So your company is sending you on an important business trip out of the county – awesome! Right? Well, don’t get overexcited yet, you have a lot to do to make the trip work out. Whether it’s just for a night or a week, proper planning is essential. Here are tips on how to plan a perfect business trip.Prepare Your Travel Documents
Have your visa and passport ready. Additionally, the destination country might require additional documents. Collect these in advance, most probably a week earlier. For easier processing during the trip, make sure you place these documents in an easily accessible place at all times.
Pack Your Case – for Business
Packing for a business is very different from packing for leisure travel. You need to carry essential items only. Fit your essentials in a briefcase. Make sure you have everything you need to deliver what you are going after. For instance, if you are going for a business presentation, have a pressed suit and the materials you are going to use in the presentation. When it comes to traveling clothes, put on comfortable business attire.
Research, Research, Research
Before you go ahead and book that flight, make sure you know something about your destination. Look for travel websites that contain information on the destination. You can also talk to workmates who have traveled to the destination before to give you a hint or two.
Inquire whether there will be someone to pick you and drop you off at your destination the next day. If not, arrange to rent a car for the stay. What about the hotel? Find a convenient hotel and book it in advance. Make early reservations and have confirmation and phone numbers written down and available.
Pay for Insurance Cover
If the business trip will take more than 5 days, you need to consider having proper traveling insurance. You might argue that you already have comprehensive health insurance, but this will not cover you when you are out of the country. When you take out travel insurance, you gain cover for emergency medical expenses, trip interruption, loss of property while traveling, physical therapy, and hospital indemnity.
Understand the Purpose of the Trip
Understand the reason why you are traveling in the first place. For instance, if you are going to talk about company products, it is best that you prepare the materials in advance. Use the time between your company premises and the destination to go over the presentation and memorize it.
Understand Who Is Paying
You need to understand who will be paying for the expenses and get ready. If you will use the company credit card, have it ready in advance. If you are going to pay for travel, make sure you arrange for funds. While on the trip, make sure you retain all receipts.
The business shouldn’t be all about work, you can take a cruise and make the whole trip an unforgettable experience.