Did you ever lose something in your car and need it for your meeting tomorrow? Digging under the seat, you find random items, combs, empty wrappers, etc., but not the lost thing. Business owners who use their car often for work can have issues if their vehicle is not organized. Today, we are sharing some ways to organize your work vehicle to make your mobile business as efficient as your physical office.
Tips
- 1. Divide your car into sections.
- 2. Have a place for your jacket.
- 3. Need to store papers in your car?
- 4. Include a Car Trash Can.
- 5. Car Emergency Kit
- 6. Get a well-organized bag.
- 7. Stock up on Snacks and drinks.
- 8. Keep a stack of sticky notes in your car for jotting down notes for later.
- 9. Mobile Hotspot or signal booster.
- 10. Use hands-free devices
- 11. Get a portable phone mount to hold your device.
- 12. Make your car comfortable for you.
- 13. Be sure to have security measures in place.
- 14. Be weather prepared.
- 22 Handy Items Needed in Your Car for Quick Use.
1. Divide your car into sections.
Have a section for pens (affiliate), a section for papers, a section for files, etc. Use a cup in the cup holder to hold your pens (affiliate). Ask yourself these questions to determine the sections in your car:
Where do you place your suitcase or bag?
Is there an area you usually place these items?
Assign that area for your bag, and keep this area clear.
Where do you place your papers when in the car?
Do you have a folder that you use to transfer documents between your office and other locations?
Try using poly expandable folders(affiliate) with a tie to keep the documents in place. You can use these to hold receipts, documents for clients (affiliate), and a variety of other documents.
Do you have chargers for your devices in the car?
Sometimes, we get stuck in the car for long periods, like in traffic. Determine the best place to store these cable chargers. To keep yourself connected, be sure you have charging cables for devices you may need on the go. Check out our DIY HOW TO MAKE A TRAVEL TECH ORGANIZER KIT on our sister site, Sabrina’s Organizing. We share all the cables you may need to travel on the go.
2. Have a place for your jacket.
Using a suit jacket car hanger that adds to your headrest works great. This is not just for men, women can use them as well. It helps when you travel long distances to keep the wrinkles at bay.
Suit Car Hanger Headrest Back Car Seat Coat Hanger Multifunctional
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Suit Jacket Car Hanger Auto Seat Headrest Clothes Jackets Suits Holder Robe Hook Car
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3. Need to store papers in your car?
If you need to carry around a lot of papers, you may want to store a larger bin in the trunk for easy access (affiliate). Buying a travel file tote for the car/trunk would work. It is best if these totes have a lid to minimize the toppling of papers, which can cause a mess.
A small accordion folder with a cover works nicely if you only have a few folders to carry.
Buy Now → (affiliate)
If you have other papers you need to organize, below are some ways to organize them:
- Business card holder(affiliate) that can be used in the area and is easily accessible.
- A clipboard with storage(affiliate) for signing documents on the go.
- Portable scanner devices(affiliate) or an app for digitizing documents for easy scanning.
- A clipboard(affiliate) with storage for signing documents on the go.
4. Include a Car Trash Can.
Using your car often, you may find that you have trash accumulating in it from those quick trips to get drive-thru lunch. Having a Car Trash Can (affiliate) in your vehicle to store your trash will keep it contained and make it easier for you to dispose of it daily. There are several varieties of trash cans. One can hang from the seat. Another can sit in the wheel well of the passenger seat.
Car Trash Can all in one, Garbage Bag for Car with Removable Leakproof
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Car Trash Can with Lid and Storage Pockets – 100% Leak-Proof Organizer
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5. Car Emergency Kit
5. Car Emergency Kit Using your car as much as you do, things may happen to it. Get yourself a well-equipped car emergency kit (affiliate) to have everything you need for these situations. Visit our post called “Important Tips When You Set Up The Business Emergency Process.”
Car Emergency Kit with Air Compressor, and more
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Car Emergency Kit with Portable Air Compressor, Roadside Assist Kit and more
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6. Get a well-organized bag.
Invest in a bag that will hold all your small things separately. This makes it easier to find your favorite pen and cell phone while traveling around. One place I purchased my bags from is Levenger.com. They gear their bags for business travelers. You can also check Amazon (affiliate), where they have a wide variety of bags that may work for you.
Ask yourself these questions to determine what type of bag you need.
- What do I need to store in the bag?
- Do I need to carry the bag, or do I want wheels to roll the bag?
- Do I need an area for more than one laptop or device?
- Will I need several pockets for small things?
- Do I carry heavy things? What would be the best way to bring these items?
Spend a few minutes when you head out, and take a photo of what you take with you. This will help determine the bag size and what areas you need to have in the bag for your things.
7. Stock up on Snacks and drinks.
Another organized business travel tip is to store a few snacks (affiliate) and water in the car. Keeping a small six-pack of water in the car for a quick grab works nicely for those days you forget your lunch or drink. You can purchase an insulated bag(affiliate) to help keep them fresh and cool.
8. Keep a stack of sticky notes in your car for jotting down notes for later.
I love having sticky notes (affiliate) in the car for those “I have to do this before I go home” notes. Leave the sticky note pad in your console(affiliate) and jot down the reminder; sticking it on the front or back of your cell phone will immediately remind you of what you may have forgotten to do.
9. Mobile Hotspot or signal booster.
If you are not in an area that has great singal, you may want to get a mobile hotspot(affiliate) or car signal booster(affiliate). These items will help keep you connected in the most rural areas.
10. Use hands-free devices
May states are going hands-free, so it is best to be safe (affiliate) than sorry. This will help keep two hands on the wheel. If you do not have Bluetooth connectivity in your work vehicle, getting a Bluetooth headset(affiliate) and only using one earbud will help you when driving. Better yet, to keep you and others safe (affiliate), it is a good idea to pull over when talking on your device.
11. Get a portable phone mount to hold your device.
Having a place for your phone works well, too. No one wants a phone falling between the seats. Some are magnetic, and others hold your phone in place with clamps. Here are some car portable phone mounts on Amazon(affiliate).
12. Make your car comfortable for you.
Since you will be in your vehicle for a while, it’s essential to be comfortable. Check out some of these ideas to help you while working.
- Seat cushions(affiliate) or lumbar support(affiliate) for long driving days.
- Window tinting(affiliate) in the backseat or truck area will protect documents and keep the car cooler.
- Travel-sized grooming kit(affiliate). Add things like breath mints, hand sanitizer, nail clippers, and tissues for prep before client meetings.
- Wrinkle-release spray for clothes(affiliate) that get creased during travel.
- A portable table or lap desk(affiliate) works well for meetings with clients (affiliate) and can easily be taken with you in the car.
13. Be sure to have security measures in place.
Make sure all your items are hidden from others. Using a locked console or glove compartment for sensitive documents is a good idea. Also, ensure your items are stored behind tinted windows or in the truck. And make sure you have another way to get into your vehicle if you lose your car key fob. Some cars have apps so you can open and lock the doors.
14. Be weather prepared.
And lastly, you will need to be weather prepared. If your area has ice, you may need an ice scraper or snow brush during the winter. In the summer, you may need to get a car dashboard sunshade(affiliate) to keep your vehicle cool.
But that is not all the things you need in your work vehicle. I compiled this list of items that are important to have in the car when traveling for work.
22 Handy Items Needed in Your Car for Quick Use.
Going back and forth from working from home to working in the car, you may need these items to help you. Store these items in your vehicle for quick use and replace them when finished.
- Window cloth and window spray
- Dashboard cleaner wipes
- Umbrella (affiliate)
- Water bottles
- Emergency car kit
- Leatherman or Swiss Army knife (affiliate)
- Carpet cleaner bottle (affiliate)
- A vacuum cleaner that plugs into a car outlet
- Trash Can
- Reusable Grocery Bags for Shopping
- First Aid Kit
- Flashlight
- Registration cards and Registration card holder
- Insurance card
- Pen
- Paper – client files (affiliate) and business files needed
- Wipes
- Paper towel roll
- Tissue
- Coins
- Cell phone charger and cables
Feel free to share this image above with other small business owners.
Buying and using all these items consistently while working in your car will keep you organized. Organizing your vehicle will help you keep track of everything and be clutter-free in your day-to-day tasks. These benefits alone make it a priority to help you succeed in your business. I hope these organized business travel tips help you stay organized day in and day out.
Now it is your turn: How do you organize your car for work? Leave a message below and share it with other small business owners who travel for business.
If you want to buy gifts for people who travel, check out this post.
Please note these are affiliate links through Amazon, and at no additional cost to you, I will earn affiliate fees if you decide to make a purchase.
