In today's competitive business world, something as simple as laptop with a flat battery can ruin a business deal or a presentation. A universal laptop adapter could make all the difference to that business deal going through, an essential email reaching you in time or a presentation going off without a hitch.

Universal laptop adapters are lightweight, portable and cheap, enabling you to plug your laptop in anywhere in the world. They come with a range of connectors that are suitable for most major mains supply systems (EU and US). European and US mains voltage differs from the standard UK 240volt supply, and plugging a laptop into a different supply without the benefit of an adapter could damage your laptop. Universal laptop adapters also allow you to choose the correct voltage supply for your particular laptop with an easy-to-read LED display, removing the worry of voltage ‘spikes' damaging the delicate internal system and rendering your laptop permanently useless.

If you travel extensively, time on board planes is often spent catching up on vital emails or writing reports that may be required for meetings. Making sure you have a universal laptop adapter packed in your luggage means that you will be able to plug into the on-board power supply and utilise your time constructively without running the laptop's battery down. It also means that when you reach your destination your laptop is powered up and ready to go. This could make all the difference at that important meeting or presentation.

Laptop batteries are notorious for running down quickly and repeatedly draining the battery can shorten its lifespan considerably. Laptop batteries are expensive to replace and in the worst case scenario a flat battery could mean that you loose vital data or documents from your hard drive, especially if the battery dies before you've had a chance to hit the ‘save' button! Connecting a laptop to a continuous power supply via a universal laptop adapter removes the possibility of this happening and you can work without the concern that your important data could be lost in an instant.

Different laptops have different specifications with regard to the required voltage needed to power them. Instead of buying a specific adapter for each laptop, a universal laptop adapter can be used for almost any make of laptop (although do check before buying that your laptop is compatible). They are designed with the business user in mind and are very lightweight and portable. The best models have in-built surge protection circuitry to protect your laptop against any voltage anomalies – particularly useful if the supply you are plugged into is unreliable or intermittent.

By using a universal laptop adapter, you also have the ability to charge other equipment whilst using your laptop. USB adapters enable you to charge mobile phones, mobile GPS systems or even an MP3 player without draining your laptop's battery. Prices start as low as £25 and for such a small investment a universal laptop adapter really could be one of the best pieces of business equipment you buy. If your laptop is essential to your business, then so is your flexible friend – the universal laptop adapter.