Do you spend a lot of your time traveling for business? If you’re an old hat at business travel, or new to the life of toting briefcases and carry-ons across the states, business travel can either be beneficial to your career and hassle-free, or more of a headache than you’d imagine. If traveling for business has become a regular occurrence for you, these 7 tips listed below will help you to prepare well and stay productive amidst the unexpected chaos that travel may bring.
- Organize your travel details online:
Travel details can be difficult to keep up with, especially if you’re boarding connecting flights and have your information spread out over multiple platforms. The more organized approach is to download one of the many travel apps that helps to organize your travel details like Tripit.
- Join travel loyalty programs:
If you’re traveling a lot for business, it’s wise to join a loyalty rewards program. Make sure your reservations, flight, and hotel, are updated with all of your loyalty information. Often you’ll encounter free perks like wifi or a cocktail.
- Consider joining a network that enables members to rent furnished homes in several cities on a short-term basis:
There’s nothing wrong with hotels for business travel. Often, amenities like gyms, breakfasts, and a conference room can be helpful. However, if you’re a frequent business traveler, hotels can get old fast. If you find yourself looking for something more intimate and homey, consider looking into short-term furnished living solutions. Networks like Zeus Living provide members with access to furnished homes in several cities. This gives business travelers the option of having a home away from home without the commitment of signing a lease lasting six months to a year.
- Bring things from work that will help you adjust:
Is there a specific kind of pen you use to take meeting notes? What about your favorite notebook? These small items may feel unnecessary when you’re traveling for business, but the opposite is true. Travel can be a chaotic mingling of new places and new faces. A familiar item will provide you with the ability to control small details.
- Bring external batteries and chargers:
This is never a bad idea. Between taking photos, using rideshare apps to get around , and updating contact information, we rely heavily on technology during travel, especially for business. Grab a portable charger and a wall plug as well. You won’t regret it.
- Stay realistic about business goals:
In the heat of a meeting, it’s easy to make promises about following up with an employee or doing some preliminary research on a new client. Many people overcommit to responsibilities during business travel because their company has sent them to work, and they want to appear dedicated and invested in their jobs. None of these things are bad. However, you don’t have to commit to everything, and being realistic is far more wise than overcommitting and then not living up to your responsibilities.
- Exercise:
Is exercise apart of your daily routine when you don’t travel? If so, it’s wise to incorporate it into your business travel agenda. Whether you swim a few laps in the hotel pool or walk around the block to explore the city, exercise is a great way to release stress and establish a routine. It’s also helpful during international travel when you may be fighting jet lag. The extra boost of energy that exercising often provides can help center your mind and body before the big meeting.
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