A Few of my Favorite Tools…

By Jeff Zbar 
www.chiefhomeofficer.com

Sitting in a hotel room in Wildwood, N.J., I can’t help but consider my favorite tech tools (a common mental connecting of the dots, I’m sure). They’re mostly small, easily stocked (if not always easily remembered), and can make or break a road warrior’s or vacation-business traveler’s experience. I’m not talking about the laptop, wireless broadband card or 8-gig flash drive; those are required. I’m talking about the little things that can make a difference in the computing / work experience.

Whether generically or brand specifically, they are:

My Bluetooth ear piece. I got caught up in an interview yesterday. While at home, I’d use my Plantronics CS55H wireless headset. But on the road, the only alternative to holding my BlackBerry Pearl to my ear as I try to type is to use my Bluetooth earpiece. Actually, I have two - a Plantronics and a Jawbone. Both are great for handsfree chatting.

My USB light. Face it: With as wacky circadian rhythm as many home officers have, working from a hotel room before sun-up is a common occurance. With my Ziplinq gooseneck light plugged into one of my HP USB ports, I can actually SEE the keys I’m trying to type in the dark. Very small, very cheap - and very cool.

My laptop cable lock. OK, I like to think people are good. If after all she was going through Anne Frank could believe that “despite everything, people are really good at heart,” I guess I share that belief. Except when I’m staying in a tourist-town hotel and my $1,000 laptop with all my data is laying bare in the place. Leaving nothing to chance, I deployed my laptop cable to secure the HP to the bedframe. People may be good, but security measures ensure they’re better.

With these little gadgets stashed in my laptop case, I’m (relatively) assured of a productive and secure vacation. Now, if I could just say the same of the singles in my pocket - instead of seeing them flying out like candy wrappers everytime the kids see an arcade along the Wildwood Boardwalk…

Since the '80s, Jeff Zbar has been a writer, speaker and spokesman on all facets of working from home and entrepreneurship. His columns and blogs have appeared via Entrepreneur, Success Magazine, Home Office Computing and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, and he has been a small business expert on national television and radio. Learn more at www.chiefhomeofficer.com.