Whether you’re a traveling salesman, a self-employed entrepreneur, or just a local business person – you probably already know; your car can often pose as your second office space! As you take countless phone calls (always hands free while driving of course!), create deep thoughts and strategies – and even hold meetings – your car can become a place of business in its own right. No matter what type of vehicle you drive on the outside, there are some key components inside your vehicle that can make it either more conducive – or more prohibitive of good business interactions. Take a look at this list of tips for making your car, which is your second office, into a great one!
A Clean Car is a Clean Office
Just as your normal office suffers from distractive clutter, so too does your messy car make your business tasks and decisions that much tougher. Food containers, trash, and even clumps of dirt on your car floor make you feel like you have work hanging over your head – and that you can’t concentrate completely on the work ahead of you. Furthermore, if and when you do have business associates in your car for short rides to and from lunches, etc. – they will be all the more impressed if your vehicle is clean and nice – instead of dirty and disgusting. Don’t kid yourself; a car may be “just a tool”, but in America; it’s an extension of your identity – both personal and professional.
Meeting Central: Optimize your Auto Business Relationships
Speaking of having meetings in your car, think about some of the most important partnerships in your own career that have been forged on small trips to restaurants, long drives to trade shows – or even mini-meetings that take place parked outside the office. Your car is the go to spot to get away from crowds and prying eyes; a place where you can have candid discussions that create real opportunities for you with the people you work with. To accentuate, and optimize these experiences to their best – it’s essential to make your car a welcoming, business friendly space. Consider always keeping 2 full water bottles in the cup holders of your front seat, as mouths and throats can get dry while talking. If your entertaining clients, put a stack of custom business cards in the glove box – or anywhere else you can get to them quickly. You never want to be without your marketing materials in your second office!
Beat the Heat: Auto Office Comfort
In many parts of the country, your car can get quite hot as it sits parked out in the sun – no matter what the season! If you’ve been strategizing and massaging the perfect business deal, and you’re about to cinch everything up with a private conversation on the ride to the group lunch… it can be ruined completely by a car that’s flaming hot, and utterly uncomfortable to be in. It doesn’t matter if your 5 years old, or 50 – your mood will turn from delight to tantrum if your forced to sit in a horribly hot automobile. Always be prepared with a protective / reflective windshield screen to help block out the baking and harmful rays of the sun against your second office’s integral business environment. Bonus: protective sun screens for your windshield also protect your car’s dashboard and upholstery from sun damage!
Takeaways
If you look back over the years, there’ve probably been some pretty impactful business moments that have taken place in your second office – your automobile. If any or all of these could have been made better by having a better, cleaner, and more professional equipped auto for business – why not take the time to make that happen? After all, it’s never too late to close the next big deal in your automotive office machine!
