Top 5 Things to Consider when Traveling for Work
Top 5 Things to Consider when Traveling for Work
When you are traveling for work there are five areas you need to consider. The first is pre-travel. Before you leave for business travel you need to ensure you have formal documentation that approves your travel from the company. You should ensure you have completed any necessary medical exams particularly for long term or overseas travel. On that note you also need to check that your vaccinations are current in case you are traveling to another country. You should undergo a detailed safety and security briefing prior to your travel and keep a hard copy on hand.
The second consideration is your travel insurance. Travel insurance should cover your trip and any medical treatment you may need. Some location to which you travel may require specialized insurance. You may want general insurance to cover activities or situations that your company or travel insurance will not cover. Not all airline travel insurance is sufficient.
The third consideration is your means of travel. You need to make sure that you have travel booked and that your managers or bosses have copies of all travel documents. This ensures that they know when and through what method you will be traveling. You should make sure you have considered whether public transportation is safe to use where you are going. You should ensure that taxis are secure. You should hire cars or drive yourself where ever it is permitted particularly when you travel to another country on businesses. If you are flying or taking a train it is important that you understand how safe and secure it is and take precautions to be aware of the situation.
The fourth consideration is accommodations. If you are traveling for more than just an afternoon meeting you will need to select accommodations. Many companies have criteria and an approval process for accommodations during company trips. There may be considerations based on financial constraints but it is unlikely that accommodations will be defined by safety constraints. Therefore it is up to you to ensure that the location you have selected for accommodations is safe and secure. You need to ensure that something cheaper than the average is not cheaper because it is a hub for illegal activity or because it is unsafe. You want to ensure that your potential accommodations adhere to basic safety standards.
The fifth and final consideration for business travel is the contingencies. Yes it is in the best interest of everyone if no troubles arise during business travel but it is still better to be safe than sorry. You want to ensure that you have contingency plans prior to leaving on your business trip. This means you check for security and you have at least one means of communication on the road like a mobile device that you can use in your destination. You also want to verify your business travel account if you are given one. Lastly you want to make sure you have contingencies for evacuations if the worst were to happen.
By making sure you have covered all five areas you will be well prepared for anything that arises and significantly reduce any threats during your business travel.