Every so often, travelling for work becomes a requirement. Taking time to prepare your business trip will ensure you are efficient and well-organized prior to heading off. This will help you to avoid unnecessary stress, which can only benefit your productivity.
To avoid leaving plans to the last
minute, this article includes five tasks to complete before your business trip.
These tasks will help you ease any pressure ahead of your travels.
Review the Company Travel Policy
If you are travelling for your
employer, understanding the travel policy is essential before booking a
business trip. The policy, which is usually created by the finance manager,
will outline the company’s rules on how employees should book and expense
business travel.
This allows you to know the expenses
your company will cover, daily spend limits, and how expenses should be
submitted upon your return. The corporate travel policy will also outline
whether employees can fly business class, how long the trip should be booked in
advance, and more. It will cover information regarding modes of travel,
lodging, and entertainment.
The company’s travel policy
should state what travel providers the business prefers, including
accommodation, airlines, etc. If you do not use the preferred providers, this
might incur additional paperwork when you get home.
Secure Your Travel Documents
Having your travel documents on hand
is obvious, but keeping these items safe is often another matter. These items
are easily lost, especially during layovers or long journeys. This means that keeping
travel documents, such as passport, boarding pass, etc., secure is essential.
It is encouraged to have physical backups and digital copies of these documents
in case the originals are lost.
For the digital copies, you must keep
them safe, too. This includes ensuring your electronic devices are password
protected; face and fingerprint ID are preferable in these situations. Some
people like to leave copies at home and at their place of work before
travelling, too; this could include on work and home devices.
A bonus tip for your travel documents
is to make sure they are valid, primarily your passport.
Select Travel Insurance
Unfortunately, not all situations can
be planned for. This is why it is crucial to have travel insurance whenever you
are away from home soil. Travel insurance offers peace of mind to protect you
in emergency medical predicaments when you are abroad for six months or less,
even if you’re only away for a few days.
If you were to become unwell or be
injured during your time overseas, plans like GeoBlue travel insurance can help you. You will receive assistance if you need to find
medical care and any medical expenses will be covered. Some insurance policies,
like the one from GeoBlue, will also help US citizens with medical evacuation,
the cost of lost luggage, and trip interruption when abroad.
Additionally, your employer might be
able to offer some form of travel insurance. If this is the case, then you can
take out your own cover just in case the policy provided by your employer does
not protect you against all eventualities.
Plan Your Itinerary
Even though “winging it” might be a
possibility, this is a sure-fire way to let something slip through the cracks.
Planning an itinerary for your business trip ensure nothing is left out. After
all, this trip is for the business, and any avoidable mishaps could reflect
poorly on you and the company.
Business itineraries should mention any meetings that have been planned, who will
attend, the preparation that is required, and so on. This should not be
overly-filled by details; the itinerary should be clear and
straight-to-the-point. It is best to prepare this before your trip to allow you
to double-check all of the details are correct.
If the trip
includes multiple employees, the itinerary should be distributed to all parties
in advance so everyone can familiarize themselves with the plan.
Pack Sensibly
Only pack the essentials when heading
off on a business trip. As the company is likely paying for your trip, you do
not want to exceed luggage limits, especially if you are only away for a few
days. In some cases, only hand luggage will be necessary, which means
everything should fit into a carry-on. If you do take hold luggage, pack spare
clothes in your carry-on in case your suitcase gets lost during transit.
You should pack work attire, such as
shirts or blouses and slacks or skirts; items that will ensure you look smart
during meetings with clients or potential customers.
Many hotels have an ironing service if you are concerned about clothes becoming
creased in your bags. It’s also a good idea to bring some casual clothes, too,
in case you go for drinks or dinner during your downtime.
Going away on business can be a
stressful but with the right planning, it can be made simpler. If you have
knowledge of the company’s travel policy, protect your travel document, and
choose suitable travel insurance, then you just have to plan your itinerary and
pack wisely.
