Traveling for business or leisure, there’s some planning involved to make sure you get the most out of your trip. Some would say that planning a leisure trip is more complicated because of all the details involved, where you’re traveling to, your budget, where you would stay, places you visit while you’re there, transportation, etc… That is a lot to take in consideration when planning, but how about having to plan all of that with set times and deadlines. That’s what business travelers must do.
Although choosing where to travel is not a factor, you still have to plan out this trip, so that you won’t leave the necessary information behind (the reason why you’re taking this trip), know that you’re hotel is in the vicinity of your destinations and that you’re on time for all scheduled appointments. Here are 5 tips to planning a smooth business trip:
- Investigate the destination. Know where you’re going, especially if it’s a city you’ve never been to. Map out your meeting destinations from your hotel. If you’re attending multiple meetings at different locations, it’s best to know the travel time between the two, so you can plan your transportation.
- Plan your transportation. Is your meeting locations walking distance from your hotel? Should you take a bus, a taxi or hire a private car service? Consider hiring a private car service, you can give them your itinerary ahead of time and they can get you to your destination at the set times, in oppose to waiting on a bus for their schedule pick-up/drop off times or calling a taxi for each place you need to go. You need to find the best solution for your situation.
- Make a schedule. From the airport to the hotel to your meeting. If you have a schedule of everything you need to do, you would be able to accomplish what you need. If possible, leave time for mishaps. Life just isn’t perfect, so you want to make room for errors. For example, you got the elevator on the wrong floor and you’re in a 20 story building, now you have to wait for the elevator to come back. Try not to schedule the time you leave to go to appointments so close to the time you need to be there.
- Make a packing list and pack early. Waiting to the last minute to pack, guarantees you’re going to leave something. That something may be the reason why you’re taking the trip in the first place. Make a list of everything you need for your trip, down to your socks. The last thing you want to do is be in a meeting where your pants rises and you have no socks on because there was no time to make extra stops.
- Stay focus. New city, so many attractions. Staying focus on why you’re traveling is key. Getting distracted can cause you an investment, a job, a new client, etc… There are other times for leisure, remember that you’re there only for business and that should remain your primary focus.
Following these tips, can get you set on your business trip and ensure that it will be a smooth one.
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