Due to the increasing amount of international trade, thousands of employees are being sent around the world to meet clientele. This means that plenty of “first timers” are setting out on their initial business trip. In this guide, we will explore how experienced and new business travelers should plan their trip.
- Plan as Early as Possible – Leaving everything to the last minute often causes problems. Ensure that you know all the dates, times and locations and write them down to be stored safely. If you can, try and arrive at the destination a couple of days before your meeting, this way you can get used to the surroundings. If you are worried about the dates that have been offered to you by your company then bring it up, the chances are your company would have dealt with the same situation before (if they are big enough) and offer you earlier travel if they feel it is required.
- Identification – If you are a first time business traveler you need to ensure all of your travel documents are up to date, valid, and contain the correct details. If any of this information is incorrect then you could upset your company, especially if one of your job requirements was international travel.
- Refundable Travel – If your company expects you to make all the travel arrangements make sure you buy refundable tickets with a credit card. This way, if things change (which they often do with business meetings), you know that you are 100% protected and will not lose out financially.
- Safety – Regardless of your destination, it is of the highest importance to tell your company not to disclose any details of your itinerary to any unauthorized personnel. If you are traveling to an area deemed potentially unsafe, then it is best if you go about your business quietly. If you are dealing with important documents or finalizing a major deal it is a good idea to come up with a contingency plan in the event of kidnap or ransom. While the chances of this happening are slim, having a plan in place is common sense, and it could save your life.
When it comes to safety, make sure common sense prevails. If you are delivered packages that you are not expecting then do not open them. If there is a knock on your hotel door, ring the reception to confirm the identity of the person at your door.
- Security – If you are traveling with what could be considered valuable information such as passwords or documents then ensure that they are stored in a secure place at all times. A hotel room safe can usually be accessed through a master key; therefore, this may not be considered a protected area. The best thing you can do in this instance is talk to your company that will advise you what to do with the information, this way you cannot be in the wrong.
Never carry around items that show your companies name or any details about your company. The best way to be secure in a foreign country if you are there on business is to appear like a tourist when possible.
- Insurance – As with any holiday, you need to make sure you are fully insured. Having proper insurance is the law in the majority of cases, and if you do not have insurance you will find that hospital treatment is second rate, expensive and slow. You need to check with your company what insurance they have in place; if you are worried, buy your own. A top of the range policy can be taken out for as little as £10.
- Awareness – If you are traveling with a laptop or confidential documents then you need to make sure you stay vigilant at all times. Unfortunately, in too many cases, business travelers become lax on international travel as they see it as a holiday and this is when problems occur.
- Public Access – 99% of all business personnel on international travel are flying with a laptop or means to access documents. Beware of where you decide to obtain this information because if you try to access the information through an unsecured public internet portal then your information may be viewable to even the most untrained of hackers. The best way to stop this is to use your own international USB access point, which has full encryption. Make sure you discuss this with your company before travel.
While this guide may make traveling abroad for business sound a bit scary it is not, and as long as you take all the correct precautions, stay vigilant, and ensure that somebody knows where you are then you do not need to worry. Remember, you are there for business not pleasure!