Many business owners have to arrange for a business trip at some point. You may not think this is likely in a startup, but you’d be surprised. Perhaps you need to fly out with some colleagues to meet a potential investor. There could be a conference that several of you need to attend to help you stay ahead in your industry.
Business trips are exciting and full of possibilities. But let’s face it: they can be a headache! If it’s just you going, it can be simple enough. But if several people are going? Then you may need some helpful advice. Which this article is going to offer…
Remember the documents
So you several people from your office going on the trip. This means you’re going to have a lot of documents and belongings to worry about. It’s hard enough trying to remember your own travel documents sometimes. But now you need to ensure multiple people have theirs! Passports, plane tickets, and VISA documents are essential. If the company bought plane tickets, I’d recommend that the business owner holds onto them until they’re needed at the airport.
Here’s an idea if you’re not meeting at the office beforehand. Get everyone to bring what they need to the office the day before you leave. Leave it in the office overnight, ready to go the next day.
Public transport might not be a good idea
I’m guessing it’s highly unlikely that the business you’re going to tend to is at the destination airport. So you’ll have to make sure transport to the hotel or the venue is arranged. This can seem like a simple enough job, right? Just order a taxi! Of course, we all know how fun getting a taxi for several people from the airport is. (Hint, in case you don’t know: it’s not fun at all.)
You could choose to use local trains and buses. But this is rarely that smart an option if there are a lot of you. Especially because you’ll be restricted in where you can get off. It seems simpler, but you’re going to be carrying a lot of stuff around with you. My advice would be to look into renting a vehicle for your trip. You can find car rental discounts for corporate businesses in loads of locations.
Keep everyone in contact
These trips can get pretty hectic. In fact, business trips I’ve been on in the past have often reminded me of school field trips. Curious employees wander off. People get lost. The leader of the group turns around at some point to find nobody following them. There are disagreements, crossed wires, etc.
Its best that you ensure that everyone remains in contact. And, honestly, as informal as it sounds, using something like WhatsApp on your smartphones is probably your best bet. Because it relies on WiFi instead of your phone network, it’s usually a lot more accessible, as well as cheap. A group chat on WhatsApp will work better than you think. But you should ensure that the company covers the cost of the data employees will use away from home!
This article was provided by ellie jo