Traveling for work may be a lot less fun than when you travel leisurely, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make it enjoyable.
An official business trip is a great opportunity to showcase your skills and to get to know your colleagues better—if you’re traveling in a group—because you’re exposed to a different environment that requires you to adapt differently as well.
Whether you’re on a trip to meet potential clients, or to do some research on how to develop your business, there are more ways on how you can make this business travel a success.
So before you think about the worst possibilities that could happen in this trip, you better load up your arsenal with ways on how to make this trip even more productive than you can ever imagine.
Plan Everything in Advance
Just like when you’re at your office desk, creating bunches of to-do lists and checklists while planning your week and your meetings, a business trip should urge you to do the same — in fact, even more meticulously.
Planning everything in advance will help make your trip as smooth as possible. As you go over your checklist, you may find something that needs troubleshooting before the trip and planning it in advance gives you an ample amount of time to address the problem.
On the other hand, it would also allow you to give proper endorsement to whoever it is you are leaving behind at your home office while you’re away to make sure that deadlines will still be met.
Lighten Your Load
Preparing for a business trip is tiring, and we could say the same about flying.
Being strapped on a plane for a few hours could drain our energy, not to mention all the walking we have to go through after the plane has landed. Imagine having to carry a heavy load from the ramp to the airport exit.
The business trip hasn’t officially started, and there you are, tired just from the airplane ride itself.
When you fly for an official business trip, we suggest you pack light. If you can, just bring a carry-on. Don’t check bags unless you really need to do so.
Planning your outfits could make this whole packing thing easier. Look for the best luggage brands that are lightweight yet sturdy enough to carry all your necessities.
Inform Your Employer or HR
While informing your colleagues about your business trip is necessary to avoid any hold-ups in terms of your regular workload, informing your employer or your human resource officer is also as important.
They also have to know where you are headed and where you are staying because companies often provide their employees with insurance coverage when making a business trip on their behalf.
Likewise, meeting with everyone concerned should be a must before you head out to address certain concerns. You have to inform them whether you can be reached via email, phone, or social messaging, especially for urgent matters.
Work While Traveling
Once you start traveling, whether by plane, bus or even boat, you may as well start accomplishing those on your to-do list.
It’s possible to work while in transit, especially if you have your trusty laptop or tablet with you. Even a phone could help you accomplish a lot of tasks, including responding to emails and checking reports.
This way, your checklist goes lighter as you go along your way.
Who says you can’t stay productive even while on a moving vehicle? There’s nothing that can stop a determined individual.
Keep a Detailed “To-Do” List
Making a straightforward to-do list is easy, sure. But keeping it detailed as much as possible requires more attention and effort.
The difference between these two is that the latter will make you feel more in control from the moment you leave your office desk to arriving at your remote office location somewhere far away.
Keeping a small notebook with you to check on your to-do list is a good way to start. But if you really have to keep them inside your gadget, make sure that you’re always connected to the internet to avoid interruptions, especially if it’s accessible only via an online app.
Be Tech-Savvy
You’ll never know how important your gadgets are until you bring them on a business trip. But while these tech aids are a lot helpful during times like this, you have to weigh which to bring and which should you leave behind.
In most cases, a laptop is important to complete work-related tasks. But if your tablet and your phone can do it alone, there’s no need to bring your laptop. Besides, a laptop is a lot heavier than a normal tablet.
Just don’t forget to bring the necessary accessories like chargers and Bluetooth keyboards. You also need to make sure that the hotel you are staying at has a stable Wi-Fi connection to really stay online despite being far from your office.
Familiarize Yourself About the Destination
Embarking on a business trip doesn’t only require you to focus on the tasks at hand. You also need to familiarize yourself with where you are going.
You might need to do a quick coffee run to boost your productivity level, and not knowing where the coffee shop is can ruin your mood.
Aside from knowing where the holy coffee shop is, knowing the area will make you feel more at ease and confident to move around. Save the awkwardness for a different trip, and you won’t need it during a serious business journey.
Organize as You Go
With the spur of the moment ideas and concepts for your business, keeping in track of all your brilliant notes could be nearly impossible to absorb all at once.
Being at home or at rest could help you organize your thoughts, no doubt about that. But when you’re moving a lot during your trip, keeping a handy app that will allow you to take note of all your ideas is a must.
An app suggestion that could increase your productivity during the trip is Evernote, and we swear by it. It has a user-friendly interface that wouldn’t get you intimidated once you start using it. You can even share your thoughts with your team back home as it can be connected online.
Keep Networking
Expanding your network is a good business trick for everyone. You could use a little help in building a greater business plan for your company if you keep an open eye for potential clients and partners that you meet during this trip.
Be ready to hand out your business cards if the opportunity calls for it.
There’s no better time to network than when you’re out there meeting new people and expanding your world.
Final Thoughts
And while we kind of sounded serious the entire time, you must always keep in mind to take a couple of breaks during this trip to make way for new ideas to dawn on you. Don’t stay stuck inside your hotel room. Go around and explore the streets; it might give a fresh perspective on what your next business move should be.
