For many of us, time behind the desk is a luxury. Whether telecommuting or traveling for business, the simple fact is that we need to bring our office with us. According to Inc. Magazine, the biggest problem with working outside the office is not having the necessary technological means for work. Here are a few technology must-haves for staying productive away from the office.

Get a Great Phone

This is your first line of defense against a lack of productivity. Today’s smartphone is a more than just a communication tool; it also allows you to handle common paperwork.

Make sure that your phone has a high-resolution display like the Apple iPhone 6s’ Retina HD so that you can easily see your work. This way, you can work on documents, change spreadsheet information or create PDF files without straining your eyes by trying to do microscopic manipulations on a blurry screen.

Tablet Instead of a Computer

A few years ago, one of the search filters you could have for a laptop was the desktop replacement criteria. Now this applies to tablets. And these small touchscreen devices have the same computing power as some desktop computers.

The iPad Mini seems to be a game changer for most people. Its A8 processor places it on the same footing as many desktops. Like its smartphone cousin, the Mini has a Retina HD screen for super-sharp displays.

Calendar Sharing for Project Management

Out of the office does not mean that you are on the dark side of the moon. If you are the boss, then you want your people to know when, where and how to contact you. There are several options for calendar and project management software that you can buy, but Google calendar is still one of the best—and it’s free.

If you want to spend a very moderate $5 per month, you can get Google’s Apps for Work Suite, which includes integrated email and form generation so that you can stay engaged even when you are away.

Keep Holding Staff Meetings

Just because you are telecommuting does not mean that you cannot call important meetings. GoToMeeting is an industry standard for the telecommuter. This video conferencing and document-sharing platform allows you to meet with one or all of your staff, whether you’re across town or across the ocean.

Store Your Mind and Documents in the Cloud

A key aspect of telecommuting is the ability to access documents and information as necessary. For this, you will want to have a cloud-based file sharing and storage system. According to Review.com, Google’s Drive comes in at the top for small teams. If you are planning on doing a lot of file sharing with synchronized usage and high security, then they recommend Box Enterprise solutions.

PDF and Its Friends

The last thing that you are going to need to squeeze the most productivity into your away-day is Adobe Acrobat Pro DC. One of the downsides to most word processor documents is the inability to make changes in contracts and legal documents given that PDF documents can be altered only with permission.

Adobe’s platform allows you create a fillable document that can be signed and is, in most jurisdictions, binding and legal.

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Mr. 4HWD

I'm Mr. 4HWD, I started this site because I think everyone should be able to work at a job they enjoy and still have time to do all the fun stuff. I don't want to retire early, I want to work four hours a day on the things I love for the rest of my life.

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