On the road getting work done with portable wifi

Working from the road can be a lot of fun. Mental breaks mean looking out the window, not (just) coffee. After a few road trips, I’m ready to share my must-haves for on-the-go productivity.

1. Laptop: This one is pretty obvious. There are a ton of debates on the “best laptop for travel,” but it’s really a matter of opinion. Weight hasn’t been an issue on my road trips.
2. Mobile phone: You don’t really need a fancy phone, but mobile email is a must. Keep your signature “Sent from my mobile device” free and you’re all set. You shouldn’t have to advertise for your phone and it’s not really relevant information. I’m not a fan of the phone I currently have, so I’m not recommending it. I’m interested in the new Evo (on Sprint), but have been happy with Verizon so am keeping an eye on the Droid X (which has gotten great preliminary reviews on battery life).
3. Power inverter: Depending on the length of your trip and your battery capacity, you may need a power converter. Because any real road trip outlasts my laptop battery I went with the Black and Decker 200 Watt Power Inverter. On a previous trip I had a 100 watt inverter with no problems; unfortunately I had forgotten it and the store we stopped in only had the heavy duty stuff in stock.
   Head’s up: I’ve heard of one horror story of an inverter surging someone’s laptop, but this was apparently when it was overloaded. We only plugged in two things at a time: the laptop and a phone charger.
4. Wifi: Many mobile providers are providing this nerdy gem. Because I already had Verizon for my mobile service, I went with the Verizon MiFi 2200. The pro of this one over others was it’s capacity for up to 5 computers at once, which is nice as I wasn’t the only one wanting to use it at times. The cons are speed and accessibility. We’re talking DSL speeds. That’s okay for now, I guess; it gets the job done. Accessibility is the same as my mobile phone; this was just fine until I found myself in the back woods of Alabama. (Luckily, a library was close!)
5. DimDim: DimDim is a new collaboration tool I recently came across as an alternative to Go To Meeting. It’s browser-based and free. I was sold at this point. There are also a few additional paid features I don’t think Go To Meeting has, such as reporting. Because I’m really new to it I don’t have a ton of feedback just yet, but it’s already a must-have. Give it a try if you’re in the market; it doesn’t require a credit card to try it and the basic options are free anyway.
6. Skype: Skype is the only thing I’m currently using for video chat. I like keeping it on screen while I’m reviewing a document with someone, particularly thanks to it’s quick screen sharing capabilities. That and, you know, it’s fun to show your fellow Skyper where in the world you are that day.
7. Great bag: I usually use a backpack to carry around my “office” for a few reasons: It has organized pockets, is kind of fun, and is comfy while riding a bike (which is my favorite way to discover a new downtown area!).

From the Eunice Kelly Worthington Library

BONUS TIPS:

• Rockstar travel partner: Getting all of this done in the car would be impossible without the safe driving of a rockstar travel partner. This person not only has to deal with phone/Skype/Dim Dim calls, but the actual driving as well. Hint: Give that person unlimited controls of the radio. He or she deserves it (that is, when you’re not on a call).
• Keep a schedule: Working on the road can be a lot of fun, but it can also be a distraction. I quickly learned to set a work schedule–and communicate this work schedule–depending on where I was going. My schedule was dictated by a few different things: client and co-worker expectations, optimal workspace availability, and (of course) what was planned for the trip. Most people I worked with had no idea I wasn’t in Michigan.
• Check out libraries: I often found myself opting to work in libraries, when possible. It’s been pretty awesome seeing the different libraries around the country. Some of them are having major issues with funding and cutting hours as result. Some have never had a lot of funding to begin with and found their own solutions. From libraries with multiple floors and state of the art facilities to libraries built from converted double wide trailers and emptied out attics, touring and using these facilities has taught me a lot about the communities I have visited and the way the come together.

What are your tips for on-to-go productivity? Where have you visited?

In this 9-minute interview Brian and I discuss PhotoBooth.me:

• Facebook advertising
• Google Adwords
• Conversion rates & mechanisms
• Using video for SEO (search engine optimization)
• Connecting with non-local markets using social media
• How he re-defined his product to better benefit his target markets
• “Bringing the awesome”

PhotoBooth.Me: On Marketing, Conversion Rates, & Getting Parties Started from Shauna Nicholson on Vimeo.

Matt Dibble & I had some fun on Twitter discussing how you brand a business built on fun:

Matt: “What do you do?”
@photobothco: “We sell fun.”
Matt: “Oh… how’s biz?”
@photoboothco: “Who cares.”

“We make rock stars out of all.”

“People wait in line to hang with us.”

“We help you remember pieces of last night.”

“We get parties started.”

“We make your party require less booze.”

For the nerds: Video shot with Skype & this recorder.

Michigan is in a state of transformation.

So Prosper is going to take a look at what that means to the workforce. This new “Workforce Transition” feature will focus on people in transition: From employee to entrepreneur, unemployed to employed, old economy to new economy. Our first edition is 25-year-old Shauna Nicholson who went from marketing wiz at a growing company to a marketing wiz for her own company.

Check out the full article on MetroModeMedia.

Since the article published this morning, I’ve gotten nothing but overwhelming support from the Detroit community and beyond–and the opportunity to meet a few new neighbors. I’m so humbled by the kind words and eagerness to help each other succeed.

Big thanks to some incredible people who helped spread the word today:

Eric Brown

Henry Balanon

Chris Xiromeritis

Damian Rintelmann

Brian Ambrozy

Mike McClure

Brian Hughes

Jamie Favreau

Charlie Wollborg

Eric Ryder

Nikki Stephan

Jen Wright

Ben Spedoske

Birmingham-Bloomfield Chamber

Adrian Pittman

Jon Wallace

Deborah Edwards-Onoro

Scott Bowman

Greg Schwartz

And everyone seems to envy the entrepreneur lifestyle: defining your own work day, choosing your own clients, working wherever your comfortable.  But there are some days entrepreneurship isn’t so sexy. This was one of those days.

This is one of those days I could use a vibrant team. Don’t get me wrong. I’m usually surrounded by some talented entrepreneur brethren (such as Henry Balanon of Bickbot, Hubert Sawyers of Frying in Vein, or Chris Lee of Holy MoLee Photo). But this morning I was rockin’ it solo at the Urbane Space. (Thankfully Braham Windeler and other friends will be stopping by this afternoon. Feel free to join us!)

Non-Sexy Days of Entrepreneurship from Shauna Nicholson on Vimeo.

“(Entrepreneur’s) main competitors to be honest are automotive based technologies, they’re going to be the big guys.”

It’s frustrating, though understandable, that most Detroit-area investors have sought out auto. Of course, auto has been Detroit’s golden goose, but really? Are we that resistant to change that investors are still drawn to the money pit Detroit auto has become? I’m absolutely all for helping out my hometown’s bread-and-butter, of course I have family deeply embedded, but diversification is an absolute necessity if not inevitable.

The next striking point is the apparent lack of investors in Detroit at all.

He says most of the private investment money, venture capitalists, or even what are called “angel investors”… live in places like Silicon Valley or Boston.

And Michigan entrepreneurs can win investment from those places, but it’s more likely they’d be forced to move.

The article suggests we can attract these investors with tax incentives. I must admit, I’ve felt the pull of out-of-state solutions to better achieve my ambition. It’s irritating our state has done little to better influence these investors. After all, as the report mentions, that is how the auto industry we know today began.

That’s one of the sad realities in Michigan right now. At a time when the state desperately needs to encourage entrepreneurs, there are fewer resources to do so.

The strategy at this point is to target incentives to particular industries, like film or electric car batteries.

That means some entrepreneurs will get less help than others.

So, now that Detroit has learned from the mistake of putting all of its eggs in one auto industry basket, we’re rising from the ashes to put our eggs in only a few new industries. Hm. Really? Sure, we’ve shown some early successes with film and others–just like the auto industry did. But are we really about to take those same steps with no insurance (through diversification) for our future?

All I’m saying is it’d be nice if Michigan would stop pulling the seat from underneath itself and stop screwing over its own future.

What IF we let entreprenuers pursue their dreams and make the business cases for what they know best? What IF our focus was encouraging their development, whatever it may be, and supported the viable business cases that ensued?