If you are about to travel on a business trip and are making plans, it is definitely not the time or occasion to carry your pajamas. Family vacations and business trips are not the same. Managing business trips requires consideration of expenses, priorities, and dates. Meticulous planning is necessary to ensure your comfort, safety, and efficiency. Amongst all this, you must also adhere to the budget regulations of your company.
This guide will unpack all the dos and don’ts to watch out for when managing business travel.
10 Dos and Don’ts for a well-planned business trip
These are the essential factors of business travel management to ensure a successful trip.
The Dos:
#1 Do read the company travel policies and practices carefully
Wherever you happen to travel, you must first remember to familiarize yourself with the company travel policies regarding your business trip. Feigning ignorance and then violating corporate policies or protocol would be unprofessional. Instead, talk to your immediate supervisor or reporting manager to clarify what you need to know to follow policy compliance.
#2 Do seek a suitable travel platform
A professional business travel management platform like Itilite is always ready to meet all your demands whenever you need them. You need a travel service that is informed about the subtleties of corporate travel management and can support you because they will regularly check for the offers and schedules most beneficial to your business.
#3 Do collect receipts and be transparent concerning payments.
What does your business plan to do to manage traveler receipts for reimbursement purposes? You can easily keep your expenditures in check and get reimbursements using a platform that supports digital receipt monitoring instead of hard copies.
The best course of action is to save all invoices so that your company can verify when you submit a claim for reimbursement. That way, the expense report becomes effortless, and your likelihood of committing blunders gets reduced while everything is sorted out and arranged. You should check with your manager or human resource department if you have any doubts regarding company refunds.
#4 Do prepare for emergencies
Travel has the scope for many potential interruptions. Missed flights, delayed or canceled trips, natural calamities, and diseases are a few examples. A solid contingency plan can effectively protect stranded business travelers. It would be wise to review company policies and develop a suitable backup plan immediately to mitigate any unprecedented situation.
#5 Do create a checklist of everything you require to carry on a business trip
Business trips may sometimes be hasty and unplanned. As a result, you can be prone to overlooking the necessities. It’s usually helpful to have a corporate travel management itinerary and checklist available, whether it’s on your smartphone or desktop.
The Donts:
#6 Don’t make last-minute arrangements
The key to staying on top of your travel and expense budget is to plan in advance whenever possible. By doing this, you can benefit from reduced prices, bargain for extras like window seats or legroom, and organize your itinerary more easily.
Most businesses have a favorite airline service, so if you have one, you may be able to make deals and get benefits like reduced luggage costs and upgrade your travelers whenever available.
Make sure to explain to your travelers the advantages of making early reservations, but also ensure you have a corporate travel management system that can assist you in making changes and avoiding fees. These additional costs can sometimes total several dollars on every booking.
#7 Don’t let time slip your mind
Sometimes we can get so caught up in our tasks that we may not remember to look at the time. So, you should be careful to arrive on time by setting alerts or receiving reminders, particularly if you need to hop on a plane.
#8 Don’t neglect to store and backup data
We all prefer to keep safe in everything we do, especially while we travel. So, try to ensure that you store and back up everything before you get set to go. While gadgets can change, missing crucial information at the nth hour might completely alter the tenor of your business travel.
#9 Don’t carry everything you got
If you’re one of those worriers, packing more than you need may cause your business travel to take longer than anticipated. Imagine that you have to haul a ton of baggage through the airport. The experience of getting past security checkpoints, locating storage on an airplane, and calling for a taxi or hiring a car can be significantly unpleasant and consume too much time. Whereas, when you travel minimally, your journey will go quickly and less stressfully.
Look into upgrading your traveling luggage by buying a conventional black rolling suitcase. Especially if the only bag you own is an outdated backpack that you have been carrying on your field trips since college. Update to a luggage brand with a more polished appearance and one that easily slides into plane storage spaces.
#10 Don’t have too many controlling processes
Nobody likes to experience micromanagement. People cannot reach wherever they must go quickly if your company’s business travel policies don’t permit customization or have restricted accessibility to expedited security services.
Business travelers seek comfort and safety. The accounts department is interested in determining who is taking the trip and how much it will cost. The travel coordinator wants to streamline the approach. While the business traveler only wants a comfortable business trip.
Luckily, when you use a basic travel management program, you may make it easier to arrange trips and keep costs in check while also assisting passengers in selecting the best solutions.
Closing Thoughts
Although thank-you emails usually get sent after a hiring process, you can also consider mailing one after a work trip. Sending a thank-you letter to a customer, prospective buyer, new associate, or event organizer can create a brand image for your company. Further, it allows you to build connections and maintain a dialogue after the visit. Modern business travelers are inclined to reserve direct bookings through a website, OTA, or travel agent. However, it is challenging if the company is making reservations for different travelers. Integrate with a platform designed exclusively for business travel and speed up hotel bookings. With the Itilite corporate travel management application, you may obtain assistance in finding the most affordable rates on hotels and flights.
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