On a business trip, you represent your company at all times. It means being fully prepared, full of energy and fully confident in what you're doing! So, to make sure you're able to focus on putting your best self forward, we've outlined the mistakes we notice people most often make when it comes to traveling for business. And, more importantly, we suggest how to make sure you don't make them. We start with:
- DON'T BOOK ACCOMMODATION AND TRAVEL LAST MINUTE – Waiting too long to book hotels and travel for a business trip can mean you end up paying over the odds.
As soon as you know you've got something confirmed on your calendar, you should look to get things booked. If you're too busy to sort it, just get in touch with us and we can start sourcing accommodation for you.
- DON'T ARRIVE AT THE WRONG VENUE FOR A MEETING OR CONFERENCE – It happens more than we care to admit, but sometimes we can get our postcodes in a muddle.
Or, sometimes, we assume we know which hotel the conference is at, only to discover there are two Double Tree's and you've got a taxi to the wrong one. Make sure you double-check the address details of any locations you need to be at BEFORE you travel.
- DON'T OVERWORK YOURSELF – Yes, on a business trip you're travelling for business. But that shouldn't mean you work twenty-four seven.
Overworking yourself is never healthy and will only make you tired and stressed. As much as possible, try to stick to a similar routine you would follow if you were at home. Eat at the right times, rest in the evening and get to bed at the usual hour. On that note…
- DON'T SKIMP ON SLEEP – This is one of the biggest mistakes people make when on a business trip. And if you're travelling abroad, it can be an even bigger problem.
The fact is: when you're on the road, it's even more important than usual to get plenty of sleep so you're rested and fully prepared to represent the company while you're away.
- DON'T OVERDO THE HOSPITALITY – Hey look, we know you often make the best connections and deals in the pub or bar AFTER the official event you're travelling for. We're not saying you should swerve drinks completely.
But, don't go over the top. You will have other opportunities to connect and – in the long term – you'll be respected more for being professional and excusing yourself at a reasonable time.
- DON'T SKIP BREAKFAST – When you're on the road and your routine is out of sync, it's especially difficult in the mornings.
You don't know the local traffic, you're not 100% sure how easy it is to get to the venue and you could well be waiting for a colleague who finds it tough to get ready in the morning. For this reason, save time trying to find somewhere to eat (or missing out altogether) and organise breakfast the night before.
- DON'T GET YOUR BANK ACCOUNT SUSPENDED –Detection of banking fraud is a lot more sensitive than it used to be.
If you're buying groceries in Grantham one day and then drinks in Gdansk the next, banks can be a little trigger happy in suspending your account. So, make sure you alert your bank about any overseas trips before you fly. You can usually do it online now, or else phone direct to get it sorted.
- DON'T FORGET YOUR PASSPORT – There's always someone who makes the ultimate mistake and forgets the passport on a work trip overseas.
It goes without saying that you should try not to ever be that person. It helps to check you've got it before you leave the house, while you're traveling to the airport and at the airport. You can never be too sure. Follow our advice above and you shouldn't run into too many problems on your next business trip.
Of course, if you do ever run into trouble, if you arrange your contractor accommodation and travel with us, you can take advantage of our twenty-four hour travel assistant support. No matter what the issue, no matter what the time – just call us and we'll do our best to get help you out. To find out more about our dedicated travel assistant support service, just give us a call on 0330 090 41 42 to talk.
