It’s tremendously freeing to uncouple from solely working at a desk or in an office, when you have chance, traveling to offer your services or deliver your value can be a great idea. In some job categories, this might be more possible than others. It may also be that you have more portability than you imagine.
For instance, a traveling stage hand, hair stylist, makeup artist, music producers, DJ, acting troupe, wedding entertainer, all of these job types can enjoy travelling to client locations in order to make things happen. That said, travel requires logistical planning and careful organization, which is why it’s always a good idea to plan for those long expeditions, particularly if you’re starting out on this path for the first time.
It’s this that we hope to help you with, allowing you to settle into your new role, better cope with the taxing nature of long-distance travel each day, and sustain your professional potential for a wide array of worthy clients. In the long run, this has a tremendously positive effect on how your reputation builds and the variety your career can enjoy.
With that in mind, please consider the following advice:
Cable Managers & Protectors
Cable protectors and managers can help you properly bring your cables from place to place with care. You’ll be able to slot them neatly into duffle bags or larger carry cases without a hitch, and don’t have to worry about cabling wiring around itself for hours of unfun untangling later on.
Cable, as robust as it can seem, is certainly capable of being damaged, which is why it’s good to use these logical organizational tools in order to ensure a worthwhile outcome – and to take some of the annoying stress for your shoulders. Of course, you’re inevitably going to lose a cable at some point, which is why carrying backups can be so important.
Always ask the venue in advance if they have any provisions to grant you, for example they may be able to plug in your DJ decks to their sound system quite capably. That also saves you some travel weight.
Hard Shell Carry Cases
Even well meaning and careful luggage controllers can accidentally damage possessions, especially on flights or other areas where you’re separated from your luggage. It’s good to buy the right carry case for them, where plush internals, such as egg crates, can ensure the carrying of sensitive materials, and hard shell cases can take the brunt of dull impacts.
This means that even fragile equipment can be carried and cared for, even dropped once or twice, without causing you utter despair. Make sure that it’s clearly labelled with your name, and contact information, and some people might even implement GPS measures like Apple’s airtag system, this way you can remain responsible for your cases and handle them effectively.
Insurance Is Essential
If you travel a good amount for your work, sooner or later you’re going to suffer a break in your equipment. This might be a camera or a lens that becomes cracked, or a guitar or other piece of music equipment damaged by a distracted luggage handler.
Having insurance to hand is important, be that purchasing insurance on a particular item, or buying travel insurance from a carrier should something go wrong, knowing you’re protected can allow you to rest with a little more peace of mind than you could otherwise have.
In some cases, you may be insured by the client or venue you work for as part of your agreed upon contract. If you’re DJing in a nightclub, for instance, and a passionate patron spills a drink all over your equipment, you can demand reimbursement from the venue as it will have been costed in appropriately.
Document & Tag Everything & Make Use Of Backups
It’s important to ensure that you have everything carefully inventoried so you can check its condition before and after you transport it. Don’t be afraid to take pictures in case you need to prove that an item has been damaged while you were working.
You can also utilize digital bookkeeping or backup methods, like making sure your computing devices are connected to your cloud network – this way the days rushes of video recording, photographs or audio can be uploaded to your professional cloud folder as well as the physical storage drives you keep with you.
Think like a member of the logistics division within a military, ensuring everything is tagged, properly kept, and condition is upheld. It will allow you to ensure no items are damaged, and safe storage is always assured.
With this advice, we hope you can continue to work as a traveling freelancer, contractor or artist in the best way.
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