Business travelling is an expensive endeavor for most
startups that are facing financial crunch, so most of them avoid it at all
costs. But does that solve their problems? Well, in more cases than one, it can
be a rewarding experience and give your business the much-needed exposure. Consider
the benefits of face-to-face meetings with prospective clients and key decision
makers that could have a direct influence on the success of your company.
Business travel is not about enjoying the landscape or
spending time watching panoramic surroundings; rather, it is a trip to forge
new business relationships and generate more revenue. Invariably when you
travel to a foreign land, local sights attract you, but they are secondary to
your goal of spreading your business venture through new relations and new
opportunities and give it a wider exposure.
“The use of traveling is to regulate imagination with
reality, and instead of thinking of how things may be, see them as they are.” –
Samuel Johnson
Business Traveling
Tips
One-on-one meetings continue to be a popular business
activity, which makes traveling a crucial part of running a business. From the
best way to pack a suitcase to folding a jacket to scoring upgrades, you are
looking for ways to make you a happier road warrior. A well-planned itinerary
can help you make the best use of your time on a business trip.
Here are a few tips to make jet-setting a little easier and
travel smart.
1.
Pack
Lightly: Baggage can be a burden
when making frequent business travel trips. Pack only one color of pants along
with a matching jacket, so you can optimize the accessories that can be taken
along. In order to further reduce your stuff, you may want to match and reuse
the same shirts and socks. If you are carrying one shirt for each day, place
them into the plastic dry cleaning bags so that they remain wrinkle free.
Prefer to wear the heaviest things that you wish to carry along. Hiking clothes
are great to carry along, as they are not only easy to clean, but also make a
perfect alternative to formal dresses that can be worn to most meetings. This
will minimize the weight of baggage and make traveling little easier. Toiletries
should go in a plastic bag that can be kept inside your laptop case. One great
packing idea is to roll clothes, such as sweaters, jeans, and dresses, which
not only maximizes space in the bag, but also keeps your clothing wrinkle free.
2.
Streamline
technology: It’s a tech-savvy world. Business persons are no exception when
it comes to using technology. We all tend to carry huge amounts of
technological detritus wherever we go. Re-check your carry-on bag and make sure
you carry only a few essentials, such as a wireless broadband USB modem, a
tablet, and a smartphone, to lighten the burden. Recharge gadgets using USB
ports rather than carrying spaghetti of cables.
3.
Hardcopies
and soft copies: Keep your passport, ID, and credit cards in a single
location where they can be easily located. It is equally important to make sure
that you keep a digital copy of your important documents to save yourself from
falling into an awkward situation in the event you lose them. Imaging the pain
of losing them and then having to struggle hard to return your country. Scan
all the documents and store them in a single location in the cloud, so you can
still access them via phone or computer.
4.
Printouts
count: Have a printout of your schedule, itinerary, hotel reservations,
boarding pass, and contact details of people with whom you are scheduled to
engage during your business trip. Imagine your situation in the event your
phone battery runs out and you have no contact information stored elsewhere. A
hardcopy would suffice in such situations. It’s always better to be safe than
sorry.
5.
Register
for frequent traveler program: Avail the services that come with signing up
for the frequent traveler program. By registering for such services that allow
pre-approved travelers to avoid usual security checks, you can save a lot of
valuable time.
6.
Print
onsite: A majority of airlines restrict additional baggage. This means
bringing important business documents and presentation materials can be
expensive. If you are carrying print outs, it’s better to have them copied in a
pen drive or saved in the cloud, from where they can be easily printed upon
arrival. Contact your hotel to find if there are printing centers in their
proximity so that you can travel stress free. There’s also an option to ship
all the required materials ahead. Make sure the hotel you would be putting up
during the trip has no policy on holding packages for guests.
7.
Buy a
local newspaper: When traveling abroad on a business trip, it is best to
pick up the local newspaper so that you do not become a target of any unsavory
characters that are always waiting for an opportunity to pouncing on foreigners.
8.
Travel
insurance plan: Take the worry out of your next business trip by getting
your hands on a travel insurance plan. This will save you from stress and
hassle during a trip to a foreign land and offer trip cancellation and
emergency medical coverage. A travel insurance plan can cover your travel
investment.
9.
Eat smart:
While traveling, you could end up eating all the wrong stuff. Choose a protein
rich diet over carbohydrates. Of course, you do not want to experience
digestion problems during a business trip. Always choose bottled water instead
of soda or other carbonated beverages that trouble your tummy.
10.
Carry-on
luggage: For short business trips, never check your bags, as it is best to
get away with carry-on luggage. This would save you precious time and keep you
from the risk of loss of baggage during the trip. There’s no guarantee that
your checked luggage would make it on the same flight as you. So why take the
risk and waste hours waiting for your luggage?
Business Traveling Quotes
1.
“A business person is called BIS, because when
they travel, all they need is a bed, an iron, and a shower.” – Joseph Cubby
2.
“No one traveling on a business trip would be
missed if he failed to arrive.” – Thorstein Veblen
3.
“We’re always mindful of business travel. We’re
always talking about it. We look at whether to drive, whether to send fewer
people or to ask an affiliate company to represent us.” – Victor Vanov
4.
“The key objective to successful business travel
is to maintain control.” – Steve Prentice
5.
“When
overseas you learn more about your own country, than you do the place you’re
visiting.” – Clint Borgen
6.
“Stop worrying about the potholes in the road
and enjoy the journey.” – Babs Hoffman
7.
“Every man can transform the world from one of
monotony and drabness to one of excitement and adventure.” – Irving Wallace
8.
“I travel a lot; I hate having my life disrupted
by routine.” – Caskie Stinnett
9.
“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” –
Neale Donald Walsch
10.
“Take only memories, leave only footprints.” –
Chief Seattle
11.
“One’s destination is never a place, but a new
way of seeing things.” – Henry Miller
12.
“Investment in travel is an investment in
yourself.” ~ Matthew Karsten
13.
“Pack your best suit and sharpest attitude.” –
Anonymous
14.
“I need to travel, of course with my laptop, so
I can do business on the road.” – Theophilus London
Business Traveling
Software
Business trip planning can be a big headache, given the
amount of time it takes you to prepare and plan ahead, especially when there
are other more important tasks at hand. Worry not!
Here are a few travel software solutions that can make your
task easier:
1.
Serko: It is
an easy-to-use online travel booking tool for the modern business traveler. The
software enables you to easily book and seamlessly manage complex itineraries.
2.
Traveldoo:
The user-friendly travel booking software helps you to plan, organize, and book
business travel. The application offers the facility of agent-assisted booking
integration.
3.
Concur: Concur is an online travel booking
tool that takes stress out of your business travel plans. With the cloud-based
and mobile travel booking solution, it is easier to access all of your travel
needs with just a click.
4.
GateGuru:
A user-friendly tool for business travelers, GateGuru is designed to make
traveling little easier. The door-to-door solution automatically updates and
alerts travelers to any flight changes or time adjustments. Additionally, with
this application, you can rent a car and discover food options at the different
airport terminals.
5.
Expensify: Business travel planning is
easier with Expensify. The intuitive application is designed with tracking and
reporting capabilities to help travelers safely import travel expense reports
from their account and compile the data into a PDF. Users with iOS and Android
devices can download the application for free.
6.
AllSubWay: Get around the world seamlessly
with this comprehensive subway app. Available for iOS, AllSubWay app is
designed to help you easily navigate a range of subway systems in 160
countries, from Basel to Tehran.
7.
CardMunch: This app is designed to make
business traveling little easier for travelers who lose business cards
frequently. CardMunch will take a picture of the business card and create a
contact in your smartphone with the information. The app automatically draws
information from user’s LinkedIn profile.
8.
Wi-Fi Finder: When you are traveling, this
app can find a Wi-Fi hotspot and help you stay connected. Available in over
650,000 locations, Wi-Fi Finder will help you find Wi-Fi on the go, so you
never have to stay disconnected from the world. The application is available
for download for free for iOS and Android.
9.
XE Currency:
For frequent business travelers, this free currency converter application can
come in handy. Available for free for Android and iOS in 180 currencies, XE
Currency gives you latest exchange rates, thanks to its real-time updates.
Additionally, the application enables users to access the last updated exchange
rates offline.
10.
Points.com:
Combining your reward points from various programs was never so easy before.
Points.com offers users this facility to redeem, buy, or exchange your miles
with other users.
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