Very few people live under their desks, which means that most of us have to commute. It was estimated that 5% of the population used a train to get to work in 2013, a growing number are cycling and the majority (as ever) are driving. Yet for business owners, any time spent delayed on a train or pedalling through the city is time best spent working.
So how can you make the most of your commute? Even if you’re cycling or driving in, there are ways to enhance your skillset and keep your finger on the pulse without causing road accidents.
Taking the train
Those who commute on a daily basis probably relish their trip when they’re lucky enough to get a seat. Travelling with Virgin, most of their seats have plug sockets so you can stay wired up without running low on juice for the whole trip. A spokesperson for Virgin agreed that businesses travellers needed more than just a seat. “We’ve found that reducing journey times and increasing service frequency are important for business travellers.
But getting the service right, with power at your seat, the option of quiet coaches and free Wi-Fi – which we’re currently upgrading – is crucial too, and can enhance the working day rather than get in the way of it.”
For the legions of passengers who take the train every day and have to stand during their commute, this all sounds very heartening, but not enormously practical. Most train commuters have adopted a stoic attitude where they stand, and just try not to fall over. But with free wifi, it does mean that at least you can reply to emails on your smartphone. East Midlands Trains has installed free wifi at 30 stations across the network as well as in first class lounges.
East Midlands Trains offers all first class passengers a guaranteed table and any passengers using South West trains between London Waterloo and Weymouth and Plymouth can use completely free wifi in first class. A spokesperson for East Midlands trains added that “wifi is also available in standard class carriages on all London services for a small charge.”
For small business owners, if your commute is longer than 30 minutes, it might be worth buying the wifi so you can designate your commute as your “social media” time. If you don’t want to give any more of your money to UK trains, then consider having a quick browse of relevant articles for your business at the weekend and download them to your Kindle or phone. That way you can get ahead in your field without having to log on.
On the bus
Did you know that all of the new buses brought out by First Bus Company have wifi? As the second largest bus company operating in the UK, they bring out 600 new vehicles every year, all with free wifi so you can continue to work even when you’re on the bus. Giles Fearnley, the managing director of First buses says: “Almost a quarter of our fleet now has Wi-Fi, which is proving enormously popular especially with peak time commuters looking to get a head start to their working day. We will further strengthen our wifi provision in 2015.
“In some of our Aberdeen services we’ve introduced TV screens that show 24 hour news. We’ve really embraced new technology, so much so that we’ve brought the backs of bus seats to life on some Scottish services via Augmented Reality.”
Sam Diserens, a commuter who takes the bus from Camberwell in South London to Holborn every day says: “It’s too difficult to work on the bus because the roads are too shaky and bumpy.” Instead, he listens to a podcast.
“If there’s an area at work I don’t understand, I often download TED talks to watch or subscribe to podcasts where experts discuss areas I’m interested in learning more about. I find that the bus journey goes a lot faster then and it’s easier than trying to send emails or type.”
2.5 million people commute by bus in the UK, so it’s great news for small businesses that companies like First recognise that commuters need to have a smoother, more efficient journey when so many people rely on the bus getting them to work on time. A good pair of noise cancelling headphones are really worth the investment if you’re planning to zone out on the bus before or after work.
Cycling/Walking/Driving
There are mixed opinions on working on the go when you’re in sole control of your vehicle. Oliver Stoke cycles from Brixton to Euston every day: “I wouldn’t dream of listening to anything on my headphones in case I was distracted, but I know plenty of people who choose to take the quieter streets and plug into music.”
If you use pedal power to get to work, avoiding fast moving traffic should be your priority. But if you’ve got a long, quiet route along a country lane, you might feel comfortable plugging in headphones and listening to some podcasts on topics that could help you out at work. If you’re not sure how to organise your podcasts Downcast and Pocket Cast are two excellent podcast managers, which both ensure that the most recent posts are always at the top. This stops your podcasts from updating and being too overwhelming to categorise.
In a car, trying to engage in any kind of complicated phonecall or email is illegal if you have to take your hands off the wheel, so make sure you have a decent handsfree headset if you’re planning on working on the move in your car.
Drafting emails or jotting down thoughts can be controlled using devices like Dragon Dictation, which, if you speak clearly, will enable you to record your thoughts without taking your hands off the steering wheel.
Alternatively, make the most of your commute by developing a skill that could benefit your business. Language learning courses like Rosetta Stone can be listened to in the car, and a long drive on the motorway each morning to your office can be the perfect place to develop your skills. Mick Abbott, a scientist from Sheffield, learned Mandarin in the car over a six month period. “It felt stupid at first, saying words out loud, but now I can hold a decent conversation so I can have a chat with any potential Chinese clients.”
Content on this page is paid for and produced to a brief agreed with Powwownow, sponsor of the Guardian Small Business Network Smarter Working hub.
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