ALOHA's Tips for Working Remote

The ALOHA team is scattered all around the country. From Big Island, to Kauaʻi, to California and beyond! Since travel is in our DNA, working on the road is a given. Here are our team’s best tips and tricks that we put to the test while working a week in Waikiki.  

Join us as we head out on the road and around the globe!

PACKING

1. Travel light - Carry on your luggage. This will make changing flights on the fly a breeze and guarantees your luggage will not get lost.
   
   TIP: Check out how to pack the perfect carry on suitcase here.
   
   
2. Always pack something nice - And say yes to the invite! You never know what opportunity will arise.
   
   
3. Cords, Battery Packs, Converters & External Hard Drives - Bring charged multi-port battery packs to charge anything from phones to cameras. Outlet converters are a must if traveling internationally and it is always helpful to have an external hard drive when cloud based storage isn’t available. Pack all cords and electronics in a small pouch to stay organized and ensure nothing gets lost.
   
   TIP: Be prepared to work inflight where wifi may not be available. This means downloading everything you may need off of Dropbox or iCloud and onto an external HD.
   
   
   

   TRAVEL

4. Charge the night before - Outlets may be scarce on the beach or on the plane. Charge at night and open your laptop stress-free in your new morning office space.
   
   
5. Find good, reliable wifi - Sometimes even the best internet goes down, so don’t skip investing in a mobile hotspot that you can carry with you to always stay connected.
   
   
6. Work well en-route - Keep it mobile and check your phone plan to ensure you have enough data. International plans make it easy to work on the road with no crazy overage fees. Be able to take calls, answer emails and stay connected on the go! 
   
   
7. Know your timezone - It's really easy to lose track when traveling between time zones. Eliminate confusion when scheduling meetings and phone calls by keeping your computer and calendars updated. 
   
   TIP: Know what time zone your coworkers are in as well to stay connected.
   
   
   

   COMMUNICATION

8. Team messaging - Talking to each other across time zones is important to working on the go. We use Slack and Asana to stay on the same page as a team no matter where we are in the world.
   
   
9. Communicate working hours - Let coworkers know your working hours (and your time zone!) so they know the best time to contact you.
   
   TIP: If you go for a surf at lunch let the team know youʻll be offline while you're in the lineup.
   
   
10. Find a good lobby to work in - Preferably one with coffee, snacks and a view. Choose your seat carefully to have quiet calls.
    
    
11. Schedule breaks to get inspired - Go for a surf, hike, or ask a local what the best coffee shop is. There is so much to explore in a new city!