How to travel for work: 20 tips for maximum productivity
Posted: Tue Jan 07, 2025 8:37 am
Whether you're traveling for an important client meeting or a digital nomad working remotely in new cities, the prospect of exploring new places and business opportunities is exciting.
However, jet lag, flight delays, unfamiliar surroundings and different time zones can dampen this excitement and derail even the best-laid plans.
But what if we could solve these problems and make business travel seamless and stress-free? In this blog, we'll explore how to travel for work and tackle those pesky challenges head-on.
Read on for the ultimate survival kit for business travel.
8 Common Challenges of Business Travel
New York, Tokyo and London are the world's top business hubs and travel destinations. Yet many of us feel daunted when we are sent there, or any other city, for a conference or belize number data client meeting. Traveling for work sounds exciting, but it comes with some challenges.
Let's see why.
1. Scattered travel information
Juggling travel details can be a nightmare when traveling for work. Flight information in one app, hotel reservations in another, and meetings on your calendar or in email—it’s easy to lose track and overlook crucial details, leading to delays and unnecessary stress.
2. Logistical problems
Booking flights and hotels for work trips and browsing multiple websites for the optimal price and time can be time-consuming and stressful. Once you arrive at your destination, figuring out how to get there and transportation options to new locations may be the last thing you want to spend your mental bandwidth on, especially when you'd rather focus on the meeting or conference you traveled there for in the first place. Friday Night
3. Adapt to time zone differences
While you're resting on Friday night in Sydney, your team in San Francisco is probably in full REM mode after a long Thursday. This time zone difference makes it difficult to schedule meetings, communicate urgent matters, share critical information, and make real-time decisions. Plus, jet lag can prevent you from staying focused and productive across continents in the early days of a work trip.
4. Compliance with the company's travel policy
Reading through a company's travel policy documents can be a chore, especially if the policies are region-specific or if per diem allowances need to be converted into different currencies. Plus, they're often long, complicated, and full of legal jargon, which can lead to confusion or a desire to discard them altogether.
5. Concern for security
Business travel comes with some uncertainties, such as health risks, emergencies and security threats. Additionally, knowing local laws and locating reliable medical services can add to the stress.
The risks are even greater for women, with 71% of women business travelers facing safety concerns while traveling.
6. Cost planning and budgeting
Flights, hotels, meals and other expenses add up quickly. On top of that, keeping track of receipts and figuring out what the company covers can be a hassle. Missing receipts, out-of-policy expenses or missed shipping deadlines can put a damper on your budget.
7. Cultural differences
Every country has its own expectations about what constitutes professional behavior. What is considered polite and respectful can vary greatly from one country to the next. A casual greeting in one place may seem rude or overly familiar in another. These cultural differences can make you feel out of place if you are not prepared or well informed.
8. Cumbersome refund process
Imagine spending your hard-earned money on business travel expenses, only to be faced with a slow reimbursement process filled with paperwork and confusing deadlines. Reimbursement delays can occur despite a careful financial plan, throwing off your budget, increasing frustration, and decreasing productivity.
As we can see above, business trips can be overwhelming. The good news is that there are ways to avoid this chaos.
20 Tips for traveling for work
1. Pending your research
Even if you're traveling abroad for short stays, it's worth researching local culture, customs, and business etiquette . For example, bringing a gift to a client meeting is considered polite in some countries, while exchanging business cards with both hands is appropriate in others.
However, jet lag, flight delays, unfamiliar surroundings and different time zones can dampen this excitement and derail even the best-laid plans.
But what if we could solve these problems and make business travel seamless and stress-free? In this blog, we'll explore how to travel for work and tackle those pesky challenges head-on.
Read on for the ultimate survival kit for business travel.
8 Common Challenges of Business Travel
New York, Tokyo and London are the world's top business hubs and travel destinations. Yet many of us feel daunted when we are sent there, or any other city, for a conference or belize number data client meeting. Traveling for work sounds exciting, but it comes with some challenges.
Let's see why.
1. Scattered travel information
Juggling travel details can be a nightmare when traveling for work. Flight information in one app, hotel reservations in another, and meetings on your calendar or in email—it’s easy to lose track and overlook crucial details, leading to delays and unnecessary stress.
2. Logistical problems
Booking flights and hotels for work trips and browsing multiple websites for the optimal price and time can be time-consuming and stressful. Once you arrive at your destination, figuring out how to get there and transportation options to new locations may be the last thing you want to spend your mental bandwidth on, especially when you'd rather focus on the meeting or conference you traveled there for in the first place. Friday Night
3. Adapt to time zone differences
While you're resting on Friday night in Sydney, your team in San Francisco is probably in full REM mode after a long Thursday. This time zone difference makes it difficult to schedule meetings, communicate urgent matters, share critical information, and make real-time decisions. Plus, jet lag can prevent you from staying focused and productive across continents in the early days of a work trip.
4. Compliance with the company's travel policy
Reading through a company's travel policy documents can be a chore, especially if the policies are region-specific or if per diem allowances need to be converted into different currencies. Plus, they're often long, complicated, and full of legal jargon, which can lead to confusion or a desire to discard them altogether.
5. Concern for security
Business travel comes with some uncertainties, such as health risks, emergencies and security threats. Additionally, knowing local laws and locating reliable medical services can add to the stress.
The risks are even greater for women, with 71% of women business travelers facing safety concerns while traveling.
6. Cost planning and budgeting
Flights, hotels, meals and other expenses add up quickly. On top of that, keeping track of receipts and figuring out what the company covers can be a hassle. Missing receipts, out-of-policy expenses or missed shipping deadlines can put a damper on your budget.
7. Cultural differences
Every country has its own expectations about what constitutes professional behavior. What is considered polite and respectful can vary greatly from one country to the next. A casual greeting in one place may seem rude or overly familiar in another. These cultural differences can make you feel out of place if you are not prepared or well informed.
8. Cumbersome refund process
Imagine spending your hard-earned money on business travel expenses, only to be faced with a slow reimbursement process filled with paperwork and confusing deadlines. Reimbursement delays can occur despite a careful financial plan, throwing off your budget, increasing frustration, and decreasing productivity.
As we can see above, business trips can be overwhelming. The good news is that there are ways to avoid this chaos.
20 Tips for traveling for work
1. Pending your research
Even if you're traveling abroad for short stays, it's worth researching local culture, customs, and business etiquette . For example, bringing a gift to a client meeting is considered polite in some countries, while exchanging business cards with both hands is appropriate in others.