Have you ever thought about just how much of your life and business depend on the internet? Or about how we take it for granted so much so that when it is not available, we don’t know what to do with ourselves? It may surprise you – I know it did me.

My dreams for being super productive in my business came to a screeching halt for a couple of days recently. I had set aside two days specifically to work on MY business (not that of my clients). This “inconvenience” happened when the line supplying our internet access was cut by workers in our neighborhood. 

To be honest, it was like someone had cut off my right arm! Yes, a dramatic way to say – “I could do nothing that I had planned”! It was a very rude awakening to just how much I rely on the internet to run my business (and personal / household activities as well).

Business Activities Requiring Internet Access

Here is what I had planned to do…

• Update my financial records – but I use tools like QuickBooks, Hubdoc, PayPal and Square – all only accessible online.
• It was the end of the month, so I needed to send invoices – but I use an online CRM called Dubsado to manage my business, track my hours and send invoices to clients. 
• Work on my workflows and automation, update email templates, set up a scheduler – but again I needed to access Dubsado.
• Schedule my own social media – but I use Sprout Social, an online tool.
• Create a newsletter template – but I use MailChimp, and again an online tool.
• Even my To-Do list is online (ToDoist), but thankfully I have the App for that on my phone.
• Organize my DropBox files better.
• And lastly, update parts of my website.

You get the picture! And while many of these programs have apps I could access on my phone while not on Wifi – it is not quite the same or as easy to do when you want to make big changes.

So, after pouting for a few hours and exhausting my time on social media, I asked myself what could I do and still feel like I was being productive?

Business Activities Not Requiring Internet Access

Here is a list of business activities that do not require the internet – yet are productive and help move any type of business forward!

1. Clean up desk and office space.
2. Clean electronic files/folders.
3. Sort financial documents to make entering them later much easier.
4. Find information on office and home expenses for tax purposes.
5. Read a business based or motivational style book(s).
6. Make phone calls or network face to face with others.
7. Write a blog post (or two).
8. Create additional content for social media, your website or for event and product launches.
9. Set your business goals for the next quarter (or year) and update task lists accordingly.
10. Review calendars and agendas – making sure to block off appointments, family time and dedicated time to work on your business.
11. Write thank-you notes or celebratory cards for clients/business associates (in advance).
12. Shredding – which also helps with your ‘no access to the internet’ frustration!
13. Take time to think, to plan and to be grateful for what is available.

Instead of giving up on being productive, I was able to accomplish many tasks that I might have put off, may never have completed or would have scrambled to do at a later date – when time is not on my side.

So the next time you are without power or you simply want to self impose a “no access to internet time period” I hope that this list will remind you of all the tasks and work you can accomplish … without access to the internet!

What tasks would you work on if you had no internet access?

Online Tools Mentioned Above

Here are links to the tools mentioned above that I use regularly (note those marked with an * are affiliate links):

• QuickBooks
• Hubdoc
• PayPal
• Square*
• Dubsado *
• Sprout Social *
• WordPress
• DropBox
• MailChimp *
• ToDoist *