The art of working globally
Wednesday, August 1, 2012 at 2:38PM 
It's been quite a while since I updated our blog, largely due to the fact that we've been so busy creating new websites, developing existing ones, developing brands, and helping our clients out with social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and You Tube.
The big news is that I'm now based in both the UK and Dahab, Egypt. As I'm sharing my time between both countries, I've built up a healthy client and supplier base across a massive 3,800 miles.
This has really highlighted to me something that I have known for a long time. In my line of business, it really doesn't matter where I or my clients are based in the world. Manage My Website is number 9 out of over 16,000 UK based web design agencies* for a reason: we are passionate about what we do.
The main tools that I have come to rely on working on a global level are as follows:
1. A secure internet connection wherever I am working from (obviously!)
2. A team I can rely on. My colleagues, contacts and suppliers are the best in the business (in my humble opinion) and ensure that wherever our clients are based in the world, their project will be handled professionally and efficiently with minimum fuss.
3. Macbook
4. iPhone
5. iPad (yes I am an Apple fiend...)
6. Mifi - a clever little device that you can buy unlocked from the likes of eBay. You then buy a local SIM card for the country you're in, add some credit and you can have wifi wherever you go, as long as that area has 3G.
7. Various ways to communicate internationally for free or at a much lower cost that using my telephone. These include Skype and various apps for the iPhone including Viber and WhatsApp.
8. Having not only my UK telephone but also an Egyptian one to make calls to local clients as clear and cost effective as possible.
9. Online platforms that help me do my job properly - examples being Basecamp for project management and FreeAgent for accounting.
10. File sharing "cloud" platforms to share large files with clients and suppliers that would otherwise have clogged up our email inboxes. My personal preference is Dropbox.
A couple of weeks ago I was working on a new Squarespace website for a beauty client based in Bath, Somerset. As it turned out, she had no idea that I was currently based in Egypt until I told her. This was largely because we communicated by email on a daily basis, so there was no way that she would have guessed. Her compliments about the service she received were a real joy to read.
If you're looking for a new website or blog, be it a self manageable Squarespace website (these are proving very popular at the moment), e-commerce, or something a little more complex we can help. We also offer brand development, logo design, online marketing assistance, copywriting and social media management.
The Allie's Eye website has just been launched to promote another service we've been providing to clients recently - photography. As I'm passionate about travel and iPhone photography (also known as iPhoneography), it made sense to provide a portfolio website to display the work I've created up until now.
Wherever you are in the world, if you'd like to hear more about our services just contact us and we'll get right back to you!
*FreeIndex web directory - 1 August 2012.
