自由职业者是独特的商务旅行者。我们不受公司旅行政策的约束；同样，我们也不受到旅行和费用团队的支持，我们也无法获得凉爽的公司特权。根据Upwork和自由职业者联盟的最新事务Freelancing in America” study，将来只会有更多的人 - 预计到2027年，自由职业者将成为美国的大多数劳动力。

So, how can freelancers—or those aspiring to be—successfully navigate business travel without the resources big companies offer? I asked some veteran freelancers to share their expert tips. Here’s what they had to say.

建立自由职业者商务旅行工具包

As a freelancer, you know which tools you need to do your job. Photographers, you can’t work without your camera and editing program. Writers, you can’t make your deadline without your laptop and pages of notes. These items will be atopyour packing list, but what about your business travel toolkit? Do you have everything you need to be successful away from home, too?

这是专家推荐的(hint: most of these won’t add any weight to your checked bag):

1.应用程序

最简单的方法之一,组织和保持productive already rests in the palm of your hand, now it’s just a matter of curating the right apps. Freelance writer and photographerSpencer Spellmanshared: “I love apps that track and mainstream expenses, as they can do a lot of the financial heavy lifting that I would otherwise have to do every month. I also love to-do list apps, like Todoist. I set these up to send me notifications and email summaries of what I have to do for the day.”

Other useful business travel apps our experts love include: TripIt—for keeping all of your travel plans organized in one easy to access spot; WorkFrom—for locating a space to work while traveling; Calm—for taking a break to meditate and refocus; XE—for accessing foreign exchange rates; and Uber—for getting around new cities easily.

2. Gadgets for on-the-go

Next, stock your toolkit with helpful travel gadgets. Spencer recommended always bringing a power bank or electronics charger with you on a business trip, since outlets at airports and on planes can be few and far between. His pro tip? “I especially like solar chargers, because I just set it by the window on the plane and it fuels up.”

As a freelancer, you won’t always have the luxury of an ergonomically-friendly workspace.苏珊·谢恩（Susan Shain）, freelance travel writer, shared: “I started getting neck pain from working on my laptop all the time. So I fixed it by purchasing an external mouse and keyboard and an amazing Roost laptop stand.”

If you’re just starting out as a freelancer, some gadgets might seem more like luxuries than necessities. So, start with the basics for what you need现在, then build your arsenal up slowly. And remember to always track your business-related expenses.

3. Travel credit card

Lee Abbamonte,travel blogger, entrepreneur, and the youngest American to travel to every country plus the North and South Poles (哎呀！）建议获得一张信用卡，以奖励您的商务旅行和与您的自由工作有关的支出。这样，您还是可以最大程度地利用您要收取的业务费用的奖励。大多数旅行信用卡提供许多额外travel-related perks, too. As always, do your research and ensure you choose a card that works for you, your budget, and your business.

4. Frequent flyer number

As a business traveler, you should sign up for (free!) frequent flyer accounts with every major airline you fly. You should also become a member of hotel loyalty programs.

What’s the incentive here? “As an entrepreneur, I’m free to arrange my own travel. This is great for a few reasons, like managing miles and points accumulated on the airlines and hotels I choose. Without being limited by corporate rules and partnerships with certain airlines, hotels or even fare classes, I’m able to obtain status and upgrades with the airlines I prefer,” said Lee.

5. Known traveler program memberships

最后,保存时间你明智的签约for known traveler programs like TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, and CLEAR. These programs help you skip the long lines at security, reducing stress and ensuring your business trips run as smoothly as possible.

Tip: When you become a雷竞技app官方下载member, you receive a four month free trial of CLEAR. That’s four free months to test our experts’ advice—what do you have to lose?

Develop a travel routine

Our experts agreed that developing a travel routine is critical for staying productive. Whether you空中工作（是否），更喜​​欢咖啡店而不是酒店大厅，或者在与Wi-Fi断开连接时完成最具创造力的工作，成功的关键是定义适合您作为自由职业者的常规。

“I find traveling to be my most productive time because you’re captive and it kind of forces you to work. I utilize airport lounges andWi-Fi in airportsand on planes. It helps to pass the time and it’s better than watching the same plane movie for the eighth time! Also I bring and use noise cancelling headphones. They really do help,” said Lee.

On the flip side, both Spencer and Susan prefer flying without access to Wi-Fi. Spencer said: “I recommend turning off notifications and social media when on a plane. I’m most productive when I’m flying, in part because I’ve turned off notifications. Being on the plane is a great time to really get down to the work that requires my creativity and attention, like writing or editing.” And Susan agreed, adding that without Wi-Fi she has hours of writing time—without the distractions of emails, news, or Twitter.

Personally, I’m a big fan of working on trains. I have access to Wi-Fi if I need to Google a synonym, the leg room is unparalleled, and there’s usually ample power outlets available if I neglected to charge my laptop beforehand.

You’re not alone, however, if making time to work is a struggle when you’re on the road. Susan’s advice? “Don’t over-schedule yourself. It’s tempting to try to see and do everything, but I’ve found I’m much more efficient—and happy—if I block off full mornings for work, then leave meetings and sightseeing for the afternoon.”

Of course, sussing out a travel routine won’t happen without learning a few lessons along the way.马里奥·阿姆斯特朗, Digital Lifestyle Expert, podcaster, and Emmy-winning talk show host, shared: “Don’t waste time finding a place to work from. Join a national co-working program like WeWork or find one located where you travel to frequently. If that’s too pricey right now, always find out what the hotel offers ahead of getting there—is there Wi-Fi? Is it available everywhere? Or only in the lobby or rooms?”

Sorting out the details of什么时候andwhere您将提前进行商务旅行，从而节省您的时间和金钱 - 您到达目的地。

Stay on top of your expenses and taxes

Speaking of money, when it comes to administrative tasks Spencer put it best: “Budget, expenses and taxes are the most challenging part about being a freelancer, and I’d venture to say that it’s why more people don’t freelance.”

通过表演，谁同意？*作者举手*

But since youarea freelancer, it’s critical to stay on top of your business travel expenses and, of course, your taxes. The veteran freelancers agreed that hiring an accountant, having a clear budget in mind, and tracking every expense proved critical to sustaining a freelance life.

汉娜·洛根（Hannah Logan），自由旅行博客作者吃睡眠呼吸旅行, shared her go-to trick for managing taxes: “Working as a freelancer I have numerous clients from around the world. Each pays in a different currency on a different schedule. I use Excel to keep track of the conversion rate into my local currency at the time I receive payment, which makes it much easier when tax season rolls around.”

Cash in on (hard-earned) perks

As freelancers, we’re not tethered to the 9-to-5 world. If you’ve recently transitioned from a corporate job, a new style of working can take some getting used to. It can be easy to fall prey to constantly saying yes to work because we either need or want to make the money—or we don’t know when the next assignment will manifest. This attitude towards work often leads to overworking and burning out.

Most freelancers took to this style of work for the freedom. So it’s important to make the time to enjoy that hard-earned freedom, too. Those airline miles you’ve tallied up? They’re great for getting you to your next freelance assignment… or, your next vacation. If you decide to use a travel credit card for your business travel expenses,兑现您所累积的积分进行休闲旅行或自我保健活动。作为自由职业者，您如何花费信用卡点和航空公司里程完全取决于您。

Finally, let’s not forget about the most precious freelancer perk of all—time. Dictating什么时候you do your work is as liberating as getting to dictate where. The key is to find what works best for you.

汉娜（Hannah）的最后提示：“尝试找到平衡。当我旅行时，我想探索，不要花时间在带笔记本电脑的桌子上闲逛。但是，这种态度并不能支付账单，而是基本上击败了成为数字游牧民族的目标。我在清晨做得最好，所以我早起，做了几个小时，然后前往探索。”

您为自由职业者提供商务有哪些技巧？推文@Tripit。