Meetings and Managers: 4 Tips to Planning a Business Trip
Traveling for business is the reality for many employees and a mainstay of both corporate America and business dealings around the world. However, it can be very stressful and unproductive without careful planning.
There is also the issue of costs to consider, as costs can quickly spiral out of control during a business trip. On the other hand, you don’t want to be so stingy that employees feel miserable.
Dissatisfied employees can lead to costly turnover. So if you’re a manager, you want to put some careful thought into planning a business trip for your employees. These four tips should help you.
Establish Concrete Goals When Planning a Business Trip
This may seem simple but it is not always done adequately. In order for a business trip to be successful, employees have to be crystal clear about what they’re trying to accomplish.
If they are attending a trade show, for example, what is their main goal? Sales? Networking with other professionals to gain industry contacts? Identifying companies for partnerships?
Should they be on the lookout for promising new talent or not? Creating a checklist and information sheets can also keep both you and your employees organized.
These lists should include the trip itinerary, any and all contact information and all transportation information (car rentals, air travel, etc.). Any plans for this trip should be as specific as possible – where should employees cut corners and where can they indulge a little?
Have Finances Under Control
The costs of business travel can quickly spiral out of control unless there are some ground rules put down ahead of time. In order to control costs, it’s best to have a business travel spending policy put in place ahead of time.
However, you don’t want that policy to be so stringent that employees are miserable during their trip.
If employee overspending during business travel is a problem, you can certainly consider implementing some kind of rewards program for employees who work to stay under budget.
Another way to save money on business travel is enrolling in reward programs offered by hotel chains, airlines and even other forms of travel, like Amtrak. You can also plan ahead and shop around in order to get the cheapest rates.
Allow Some Flexibility
You do not want a business trip for your employees to be so rigid and financially stringent that they can’t enjoy themselves a little. After all, they’re taking time out of their life, even though it is part of their job, to embark on this trip.
They might be going to an area of the country they’ve never been before and thus might want some time to do a little sightseeing on their own dime.
Unexpected events come up, such as airline delays. This is even more common with international travel. And not allowing employees to go to nicer places can be an issue if they need to take clients or corporate employees there, as it can make your business seem financially insecure.
So allow some flexibility in your employees’ schedules while they are on business trips. Also, remember to book lodgings such as London corporate apartments for your employee’s residence while they are away.
Look Up Corporate Employees
If your employees are going to be visiting corporate headquarters or another major branch of your business, you should be sure that both you and all your employees know who their point of contact is while away.
It would be very embarrassing and unprofessional for your employee to show up and not know the names of the people he or she is supposed to be meeting.
They should also be aware of who is in charge of each department or operation. This general knowledge of the corporate structure will impress the people they meet.
Business travel is not always given the careful thought it deserves by managers before a trip becomes necessary. This is a major error because business travel does require extensive planning.
Follow the tips mentioned above as you plan so you can keep the costs of a trip low while still allowing your employees to have a comfortable and productive trip.
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Category: Business
