One thing that the COVID crisis has shown us is that face to face meetings are still desirable in business. Video calls are good for day-to-day general business, but when you’re an entrepreneur, you’re likely to spend a lot of time travelling around the world, and this can mean long periods away from home. We all know that business travel can be tough, and not as glamorous as it may seem, so how do you adjust to long periods of business travel?
Comfort is key when you’re away from home
When you travel for business, you’ve got to juggle your usual work with meetings and networking, so you can end up working long hours. It’s important that you stay places that are set up for business travel. For example, the ASQ Hotel in Bangkok has a lot of visitors who are travelling for business purposes, so they offer a lot of facilities that are useful for these kinds of travellers. Try to pick places with free WiFi, so you can get work done, and on-site restaurants, so you don’t need to cook.
Make the most of special deals
Being a business traveller who puts in a lot of miles can have its advantages. You can save money and make your travels more comfortable by:
- Joining loyalty schemes – take enough flights and you’ll soon get points, which you can redeem for free flights or cabin upgrades
- Stick to one airline where possible – if you can travel with the same airline over and over, you can often get ‘elite’ status or similar, which means you’re more likely to get free upgrades and other perks
- Check out long-stay hotel rates – hotels in popular business travel destinations will often give you great deals if you stay for weeks or months at a time. See if you can get discounts for your stay, or again, look out for loyalty programmes
Most budding entrepreneurs will be on a tight budget at first, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be comfortable when you travel for business.
Spend time outside of work with business clients
It’s easy to become isolated when you travel for long periods, so consider spending time entertaining business clients out of hours, as this will give you a chance to socialise while also building business relationships. You don’t want your time to simply be spent in your hotel room or the boardroom and socialising with clients can be an excellent way to network.
Check travel advice
There are certain things every traveller should know before they visit a new country, so spend some time researching and checking out foreign travel advice ahead of your visit. This will ensure you stay safe on your business trip and can give you an idea of local culture and customs.
It can be difficult to adapt to long periods of business travel, whether you’re staying in one place or hopping from country to country, but many people find it essential in their line of work. Using the above tips, you can make sure you have a comfortable, safe journey, and get used to being on the road.