Whether you’re traveling locally or to the other side of the world, traveling for business can be exhilarating, but it can also be uprooting to your working schedule.
20% of the population travel for business, with 1.3 million people jetting off for work purposes every day in the U.S. alone.
For small business owners, staying productive throughout the week is essential to continue business development and operations.
Although business travel is often unavoidable, how can we plan to get the most of our trips while we are there?
In this article, we look at all of the ways in which travelling for business is relevant to working life and how we can improve business travel to be a more productive experience overall.
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Why Is Business Travel Important?
Essentially, business travel is all about nurturing relationships. Whether you need to travel to visit a supplier, an overseas client, or to explore new business opportunities, sometimes only an in-person visit will do.
How many times have you been on a call with an overseas client who mentions somebody they’d love you to meet, but have missed out on the opportunity due to distance?
Being present with your clients, allows them to make real-time introductions between you both, which could prove to be a very lucrative connection for your business in time.
Building trust is an important task in business and this can be made easier through face-to-face meetings, so business travel is always going to be of some value despite recent world events.
How Can You Benefit From Business Travel?
Not only does visiting clients and suppliers in real-time reflect well on you as a representative of your business, but it also helps to make your connections feel incredibly valued.
There is no higher compliment to be paid than by giving people your time.
And by spending hours on a plane, traveling sometimes through various airports just to get to your destination, is a huge sign of value and respect.
A business trip can also be a great motivator too, providing a break from routine and a new challenge to face.
Setting up in a serviced apartment in Singapore, for example, would ultimately be a nice perk of the job and may increase your commitment to the role.
Alongside the professional benefits of business travel, you can choose to extend your trip to make a holiday out of it.
Whether you bring family and friends along with you or choose to meet them out there when your work is complete, a business trip can be the perfect excuse to take a well-earned break.
How Can I Stay Productive During A Business Trip?
Plan Your Time
Balancing travel with work can be a time consuming business, leaving you feeling like there aren’t enough hours in a day to complete your working tasks while you’re on the go.
That’s where planning and preparation on your trip will help you immensely.
Plan your schedule to allow for adequate personal and business time, giving you a sense of balance while you are away from home.
Schedule your time around any conferences or events you may need to attend, so that you can schedule any interim calls or work in advance between these.
Set Up Your Technology
Make sure you set up any relevant phone requirements, such as an international sim card, before your departure so that you can make business calls as usual once you arrive at your destination.
If you need internet on the go, ensure that you set up a dongle for your laptop or tablet.
This will enable you to continue working on public transport or when you are away from your accommodation.
Assign A Dedicated Workspace
It can also be useful to assign a dedicated working space to act as your office whilst you are away.
Whether you opt for a co-working space, serviced apartment or hotel facilities, choosing a designated area where you can separate yourself mentally for work can be extremely helpful with focus.
You’re unlikely to be in meetings for the duration of your trip, so a dedicated workspace will help you to keep on top of your day-to-day workload.
Delegate Before You Leave
You realistically won’t be able to handle your usual workload while you’re away, so delegating some tasks or responsibilities to colleagues before you go will ensure that you can stay productive in the more important aspects of your role.
Taking a comfortable amount of work with you on your travels will give you the best chance to maximise your time and make the most of the opportunity while away from the office.
