When you run a business, there are times when you’ll probably need to go away. This could be to attend a conference, to go to a meeting, to see potential new clients, or for research. No matter what the reason is, going away for business can be tiring and include a lot of rushing around. With this in mind, you want to stay organized and ensure you get the most out of your time away that you possibly can. In this article, we take a look at some top tips on how you can stay organized and make the most of your business trip.
Photo by Tim Gouw from Pexels
Why are business trips so important?
- They can help you bring new business in
- You have personal interactions that can help improve relationships
- You can meet new people
- It can help you to broaden your perspectives
- You can have access to different resources
How can you make the most of your business trip?
When you are going away for business, there are many things you can do that can help you make the most of your time. Some of the top tips include:
Utilize your traveling time
The first thing you should do when looking to make the most of a business trip is see how you can utilize your travel time. Whether you’re going via plane, train, or even by car, there are going to be ways you can make this a practical time rather than doing nothing. If you’re traveling in the car, you could listen to a business-focused podcast that can help you pick up tips for the time ahead. If you’re on a plane or train, you could go on your laptop or phone and answer emails or catch up on certain bits of work that you need to do. Ensure you charge your devices before you go in case there aren’t any outlets on public transport.
See if you can upgrade when you travel
Travelling is always better if you can get an upgrade and sometimes when traveling for business it’s just worth it. There are many different ways you can do this, including upgrading your flight for first class or business class, adding on an airport lounge where you can have some pre-flight food, drink, and a relax, or getting a chauffeur to pick you up from the airport instead of having to get a taxi or public transport. It’s these little things that can really help elevate your experience and have you turn up to your business trip feeling refreshed, looked after, and ready to face whatever the time ahead throws at you.
Pick your hotel carefully
While some people go with the viewpoint that a hotel is just a place to stay, when you’re heading away for business, you want to make sure you’re somewhere comfortable. As business trips tend to be in cities, you want to make sure you’re staying somewhere that is in a safe area, particularly as you’re likely going to be traveling on your own. Look up reviews before you go and make sure the area is one particular feature highlighted as being safe. You should also look for a hotel that has amenities such as an on-site restaurant and spa that you can enjoy when you’re not doing work. Having food options also means if you get in late you don’t need to worry about going out to eat, and could just get room service if you fancy it!
Organize as much as you can ahead of time
When you go away, it can feel like there are so many things for you to get organized that it can be overwhelming. Yet the last thing you want is to get there and not know where you need to be and when, or not have the items you need for your trip to be worthwhile. With this in mind, do as much as you can ahead of time, such as replying to any urgent emails, booking any transport links, buying tickets for any events, and creating a schedule that you can follow when you are there. This can take a while before you go, but you will be so relieved you’ve done it when you’re there. Check-in for your flight early and get all your documents together in one place so you know how to easily find them when they’re needed.
Ensure you schedule in some downtime
When you’re away for business, it can be very easy to have no downtime. You could end up doing work all the time while you’re there, such as networking and attending events, but then spend your evenings playing catch-up with your emails and the work that you would normally be doing back at home. This can lead to you feeling stressed, burnt out, and not able to make the most of your time when you’re away. To stop this happening, be sure to schedule some downtime where you can relax and unwind. It will be so beneficial for your mental health and mean you can be fully present for the rest of the time you’re away. Do things such as playing games like solitaire on your phone, having a massage in the spa, taking a bath, or reading your favorite book.
Have someone there to take care of things back home
When you’re away, you can find that things back at home pile up, with your inbox becoming more and more full. It can be a nightmare trying to stay on top of this as well as the enquiries coming in and keeping your business ticking over. With this in mind, ensure you have someone who can take care of things when you’re away so you don’t need to worry so much about what’s happening without you. You can schedule calls to check in and ensure they know they can contact you if they have something really pressing that they need your help with. Other things can just go on the backburner and you can rest assured your business is ticking along and you’re sorting things on your trip too.
Pack strategically
Packing to go on a business trip can be tricky, particularly if it’s abroad or if you have a wide range of activities while you are there. You want to make sure you have smart outfits for things such as meetings and events, casual fits for when you’re relaxing in the evenings or when you have downtime, and clothes that will suit for when you need smart-casual attire. Try not to overpack and bring too much with you that won’t end up being worn, but you also don’t want to forget things and end up either running out of clothes and having to buy more or shelling out for dry cleaning at your hotel. Both of these can be a nightmare and lead to stress when you’re away which just isn’t necessary!
Try and eat healthily when you’re away
When you’re away, it’s so easy to fall into the trap of eating out all the time and not getting the chance to do any exercise. While this might seem like great fun, it can cause you to feel tired and sluggish and if you keep going away, it can lead to weight gain and potential health problems in the future. To avoid this, stick to healthy dishes where you can and try not to drink every day with meals, you’ll be surprised how many calories are in drinks such as wine and beer! You could also choose to stay in a hotel with a gym so you can get a workout in either before you start your day or at the end of it.
Don’t forget to get receipts so you can track your expenses
Keeping track of your spending is important, so don’t forget to ask for receipts in each place that you go. By getting receipts, you can make copies of them and put them down as an expense on the trip, which can help with your tax return at the end of the year. Depending on the accounting software that you use, you may be able to scan the receipt straight into your accounting package on your mobile phone, making it easier for you to track your expenses.
These are just a few things you can do that can help you to make the most of your next business trip. Whether you’re heading away for a few days, a week, or even longer, it’s important to do what you can do to make the most of the time you’re there. Also, remember to take it easy, business trips can take it out of you and you don’t want to end up being burnt out. By ensuring you have downtime, you can ensure this doesn’t happen and you still get your work done while not letting it become too overwhelming. What are some top tips you have for making the most of a business trip? Let us know in the comments below, we’d love to hear from you.
