One of the things I've noticed about small businesses is that we're on the move almost all the time. Whether we're making sales presentations, doing on-site work, or heading out to meet with vendors or clients, a lot of us are traveling. The hard part is continuing to do business while we travel. Fortunately, the tools are getting better, and the understanding that "the office" is wherever we are (not One of the things I’ve noticed about small businesses is that we’re on the move almost all the time. Whether we’re making sales presentations, doing on-site work, or heading out to meet with vendors or clients, a lot of us are traveling. The hard part is continuing to do business while we travel. Fortunately, the tools are getting better, and the understanding that “the office” is wherever we are (not where our desk sits) is becoming more common.I’m on the road this week, and I’ve been using some of the tools that I’ve written about in the past. Here are some notes (in no particular order) on some of the tools I’ve been using:Google’s GrandCentral is a nifty service, but I’m still getting the hang of it. Right now, I have two numbers enrolled, and I really like the fact that I can give someone my GrandCentral number and get the call on my cell phone without having to hand out my cell phone number. I also really like the way the voice-mail works, with notice of new messages e-mailed to me, visual listing of the e-mail (take that, iPhone!) and the ability to listen on my computer or a phone. I’m still trying to get used to having several layers of stacked voice mail, and I’m working on testing the setup for stacked calls — but on the whole, it’s a very good concept that’s been executed well. Speaking of Google, I find that I’m using Google Docs for collaboration a bit more than I thought I might. If there are just two folks, sending files back and forth works just fine, but once you get to three people working together the Google Docs system is quite fine. I’m sure that I need to wring more out of this, and I’ll let you know when I’ve figured out some of the other tricks.Have you followed the story of TSA and the Macbook Air? It seems that a small number of security folks didn’t believe it was a real computer, and since they apparently don’t own televisions, they hadn’t seen one of the ads. What’s the take-away? If you’re traveling with the latest and greatest technology (especially if it really breaks new ground in form-factor or weight), take a copy of the receipt and, if possible, an ad for the device with you. Yes, it’s a pain in the rear and, no, you shouldn’t have to do something like this. If it helps you catch the critical flight, though, it’s worth a couple of sheets of paper — and you can make that angry call to your congresscritter once you’re back on the ground. The same suggestion, by the way, applies to Li-Ion batteries that you want to carry on: If the vendor gives you the info showing that the battery falls within the guidelines, copy it and stick the paper in your carry-on bag. It could mean the difference between arriving with your batteries or not.That’s it for now…business calls. Let me know which tools help you when you’re on the road — I’d like to know the tools, tips, and techniques that keep your small business running while you’re running for that next appointment. Curt Technology Industry