Business trips can be a really useful and fundamental part of your job, and they are something that you will probably want to make good use of if you are going to really make them work as well as possible. The truth is that there are a lot of things you might want to think about when it comes to this, and if you are about to embark on your first business trip ever, then you will certainly want to know a few things in particular.
In this post, we are going to take a look at some of the things that you might want to know before your first business trip. As long as you are aware of the following, you should find that you are going to really have a much better experience all in all, and will make the most of it for the sake of your business.
Here is What to Know Before Your First Business Trip:
1. Plan Ahead Like A Pro
The more effectively and fully you plan ahead, the more you are probably going to get out of the trip, and the better it will be for your business as a whole. So this is a very simple but very important thing that you might want to consider, and it’s likely that you are going to be able to think about this quite early on. The moment you know that you are going to be going on a trip for your business, book your flights, hotels and ground transportation. The sooner you do that, the cheaper it will be, and the more prepared you are going to feel.
Business trips can often run on tight schedules, so you should make sure that you are going to prepare as best as you can, as you don’t want to be left scrambling. Confirm all of your reservations, know your check-in times, and keep all of your confirmation in a place that is easy to access. Even just a simple folder in your email app can be good enough for this.
2. Pack Smart
Ideally, you will want to keep your luggage light and practical, otherwise you might struggle to actually make the trip work as well as you would hope. Stick to outfits which are versatile enough that you can mix and match them, and make sure that you bring at least one emergency outfit in case plans change or something gets spilled on you. Don’t forget essentials like chargers, business cards, travel toiletries and the like, and make sure that you are thinking about all this early on in case you do overlook something.
It is usually best just to pack a carry-on, as this saves time and avoids the potential stress of lost luggage. You’ll also find that you are going to have a much easier time if you only have a few items with you, so this is something that you should try to think about as well.
3. Know The Agenda
When preparing for your first business trip, ensure you understand its purpose. Are you going to be presenting, or are you there to network? You might only be there to sit in on meetings, but regardless you need to know the purpose of the trip and what is actually expected of you. If you can figure that out early on you can prepare much more fully, which will in turn help you to feel a lot more confident throughout the trip.
You’ll find it easier then to pack the right materials, prep your talking points and focus on the right outcomes, all of which are going to help you to have a much better time on your trip on the whole.
4. Speed It Up
There are a lot of things you can do to expedite the whole process of traveling for business, and doing so can make it a much more enjoyable and less stressful experience on the whole. A good example is to make sure that you have arranged all of your entry requirements in full before you go, including visas and any global entry appointments you might need to have. You should also ensure that you are packing light, as we have seen above already, and that you have an itinerary in place for transport which is going to be as quick as possible.
You will be grateful for this when it means that you can much more quickly get to your hotel and then out again. That’s something that you are always going to want to think about if you are traveling for business.
5. Watch Company Spending
Chances are, you will have business travel expenses covered, but you need to make sure that you know what this means – and what it doesn’t mean. In short, don’t treat it like a vacation, because it’s not – and you might get in trouble if you are not careful here. Know your company’s expense policy ahead of time fully, and make sure that you save all receipts. You might also want to be aware of whether you will be paid back, or whether you’re going to have a company credit card you can use. It’s good to know this ahead of time so you can be prepared.
6. Stay Professional Round The Clock
Even if you get some downtime to socialize, it’s important that you are still remaining professional at all times. Colleagues, clients and partners are still going to be watching, and you need to make sure that you are being as professional as possible. You can and should still be yourself, but make sure that you are mindful of behavior – especially if you are at dinner and someone starts ordering drinks, for example. You should make sure to take great care here if you can.
Those are just some of the things that you should think about when it comes to your first business trip. As long as you do, you’ll be able to make much more of it overall.
