Sometimes You Have to Go on the Road
According to an article in Inc.com one of the biggest reasons women enjoy business travel is that they love having someone else take care of them. Typically in charge of everything at home, these women love staying in hotels and having someone else do the cooking and the cleaning. We’re willing to bet there are more important reasons to love business travel…like the fact that for some women, traveling is how they keep their businesses alive.
It’s hard to imagine that in our increasingly connected world, business travel is still a thing. After all, if you’re good at marketing yourself, you can telecommute from anywhere to anywhere and do whatever kind of work you do best.
For some women, though, being on the road is their way of life. While you might not need to travel full time for your business, if you want to expand your company beyond the corner of your living room, traveling is a must. According to the website Under 30 CEO, Traveling Is a Must!
What that Inc.com article (and the survey included within it) failed to take into account was that getting work done from the road is often difficult. Finding a comfortable and at least quasi-private place to work is a challenge. Then there’s the feeling of alienation that builds when you spend too much time in hotels. For many women, traveling is difficult and, especially if you’re new to it, can reduce your productivity.
Here are some of the things that the business travel experts recommend to make your business trips (especially the ones that are lengthy) easier to deal with.
1. Forego the Hotel
If you’re just staying overnight or for a couple of days, a hotel is fine. If you’re going to be in a strange town for a week or two, corporate housing is the way to go. There are lots of fully furnished apartments available both for short term and corporate rental. The cost is comparable (sometimes even better) to hotels and it gives you a space that is private and over which you can take some ownership. What’s more, staying in “your own place” allows you to pack much lighter—you’ll be able to launder and mix and match clothes instead of having to come up with separate outfits for every day of your trip.
2. Keep the Tech in Check
You do not need your laptop, tablet, eReader, mp3 player and internet connected smart phone. For one thing each of those devices is going to require some sort of charging cable. Each will likely have its own set of device-specific headphones. You can do business on your laptop, read books, listen to music/watch media and play on the Internet on your tablet and use your phone as a smaller portable mp3 player. The less tech you take with you, the fewer peripheries you have to stuff into your carryon bag.
3. Treat the Service People Well
Be a big tipper. Make eye contact. Try to remember peoples’ names. As alienating and lonely as business travel is for you, imagine what it must be like to have to wait on frequent fliers in an airport lounge or to be the concierge at an extended stay corporate hotel. The better you treat people who help you in your new and strange environment, the better they will treat you. Plus, it will be nice to have friendly faces to greet you when you’re away from your loved ones.
Traveling for business feels exciting at first but it can quickly wear people down. Use these tips to help it feel more like your home is traveling with you than you are leaving it behind.