When I was first starting up our healthcare business back in the late 1980s the only “technology” I took with me was an AT&T phone card for making calls from the road. I would punch in a bunch of numbers and then punch in more numbers to make the call. It was actually pretty cool for the time because before that I used to have to call my wife collect from the road.
Soon I added a couple of amazing new technologies. One was a car phone. Only problem was that it was hard wired to my car (with the antenna permanently attached to the roof), so unless I was traveling in my little red Mazda 323 it was of no use. Also got a pager. That allowed me to know when people wanted me to take out my AT&T calling card, punch in a bunch of numbers, then punch in their phone number. Hopefully they were there to answer….
Fast forward a few years and the pager and car phone morphed into a flip phone. Also got a laptop, although still not in the wireless era so it was kind of a dumb device. But I felt liberated. Although carrying the rather bulky laptop everywhere threw my back out a few times….
Today’s tools and toys makes traveling even easier. My Android phone, iPad and MiFi unit are about all I really need. Light, easy to use. Plus, they actually make traveling easier. I still need my laptop on some trips, but it is no longer essential. And thank goodness those have gotten a lot lighter — gotta save my old back for golf.
Business on Main offers a short video by Paul Hochman that has a few specific tips on products and devices that make business travel easier and less stressful. You can check it out here.
(My blog is a part of an online influencer network for Business on Main. I receive incentives to share my views on a monthly basis).