6 tips to have productive business trips

by TM Maria Be a king in your own kingdom

You already know that emotion that occurs with business travel. You may dream awake with everything you will do in the day, innocently believing that you will finish twice as much work in half the time.

Unfortunately, that is just a dream because in reality, going on a business trip is extremely exhausting. Lack of sleep, poor diet, sedentary lifestyle and poor internet connections make it impossible to be productive.

Here are six tips to work better, even in these circumstances.

1. Start fast: secure hotel reservations and airline tickets as soon as you know you are traveling. This will help you take advantage of the offers and save the money you need so much when you are starting a business.

Not only has that, planning ahead showed your clients and investors that you are a responsible and organized person. Remember that when you are an entrepreneur you are not only selling a product or service, you are also showing how you are doing business.

2. Travel light: although it seems silly, flying can be very tired. The best thing you can do to simplify the process is to pack only the things you need. For starters, do not document luggage unless it is really essential. Plan your costumes for each day of the trip so you can pack the right amount.

If you are going to do a demonstration, you can try to send your products in advance to the hotel where you will be staying. So you will not be carrying a heavy suitcase and you will prevent these samples from being damaged.

3. Take advantage of the flight time: when you go on a plane you do not have an internet connection, but you can use that time to write emails that you need to send or work on a project that you had pending. Do not forget that you can also make contacts on the flight, so take the time to meet new people.

4. Pamper yourself: take time out of the office to recover instead of trying to finish all your pending. You do not want your new contacts to remind you tired or cranky. Also, what is the point of traveling if you do not leave the hotel?

Remember that personal growth makes you a better leader and experiencing new cultures expands the mind. Use the travel opportunity to see your life from another angle.

5. Get organized: business or work trips can cause hundreds of new ideas to assault you at once. Use applications like Evernote to save these notions at the moment and have them available on all your devices.

6. Prioritize new contacts: most trips offer phenomenal networking opportunities, so this has to be one of your priorities. Talk to exhibitors, vendors, assistants, etc., and use platforms like LinkedIn to stay connected. Do not forget that new connections can become new contracts.

Business trips are wonderful to expand a business, but they will not do their job if you are stressed by things like a bad connection to the network. Plan and focus on your goals. In this way you will return home more energized and excited by the new possibilities.