Business Travel 101
Business travel is a fact of life. Even with the popularity of services like Skype and GoToMeeting, sometimes you just have to be there to seal the deal or get the job done. This means finding flights, making hotel reservations and living out of a suitcase for days, weeks or even longer. Having to deal with all this on top of whatever is prompting the travel in the first place-trade shows, sales presentations, training and so forth-can be enormously stressful, but it doesn't have to be. There are things you can do for yourself, if you're the traveler, or for your employees to make business travel less of a hassle, and that can pay off in more ways than one. Being prepared and taking much of the stress way makes for happier, more relaxed employees, which in turn means, they're more motivated and ready to get the job done and do it well. This becomes a win-win situation all around. Read on to learn more about how to make business travel go as smoothly as possible. It doesn't have to be a nightmare-and can even be enjoyable!
Budget
The first thing to do is set your budget. Having an expense account helps, but even then you'll make a much better impression if you at least try to save the company some money. Some companies have limits and restrictions, so make sure to familiarize yourself with your company's expense account policy if you haven't already. Make sure to budget enough for your flight (or whatever mode of transportation you'll use to get there), food, and if applicable, taxis to get around. Save all your receipts as much of business travel can be deducted on your taxes. Use sites like Priceline or Kayak.com to find the best deals on airfares and hotels and check other online services too.
Where to Stay
It used to be that business travel meant staying in a hotel or motel room. If you were only there for a couple of days it wasn't a big deal, but if you had business in the area for a few weeks or longer-say to provide or receive training or help launch a new location, hotel living could get old fast. Nowadays there are more options. Some hotels cater exclusively to business travels by offering spacious suites and special rates for extended stays, or you can actually rent an apartment on a weekly or monthly basis. This option can make being away on business feel a little more like being at home, and there are many choices 4 rent. They are as affordable as a hotel but with more privacy and perks like full kitchens and laundry areas.
Tech Issues
There are some other issues to keep in mind when traveling. Always check to see if the place you're staying at offers internet access. Bring an Ethernet cable-sometimes plugging in directly results in faster connections than WiFi. If you're staying in a place that doesn't provide internet (rare these days) or charges a steep per day fee (not so rare unfortunately), bring a WiFi hotspot. You can get them from your wireless phone provider for a reasonable monthly fee. Don't be caught with no access, being forced offline can wreak havoc with the work you're there to get done. You'll also want to bring outlet extenders because most hotel rooms simply don't have enough for the gadgets everyone has. Rechargeable portable battery packs can also be a lifesaver when traveling.
Budget
The first thing to do is set your budget. Having an expense account helps, but even then you'll make a much better impression if you at least try to save the company some money. Some companies have limits and restrictions, so make sure to familiarize yourself with your company's expense account policy if you haven't already. Make sure to budget enough for your flight (or whatever mode of transportation you'll use to get there), food, and if applicable, taxis to get around. Save all your receipts as much of business travel can be deducted on your taxes. Use sites like Priceline or Kayak.com to find the best deals on airfares and hotels and check other online services too.
Where to Stay
It used to be that business travel meant staying in a hotel or motel room. If you were only there for a couple of days it wasn't a big deal, but if you had business in the area for a few weeks or longer-say to provide or receive training or help launch a new location, hotel living could get old fast. Nowadays there are more options. Some hotels cater exclusively to business travels by offering spacious suites and special rates for extended stays, or you can actually rent an apartment on a weekly or monthly basis. This option can make being away on business feel a little more like being at home, and there are many choices 4 rent. They are as affordable as a hotel but with more privacy and perks like full kitchens and laundry areas.
Tech Issues
There are some other issues to keep in mind when traveling. Always check to see if the place you're staying at offers internet access. Bring an Ethernet cable-sometimes plugging in directly results in faster connections than WiFi. If you're staying in a place that doesn't provide internet (rare these days) or charges a steep per day fee (not so rare unfortunately), bring a WiFi hotspot. You can get them from your wireless phone provider for a reasonable monthly fee. Don't be caught with no access, being forced offline can wreak havoc with the work you're there to get done. You'll also want to bring outlet extenders because most hotel rooms simply don't have enough for the gadgets everyone has. Rechargeable portable battery packs can also be a lifesaver when traveling.
