As incredible as 21st century communications can be, sometimes there’s just no substitute for meeting someone face-to-face. Whether that someone is across town or on the other side of the continent, you can’t afford to be unreachable. Taking your office with you is vital, especially if you’re going to be gone for more than just a day.

The basics, of course, start with your phone. With modern call forwarding and hunting, there’s no reason your clients can’t reach you wherever you are any time they dial your usual 1800 numbers. This means that your cellphone needs to be connected to a nationwide network, but VOIP can also be used when you need greater reliability and sound quality. With proper integration, your customers might never even know you’re out of the office, even while you’re doing business over a mobile system.

Telephony today isn’t just about your phone, though. Your computer needs to connect to the net as well, whether that means actually plugging into a jack in the wall or using a wireless service. 3G networks make it easier than ever to access the ‘net wherever you are. Once you’ve cleared that hurdle, a number of other services are at your command. RingCentral offers a service that can transform your email into a faxing service, because business still requires that we sign on the dotted line. Online document sharing through services like Google Docs can keep all the facts you need at your fingertips, no matter where you are. With your documents both accessible and safe, you never need to play phone-tag while someone back at the home office hunts through your filing cabinets.

The ‘net can also help you stay on top of events back at the office while you’re away. Traditionally, project management tools like Basecamp have allowed geographically diverse resources to tackle a single project efficiently. Those same tools can help you keep things on track while you’re doing the important travel business still requires. Salesforce.com can also be extremely useful, both in closing the deal with the client your meeting and staying abreast of the situation with other potential customers.

Once you get past the generic tools that nearly any business can use, and look at the specifics of a particular business, it’s easy to find other resources on the web that can allow you to bring your office with you. Today we can handle company finances, track shipments and inventory, rearrange our travel plans, and purchase office supplies all while lounging at the hotel pool. The key is taking stock before you leave the office so you know what you need and can make best use of the incredible communications tools we have today.

Photo credits: snappED-up, suchitra prints