It’s the Christmas season and while you’re visiting family and making vacation plans for the New Year you’re also trying to run your business. Here are some of the best tools for taking care of your business while on the go.

A solid notebook computer.

I prefer the Apple Macbook line. They are sleek, sophisticated and offer plenty of powerful functionality to let you enjoy movies, music, videos, photos and productivity applications while you’re taking a break from networking and staying on top of stacking your cash.

A high-speed internet connection.

Check out the Sprint MiFi 2200 Mobile Hotspot. While WiFi access is becoming increasingly more available for low daily rates at airports or free at many retailers and restaurants, nothing beats having your own hotspot with you whenever and wherever you need it. Sprint has come to the rescue with their MiFi Mobile Hotspot offering 3G download and upload speeds over a fairly expansive nationwide network. Better still, you can share your signal wirelessly with up to five devices simultaneously without having to fiddle with USB connections. I have officially retired my USB modem for this slim and pocketable device.

A pen and notebook.

And I don’t mean just any pen and notebook. Take your note taking to a whole new level with the Livescribe Pulse Pen. This little wonder has the ability to record up to 200 hours of sound from your meetings conferences or personal commentary while linking that sound to whatever it is you are writing on paper at the time. The pen has an infrared camera that scans what you write as you write it so that you can upload your digital notes to your computer immediately–with the synchronized sound.

What makes the whole thing truly phenomenal is that both your paper notes and digital notes are synchronized with your audio recordings. As you take notes, the pen records your strokes in addition to the sound in the room. When you review your notes, you can touch any place on the paper page and hear what was said at the exact time that you wrote the note. The same is true for the computerized version of your notes that you upload to your computer each time you dock the pen–click a spot on the digital page and hear what was happening or being said at the time. Digital note taking will never be the same.

A Smartphone.

Today’s smartphones are more powerful than desktop computers sold just a few years ago. They have powerful processors, efficient operating systems, vivid screens, multiple input systems, and gigabytes of memory and expansion options. With the right phone in capable hands, you don’t need to miss a beat while away from your primary machine.

An e-Book Reader.

Well, maybe you don’t need this to stay on top of your business but you might need it to stay on top of news and industry information that affects your business. Use your e-Book reader to download all those sales and marketing books that you’ve been meaning to read in addition to your favorite newspapers and blog feeds. I use a Kindle 2 and it keeps me occupied during long layovers or those flights where you just want to zone out and take some time to catch up on some overdue reading.

And a Bag to Carry it All.

Once you’ve assembled the right collection of stuff, you need a proper bag to cart it around in comfortably and with the proper attitude. The bag needs to include compartments and space for adapters, spare batteries, USB memory cards, notebooks, pens, portable media players, the requisite notebook or laptop and your latest book or magazine. The idea is to be productive as you want to be while having some entertainment options when you need to take a break.

Both style and durability are important. I have a few favorites that have served me well that cover the spectrum when it comes to cost. For casual practicality, I like Eddie Bauer and Booq. For sophisticated traveling, Coach is my long-time favorite. Tumi is also very nice and most of their bags maintain a decent value for resale on eBay when you decide to purchase a new bag and want to offset some of the cost. A new find that I’m anxious to check out is Saddleback Leather Co. Pricey but durable and guaranteed to become a topic of discussion and curious questions for any owner.