Running Your Business on the Go Like Zaf Baker
The world is more connected than ever before and this means that more and more entrepreneurs are running their businesses not from a single physical location but from multiple locations. This also means that they are constantly on the move, whether it is hopping on trains, boarding flights, or traveling by road. While this new world offers a great deal of opportunity for entrepreneurs because they can move so easily, it also brings a whole new set of challenges. It is fun to imagine being a jet setting entrepreneur but how do you keep your business afloat when you aren’t grounded in a physical space and are shuttling through time zones?
If you’re looking for some inspiration, look no further than Zaf Baker, an international entrepreneur that lives across three different continents and runs multiple businesses. If that’s not a multitasking entrepreneur we don’t know what it is. The good thing is that a closer look at Baker shows that it’s quite possible to run a business while on the go and you don’t need to be Tony Stark to do so. The first and most obvious tip to run a business on the go is making use of all the technology at our fingertips. Thanks to things like Slack, Trello, and email, you don’t have to be physically present with those you do business with us to get the job done.
Before you even start running a business, it is important that you optimize it for remote functioning as well as easy communication when your team is physically apart. Set up accounts on these productivity tools and from day one, make sure that most of your communication takes place through them. That way, if anyone is away from the team or you as the entrepreneur are on the go, it won’t be too much of an adjustment period.
A quick look at Baker’s social media shows that he’s often on his laptop or the latest gadget. This means that he can communicate with his team no matter where he is in the world. Also, make sure that there is some sort of physical presence for your business in the places you travel to. Baker has offices for his businesses in the various places he travels to and this means that even while he’s on the go, there is a physical place where his team can converge if there is the need to do so.
If you’re running a business on the go, one of the first problems you would likely run into is the issue of time zones across the different places you are traveling to. Download a helpful time tracking tool that shows multiple time zones and allows you to coordinate your work according to them. For example, those you do business within one city might be sleeping around the time those in another city are fully awake and getting along with the business day. Making sure everyone is aware of your current time zone and you are aware of theirs goes a long way to enhance productivity.
A big part of running a successful business is knowing how and when to delegate tasks to other people and this is even more important when you’re running a business on the go. Certain mundane and daily tasks such as payroll management, updating social media, and scheduling appointments should be automated by software or delegated to an office assistant as much as possible. When you were on the go, all your precious time should be dedicated to the most important activities such as meetings with business partners and negotiations. Once your team is aware that you will constantly be on the go and are informed of their role in making your work travel experience as easy as possible, this should be made easier.
Running a business while on the go is far from an easy task but it can be done with a few steps. Aa Zaf Baker has shown us, having the right team behind you, having access to the right tools and resources, and being constantly aware of the limitations of different time zones makes all the difference in managing a business while on the go.
