If you’re a home office worker, a road warrior, a teleworker, a virtual officer or just a workationing mom or dad who’s hitting the highway but expecting to take a little work in tow, how will you help those trying to reach you to actually reach you. A voicemail I received today helped highlight that question. It also revealed that with email, texts, pins, BBMs, Facebook, tweets, IM, LinkedIn messages, some people still rely on vmail. And as antiquated as we may believe it to be, we still must serve those people’s needs.

In the message, the person left her query. She also commented that my outbound greeting referenced Cinco de Mayo. A greeting a month old, eh? Goes to show how little attention many of us pay to our vmail greetings.

This got me to thinking, though… Assuming people actually listen to greetings, what should we say or request of those trying to reach us? What about for teleworkers, road warriors and even workationing entrepreneurs?

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Long-time home office architect Neal Zimmerman has created a killer new concept for the home office genre: The Getaway Space.

And with a little extrapolation, think about how a shed, cottage — or recreational vehicle — could suit your home office needs.

Not so much a home office or site for a home-based business as a retreat for anyone, the spaces seem part entrepreneur-minded, and part Henry David Thoreau-esque escapism. It’s even ideal for the teleworker who needs a space away from home to get work done.

Neal explores backyard pavilions and personal getaway spaces. He shows why, how and where people are building them, and showcases custom designs, and myriad examples of prefabricated modular units that can be shipped anywhere in the world and quickly assembled. Read More »

The tools worked fine. The technology — my Verizon aircard was flawless, the HP tablet PC was a hit and it all stashed neatly into my Foray mobile workmate.

Managing expectations… THAT was the detail that needs more attention. My family was pretty understanding. Only one or two clients would ping me with URGENT projects that needed my attention Right Now, I tell you, NOW! (truth be told, my emphasis, not theirs…)

When I first saw the RV we’d be driving for Home Office Highway, I wondered how I’d make the most of what was by all accounts a miniature space.

Some concepts and practices fell right into place — like using the Mobile Office Workmate or keeping clutter to a minimum. And some were learned, and depended upon the tools we had on hand.

Check out this video to see two examples of how I used off-the-shelf devices to maximize available space.

Home Office Highway and the virtual office is all about technology. Sure, cooking burgers on a grill doesn’t take much in the way of high-tech gizmos — unless you bought your spatula at Hammacher-Schlemmer.

But this blog has been written on a laptop connected to the Internet by a USB device that delivers broadband Rev-A through-put from almost any location — an RV park, at the base of Stone Mountain in Georgia, or as we drive along I-95 toward Massachusetts. Whether you’re an entrepreneur or you telework / telecommute, tech is your toolbox.

If you’re a tech marketer, the secret of successfully putting high-tech gadgetry in the hands of consumers (especially if you don’t have an IT staff behind you) is making it accessible to folks in a non-threatening, high-touch venue. The chance to play with the latest handset, or demo some new device, or ask “Like Duh!” questions without getting some “You Silly Consumer” look in response is the answer.

Call it the “Evolution.”

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