What’s in Your Bag? The Virtual Assistant

Do you ever wonder what other people carry in their laptop bags when they’re travelling for work?

Virtual Assistant Kathryn Hall has opened her colourful Cath Kidston holdall to show us:

As a Virtual Assistant I provide remote admin support to other freelancers and small businesses based all over the country. My services range from helping people with their invoices to uploading blog posts and transcribing audios.

I spend the majority of my time working from an office at home (which as an introvert I absolutely love!) However on the odd occasion that I’m travelling, meeting a client, or feeling the need for a change of scene the most important factor is that I’m able to get online. As a Virtual Assistant my business and the tools that I use are almost entirely web based and my business simply wouldn’t function without the internet.

My business bag is a Cath Kidston carry bag (click on the photo to see full size). I’ve had it a few years now and it’s still going strong! I love it because I can fit everything I need in it and can carry it over my shoulder easily. Plus it’s also pretty waterproof which is a big bonus when you live in the UK!

Here’s what you’d usually find in my bag:

iPad and iPhone
After years working on PCs when I was employed in a job, I’m now an Apple only kinda girl. Having a system that syncs beautifully together is really important to me and when I’m out of the office I know I can rely on my phone and tablet to keep me connected to the online world and my clients. I rarely take my laptop out with me but when I do it’s a MacBook Pro. My iPhone isn’t in the picture as it’s taking the photo!

Notebook and pens
As much as I love the internet it’s important to me that I disconnect now and again. Consequently I never leave the house without my trusty notebook and a few pens. I use a notebook to brainstorm ideas, make notes if I’m meeting a client, get the structure of blog posts written down, and generally clear the clutter of thoughts that are jumbling around in my head! I love Paperchase for stationery which is where the notebook in the photo came from.

Headphones
Travelling from place to place can be a great time to listen to podcasts or watch inspiring and informative business videos. So I always bring my headphones with me so that I plug straight into my iPhone. I also have a range of guided meditations on my phone which I’ll sometimes listen to when I need a moment of calm.

Business cards
You never know who you’re going to meet when you’re out and about, and having business cards to hand just makes things that bit easier when you want to swap details. I love Moo.com for business cards – they provide an excellent service at a very reasonable price.

Novel
If I’m out of the house I tend to make the most of it and have some ‘me’ time in between the work. There are few things I love more than sitting with a cuppa and a good book and my current read is The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared. I still buy books in paper format – I spend so much time in front of screens that I can’t bear the thought of reading books from a Kindle.

Water, energy bars and fruit
Self-explanatory really. I try and look after my health as much as possible but when you’re busy it can be really easy to go several hours without eating or drinking anything. Having healthy snacks and water in my bag helps to keep my energy levels up and my brain focused.

Kathryn is a Virtual Assistant with over 10 years administrative experience. Running My Virtual Sidekick, she specialises in helping creative freelancers and small businesses gain the time and freedom they crave so they can focus on the parts of their business that they love.

Enjoyed this? Check out more home workers opening their business bag in the What’s in Your Bag? series.

Are the contents of your business bag a bit out of the ordinary? Send me a photo and a description of the contents of your bag when you’re working away from home and I’ll share them here.