Today is the 5th post in the "Work Shift, Work Styles, Work Anywhere – Flexible Work across Canada" summer blog series
As a Calgary Social Media Professional being connected and ready to serve the needs of Calgary business when called upon is not a luxury but a must for our small Calgary business.
I truly value my time out of the office and I truly love being a road warrior. I spend a lot of my time traveling and seeing new parts of the city, province or country and when we combine this with the opportunity to serve Calgary small business plus business across Canada and United States is what truly gets me up every morning. This is what our team at Ulistic is all about, service and making sure our clients get the right social media advice, search engine optimization and online marketing consulting, education and result their business craves.
Being based in Calgary but being able to cover the needs of North America helping small business (managed service providers, real estate professionals and general small business) is a job that starts early in the morning and finishes late in the day. This is why mobile Internet, mobility and the right tools to round out our mobile office is essential.
Who said the Internet would cut down on travel? I would like to meet this person. You know you travel a lot when the staff at the Edmonton International Airport - Maple Leaf Lounge know you by first name. Business in North America still requires the "human element" and this sometimes requires travel from time to time. If it is a quick trip across town or a flight across the country, we still need to meet people and thoroughly understand their needs and embedded our services into their organizations without any hiccups. What does my portable office look like?
Mobile Phone - My mobile smart phone is an essential part of my portable office. Having the correct plan is also essential. Having freedom to work from anywhere is crucial in my business where clients can call on us at anytime with any need. A great mobile phone with a flexible plan is essential.
The Right Laptop - I use a MacBook simply because it works without a hitch and if I have an issue with it, well I can take it to any Apple Certified repair shop and get it fixed. Having the right equipment is very important whether it is a MacBook or DELL Latitude laptop running Windows 7, you need to have something that work and works for you.
Cloud Technologies - Ulistic is a firm that teaches people to leverage the Internet therefore we need to have access to technologies no matter where we are. The right cloud solution is just as important as your mobile phone or laptop. There are many great solutions out there, do your homework and get one that works for you.
Mobile Internet - Last but definitely not least is having the right mobile Internet solution for our business needs. Hotels, Airports and Coffee shops offer Wi-Fi however for me, I need something fast and reliable. I often turn to my Mobile Internet device. Having mobile Internet provides the reliability that this road warrior requires every single time. I may forget my phone or my server maybe down, but without my mobile Internet, I would be disabled.
No matter where you work you need to right tools to do your job. For this Alberta-based road warrior without my tools...well I would be lost and lose my competitive advantage. What would hurt the most...I wouldn't be able to serve my clients and take care of them.
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About the Author: Stuart Crawford, ULISTIC Inc. Senior Advisor/Partner and Guest Contributor
Stuart Crawford is a member of the Ulistic team as senior advisor and partner bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience as it relates to IT and how business today can use the Internet is safe, secure manner to grow their overall business. Since retiring from active service in the Canadian military in 1997, Stuart has served the Calgary business community by providing information technology consulting services as part of the Microsoft, DELL and SonicWALL partner . In 2001, Stuart founded IT Matters, a Microsoft award winning computer and technology partner he served as the Vice President of Business Development for 8 years. In 2009, Stuart played a vital role in the merger of Bulletproof InfoTech and CompuConsult.com and helped this new upstart IT firm can a competitive edge in the Alberta small business community.Over the years, Stuart has worked with leading junior Oil and Gas firms, Accounting and Legal offices and regular small businesses all across Alberta, throughout Canada and across the globe.
