From conferences to meetings, there are lots of reasons to travel for business. Trips can be long or short, easy or difficult, painful or a breeze. It’s up to you to determine how your business trip goes
Before you board your next plane, use this ultimate packing checklist for business travelers to make your trek as painless as possible.
1. Prevent the Travel BugWhile it’s always important to take vitamins, you’re extra vulnerable to getting sick while traveling due to an increase in exposure to new and different germs.
Bulk up your Vitamin C intake with over the counter supplements like Emergen-C or Airborne before you leave, and make sure to take them with you. Nothing ruins a business trip worse than having to spend your time sick in a hotel bed.
2. Eye the Outlets
With everything mobile now, it’s important – especially during business trips – to make sure your phone and laptop are always charged.
Pack your laptop and phone charger in your carry on bag and juice-up whenever you get the chance. Check under seats, in hallways, and near your armrest for outlets to charge your devices.
3. Set Up Auto-Reply
There’s a good chance you’re keeping an eye on your e-mails, but be sure to set up an auto-reply message for your e-mail. In the case that you get a few messages you can’t respond to right away, auto-reply will let the person know when you’ll get back to them.
4. Get Per Diem Before You Leave (If You Can)
Every company is different, but if you can get your set rate of per diem per day ahead of time, take advantage of it.
Having money before you leave makes it easier for you to monitor you spending. While you should still keep track of your spending and save your receipts, getting per diem ahead of time can be less stressful.
Find per diem rates for each city or town at this government website.
5. Figure Out Transit Travel Beforehand
Getting to and from the airport may be an easy task where you live, but that’s not always the case. Some major cities, such as Buffalo, NY; Vancouver, Canada; and Barcelona, Spain still don’t have the popular ride-sharing app Uber.
Cabs and Ubers in larger cities, such as New York City, can cost hundreds of dollars to get from the airport to your hotel. Public transit is often the cheapest, easiest choice. Make sure you know your day-of transit travel before you leave.
6. Pack an Extra Change of Clothes
You never know what will happen when you travel with crowds of strangers, so it’s best to pack an extra change of clothes or jacket with you on board the plane.
This is especially important if you’re planning on going directly to your meeting or conference. Don’t get caught with a dirty suit in front of influential business people.
7. Bring More Business Cards Than You Need
When you’re away from home, you’re stuck with what you’ve got. Don’t get stuck without any business cards.
Pack more business cards (or resumes, if that’s what you’re there to do) than you think you’ll need. Not only is it unprofessional to get caught without a business card, you’ll miss important networking opportunities.
8. Know Your Stuff
It may sound silly, but make sure you know your stuff when you’re headed to a business meeting. Know who you are, what your company does, their mission, and why you’re traveling. This is important, as you are likely to meet many new faces when traveling – from check-in, in the security line, waiting for your plane, and in the seat next to you.
If you need extra time, write down some notes and use your travel time to study up.
Make the most out of your next business trip. While these trips can be fast and furious, they can also be beneficial and rewarding if you make sure you’re prepared. Next time you’re set to fly to meet a new client or attend a conference in your field, use this Smart Tips For An Efficient Business Travel.
