A business trip is no picnic. Your company expects results, so every meeting, presentation and interaction with your clients need to be carefully planned.

Be prepared

By being prepared you will ensure that you have a hassle-free business trip. See to the following:

    • Determine your company’s reimbursement and travel expense policies and keep track of all receipts.
    • If you are responsible for making your travel arrangements, make sure you do so well in advance. Establish whether you need to have vaccinations or documents such as passports or visas. Reserve a hotel room, rental car and train or airline tickets.
    • Compile a detailed itinerary including the hotels or rental car company you will be using, business meetings and contact information of the people you are meeting (should any delays or emergencies occur).
    • Find out if your home country has an embassy or consulate at your destination in case of emergencies or dangerous situations.
    • Obtain the proper currency, or make sure your bank or credit card functions properly at your destination. You may also need to verify if branches of your bank exist at your destination and what payment methods the hotel, airline or other locations accept.
    • If travelling to a different country, be informed about the culture and etiquette. For example when in Japan, make doubly sure you arrive early for a business meeting; you’ll be thought rude and disrespectful if you arrive late. Certain physical gestures and body movements may also vary and be interpreted differently in each country.
    • To make sure you don’t forget anything important, start a list of what to pack a few weeks ahead and gradually add to it until the time to pack. Begin with business items such as your laptop, reports and contracts.
    • Be careful when reading company documents or using your computer in public to avoid revealing sensitive company information to other travellers.
    • Back up information on a flash drive or external hard drive in case your computer crashes or your luggage gets lost. Store this information separately, such as in your carry-on bag. You may also wish to store this information in your office before you leave.

 

Source
www.newlycorporate.com
www.rediff.com
www.wikihow.com