Remote Work - Staying Productive when On the Road

In my opinion, one of the best perks of being a public relations consultant is the ability to work from anywhere and being able to control when I work (for the most part). While a downside of consulting can be the fact that I need to be available to clients 24/7, seven days a week, at least I can bring my work with me.

Since my laptop, cellphone, and WiFi are pretty much all I need to provide full support for my clients (and in a pinch my cellphone can provide the WiFi), I enjoy a great amount of mobility enabling me to work pretty much anywhere. (That also means I never TRULY get a vacation, but that's the consultant life!)

But Working on the Road Often Meant a Drop in Productivity

The ability to work on the road from anywhere (i.e. coffee shops, hotel balconies, and even cruise ships) has given me the freedom to conduct business literally anywhere while on vacations, at conferences, and host of interesting Navy-related excursions. However, the transition from my desktop system, which includes multiple monitors, a full-sized keyboard, trackball, and a standing desk, to working off of the laptop keyboard on a hotel table, is difficult and I found that my productivity on the road suffered.

There are a number of companies that make great accessories similar to the ones I use, but here are the three products that I currently travel with:

Accessories for Working Remotely Increase Productivity

While it isn't practical to bring external monitors with me when I travel, by packing a laptop riser, keyboard, and a trackball mouse, I am able to set up a suitable computer workstation on any table or desktop.

The riser (which folds flat and makes it easy to carry in my backpack) places the laptop screen at eye level, making it comfortable for long periods of work. The full-size keyboard is more responsive than the laptop keyboard and allows me to work at a comfortable distance away from the screen. The trackball mouse

uses a thumb-operated ball to move the cursor, eliminating the need for the desktop space that a traditional mouse requires.

If you're a road warrior like me, you may find that bringing the right accessories with you can ensure that when you have to work while on the road, you can get things done more efficiently giving you a little more time to get out of the hotel and enjoy yourself! Also, check out my article on the use of privacy screens to keep your data safe when working on the road!

Kensington MK7500F Silent Mechanical Keyboard

Kensington TB550 Wireless Trackball Mouse

Kensington SmartFit Easy Riser Laptop Riser