this was a quick way to waste tons of money and time.
That's when I started setting up a few basics to have on-hand to ensure I am ready for anything and not caught off-guard (please note this does not include things that I lug around in the trunk for the kids which requires a post all on its own). Here's the run-down of what makes up my "mobile office". I split them between a bag and a carry all in the car which contains a few more non-essentials, but does allow me to go from "soccer mom" to well-dressed mompreneur in a flash.
All The Tech
I used to log a big, black (very traditional) laptop bag around. When I left corporate I vowed never to drag another boring work-bag around. I opted to get a two-piece bag that allowed me to pack my laptop in one easy to remove sleeve and a stand-alone that served as a catch all for all the rest. This also allowed me to carry a much smaller handbag (and leave the "work-bag" in the car).
You can decide what this list looks like for you and mix it up based on the week ahead depending on your schedule. I usually plot out our schedule on a Friday afternoon (decidedly because after 15h00 on a Friday, pretty much no-one wants to talk work). I spend this time plotting our calendar for the week, including work schedule, family commitments, shopping that needs to be done or things that need to be dropped-off or collected from the dry-cleaners.
I've invested in a few tools that help with content creation including a travel ring-light and compressor microphone that helps with videos for social media and recording podcasts on the go (I've recorded episodes while the kids are attending Scouts on a Friday, so don't judge). You would be surprised how much you can get done on the go if you plan your time and resources creatively.
What I pack:
- Laptop (or iPad with bluetooth keyboard)
- Charger (with a permanent multi-plug for your bag if you need one)
- Headset or EarPods
- Mouse (if you do not use a trackpad) and mouse-pad (this one stays in the bag)
- Mini Screen Cleaner and Surface Spray (okay I'm not a germaphobe but I love Thieves Spray and the pocket-size bottle is ideal)
- Powerbank
- Travel Ring Light
- Mini Compressor Microphone
- Smartphone (Doubles up as a data connection)
- USB Diffuser (I carry a mini travel diffuser with me in the car and in my bag)
Personal Care
Although I do not spend a lot of time in the car at any given time, there are daily trips and business appointments that seem to pop-up at short notice (I've done customer demos in the car, recorded videos while waiting to collect kids and even dictated blog post outlines on my smart-phone whilst in traffic). There are a few things that I always carry around in smaller bags that I can alternate between my handbag and my work-bag as the need arises. This is one of those failing to plan is planning to fail scenarios. You only realise you don't have a something for a headache, or sunblock, or wet-wipes when you need them and don't have them. I also carry a few personal items to go from "mom mode" to "work mode" which includes a smart jacket and earrings, a proper make-up kit for on-screen touch-ups (and lipstick and liner that can take you from day to night) and dry-shampoo and a brush to tame mom-buns on the go.
What I pack:
- Hand sanitiser (I keep a large bottle of Thieves Waterless Hand Sanitiser in the car, and carry a mini in my bag)
- Multi-purpose cream (Think face, hands and anything in-between). I love the Coconut Lime Replenishing Body Butter from Young Living as a daily moisturiser and all round miracle worker, especially in the colder months. I have also applied this to kids elbows and to a clients' scuffed shoes - so yes, it's multi-purpose.
- Hairbrush and a mini-dry shampoo
- Lip Balm (I carry Lavender Lip Balm from YL which also doubles up as eye cream and a great smudge stick to help deal with booboos from the kids).
- Make up remover wipes
- Scent spray
- My favourite essential oil rollers (Deep Relief and my Nature's Ultra Calm CBD Roller)
All the sundries
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What I pack:
- Water-bottle (great way to reduce single-use plastic)
- Enough NingXia to keep a smile on my face during longer work engagements. I've ditched OTC multivitamins since I have started taking this superfood supplement twice a day and can honestly say I can feel the difference.
- Protein shake (sans the water), almonds and a piece of fruit
- Personal meds kit (I carry Peppermint essential oil for headaches, Orange for a mid-afternoon pick me up and Lavender to help with pretty much anything - they don't call it the Swiss Army Knife of essential oils for nothing!
- I also (always) carry sunblock, a hat and sunnies (this has saved me from sunburn during billboard flightings to impromptu walks with the kids)
- Small sewing kit
- Clean shirt/t-shirt/smart jacket/hoodie and dangly earrings
- Make-up kit for on camera touch ups and some serious red lippy to take it from day to night
What else do you pack? I'm always keen to learn how I can make the above combo better! Share yours below in the comments!
