6 Tech Tools and Tips for the Traveling Businessperson

Do you enjoy traveling for business? 

It may surprise you, but it’s one of the things I love the most. I love taking a plane up to San Francisco for a conference, or flying out to Boston for a summit, or even taking a red eye to New York City for a business meeting.

Over the years, I’ve found some great tips and tools that have made traveling much more enjoyable. Here are my top 6 tips:

1. Get a Laptop

You may laugh, but a good portion of businesspeople still don’t have laptops. In fact, for a long time, I was one of them. 

Granted, I did have an iPad and iPhone. I figured those two alone would be enough. But as great as they are, they do have limitations. When traveling, you want a fully functional computer so you can take your office with you.

2. Laptop Case

You need a good, rugged laptop case so you can take your laptop wherever you go. Also make sure there is room for your other needed tools. I have the Incase nylon sling for my Macbook air. It has pouches so I can stick some business cards in there, all my cords, and my charger.

3. External Hard Drive 

Imagine you're walking down the street, slip, and drop your laptop. All the data inside is lost. It’s like your entire office is lost.

That’s why it’s important to have an external hard drive at home with all your data backed up from your laptop. External hard drives are very cheap, and it’s very easy to backup computers. There’s no excuse why you don’t have backup.

Head over to an electronics or computer store and buy one now.

4. Yelp.com

If you’re in a city you don’t know too well, it can be really hard to find a great restaurant. There’ve been times when I’ve walked out of conferences, hungry, and don’t have a clue where to go.

So I pull out my phone and look up Yelp.com and find nearby restaurants in my price point that have great reviews. 

5. GPS/Google Maps

You must have a GPS, whether it’s on your phone or you buy a little portable one.

I have an iPhone and use the Google Maps app religiously. It helps me get from one place to the other as fast as possible and without getting lost. And for you walkers, it gives you walking directions.

6. Sleep Machine (iPhone app)

It can be very hard to fall asleep in a strange bed. It is for me. I found this little app for my iPhone called Sleep Machine. It lets you play different noises that help you fall asleep. It’s got such sounds as waves and wind and birds chirping. You can even mix different sounds together.

What About You? What tech tips and tools do you have for the traveling business person?