Like many young entrepreneurs, I always found myself visiting way too many places in a short amount of time. You might think it’s a luxury to travel so much, but it isn’t very attractive when you have to do business along the way. After a while, you need to find ways to make travelling convenient and efficient. Here are some things I tell myself before every trip.
Go for convenient accommodation
When you’re picking out the place you’re going to stay at, location is everything. A lot of people go for the cheapest and most efficient option, but that only gets you so far. Pick out a spot that is close to where you’re doing business. I found that I saved up a lot of money on public transportation by renting out an apartment near the office that I was visiting.
Cut costs, but do it intelligently
Save money only when it’s something you don’t need. If you’re renting out an Airbnb, you should splurge on that additional WIFI, it will allow you to do business and communicate with your hosts. Don’t spend too much money on sightseeing, every city has some free attractions that are fun to see.
Pack efficiently
Take only the bare essentials with you when you travel. People often forget that suitcase space is limited and they are inconvenienced by the lack of essential items when they arrive at their destination. After a while, you figure out what you should and shouldn’t take along with you. It’s a matter of experience, but there’s no reason you can’t learn from the mistakes of others.
Making room in your suitcase is essential. There are many guides online that will teach you how to efficiently pack clothes.
Relax every once in a while
Even if you’re at the peak of your physical condition, travelling can be a pretty stressful experience. You need to relax whenever you have time. There is a high risk of burnout for younger people who overdo their business travelling. You can hit the gym or go for a local communal yoga session in the park. Whatever time you can muster should be used on relaxation.
Meditation usually does the trick for me. It’s something that you can do in a hotel room or even while travelling.
Inform yourself of border laws
Different countries have different rules when it comes to crossing their borders. You don’t want to get stalled at the airport and miss your flight because you didn’t know bubble gum isn’t allowed in Singapore. Speaking from personal experience, you should do your research beforehand.
Plan out your travel path in advance
If you’re visiting multiple cities in a country or state, make sure that you’ve planned everything out thoroughly. If you have multiple clients to see, you need to get every single meeting in the correct order. If you leave anything up to chance, you could end up with a mess on your hands. It would be best to simply communicate with clients and explain why you want to meet at a specified time.
Schedule meetings with travel in mind
Many businesspeople only book their flights and trains after they’ve set up their meetings. This can lead to some time management problems because most travel methods won’t be able to accommodate you perfectly. Try looking at travel options first and then set up your business meetings.
Get comfortable while travelling
I’ve often found myself in an uncomfortable position while travelling by car or plane. It’s not easy sleeping when you have limited headrest space. Get one of those travel sleeping pillows for your neck. Even if you’re able to fall asleep, your quality of sleep might be diminished and your neck suffers.
Use your travels to the fullest extent
If you have any time to spare at all, use it in the most efficient way possible. Build business connections with those who work with your clients and make sure you’re never idle when you’re not on the move. If you’re in work mode, make sure you don’t let any time go to waste. You can go sightseeing when you’ve exhausted all business avenues completely.
Be prepared for the worst
I found that travelling by car was the most convenient way to get around. You can rent one out or find people that are headed towards your chosen destination. However, I didn’t anticipate ending up in a car crash a couple of miles from Sydney.
The paranoid person that I am, I jotted down a bunch of Australian emergency numbers before the trip. Luckily, I even had the number of some NSW Compensation Lawyers who helped make the experience a bit more tolerable. It only takes a few minutes to write down emergency numbers for the country you’re visiting and it could help you out quite a bit.
Don’t be tardy
Even when you plan things ahead, you will end up delaying some meetings because of clients. Make sure you leave enough time between different meetings in case of an emergency. Nothing ever goes perfectly according to plan and you need to take this fact into account.
Alarms and calendars are going to become your best friends during your travels abroad.
Conclusion
Travelling can be stressful for a lot of millennial workers, but it also provides them with the opportunity to see different cities and cultures along the way. Business is still a priority, which is why efficient travelling is a priority. A couple of changes here and there can make that part of your business trip a breeze.
