Being an entrepreneur takes energy, enthusiasm and an extra dash of get-up-and-go. The busy entrepreneur will be traveling a lot, and as they jump from client to investor to supplier, the entrepreneur’s car can get a lot of wear and tear through constant use. With so much time spent traveling, there are a few essentials that it’s worth keeping in your car. Nothing is worse than traveling some serious distance to chat about a business opportunity, only to find that you left your phone in the house, or to have your car broken into and stolen. Here then is a quick checklist for what should be in your car at all times.
Calculator
Yes, your smartphone has a calculator app, but how often have you run out of battery at a critical moment, or even misplaced your phone as you’re ready to dash out of the door? Although we’ve come to rely on our phones, it doesn’t hurt to have back-ups, and a simple calculator can help you work out your profit/loss ratio in a hurry.
First Aid Kit
As you rush around from client to client, it’s all too easy to trap your fingers in your car door or give yourself a vicious paper cut that might ruin an excessive amount of paperwork. A first aid kit is obviously an essential part of your in-car checklist no matter what you use your car for, however, make sure to keep it well stocked, and to replace anything you may have used.
Security
It could be that your business involves transporting product that ultimately requires you to use a trailer on the back of your car. Trailers are useful for a number of reasons, but what the budding entrepreneur needs to remember is that security and safety are vital if you have a trailer, as a trailer filled with goods can become a target for thieves. There are security products available, as well as trailer parts that will decrease your chances of losing stock, such camera systems, chains and door locks and wheel clamps.
Paper and Pen
Even in an age of iPads and digital interconnectedness, there is still something to be said for pen and paper. It might seem a little off-message if you’re a tech-savvy, trend-setting digital wizard, but a pen and paper is a useful thing to have close to hand. Quick and easy to scribble notes in, a notepad is very useful to look back on in order to remind yourself how far you’ve come, or of ideas you’d forgotten about.
Spares
Lost your phone charger (or even your phone)? Can’t find your Oyster Card and about to miss your connection? It’s definitely worth keeping a small grab bag of emergency supplies for when your back’s against the wall and you have meetings to get to. Obviously, keep it out of sight at all times, especially when parked up.
Hand Sanitizer
You are going to be shaking a lot of hands as you make deal after deal, and both cities and the countryside are covered in grime and dirt. So it’s worth keeping a small bottle of hand sanitizer close, even if it’s just to make yourself feel a little bit fresher.
The successful entrepreneur has to foresee all eventualities, and for every item on this list, there are another five items that might be more useful. It’s up to you to decide which is best for you, but as long as you think ahead and plan for as many eventualities as possible, you’ll be able to concentrate on the important business of making connections and money, instead of fussing over the little things.
