For any prosperous small business, business trips are a necessary element which contributes to them growing and developing. Regardless of whether such trips are to the neighboring city or some other country, their significance demands that they would be thoroughly organized both in terms of business and travel arrangements.
Making sure you and your employees arrive at their destination safely, that they have decent accommodation, optimal working conditions, as well as for them to know what to expect requires you to plan in advance which is not that complicated if you follow some guidelines. To help you organize your business trip so that both you and your employees are satisfied with the results, here is a short list of some things to keep in mind.
Share traveling details
Although you are going on a business trip and not on a vacation with numerous activities, there will still be some itinerary that you need to share with your employees so that they know what to expect. Knowing the details about where and when they will be going during the business trip can help them organize not only regarding their tasks and presentations but for instance, regarding the choice of clothes so they don’t come casually dressed to dinner with clients.
Also, it wouldn’t hurt to share with them some templates to help them organize – for instance, a checklist for important items such as cords, adapters, flash drives, devices etc. It would be useful to have certain documents printed and handed out, such as the itinerary, and you can also provide each employee with an envelope for travel receipts and other essential travel or business documents.
Research the best transportation options
If you have complete freedom when arranging transportation and accommodation, it’s wise to thoroughly explore all available options—especially if your team is traveling abroad. Understanding the layout of the city and selecting accommodation strategically located near your key destinations can save both time and stress.
When evaluating transportation, compare everything from group-discount airline fares to long-distance bus or train options. At the same time, consider whether premium choices such as luxury chauffeur services might offer better efficiency, comfort, and reliability for tight schedules or important corporate events. Your choice of credit card can also make a difference, as many cards offer travel rewards, free luggage perks, or hotel benefits that help reduce overall costs for multiple travelers.
Be clear about your travel policy
Having in mind that you plan for the budget allocations to be the same for each employee, it is crucial they are clear on the transportation choice, the time of the travel, luggage requirements, and other details. It would be good to email them to all travelers in advance so that they have the time to read it properly, especially if it is a lengthy piece of writing.
In case that there are some remote employees or that your travel policy is flexible, your employees need to know the exact amount of money they have at their disposal so they can organize their transportation. If you already have some deals with a particular airline or bus line, you need to also mention that to your employees or to restrict their choice to those companies. Providing them with clear guidelines will help both you and your employees feel more comfortable and confident and that will increase the chances for the business trip to become a success.
Include employee leisure time
If you wish for the employees to be motivated to give their best on this business trip, you need to provide them with some leisure time since you wouldn’t want the amount of work and stress to lead to burnout. A few working days on a business trip can be even more demanding than the same amount of days in the office, so it is good for them to get an opportunity to relax and to see a bit of the city they are in.
You can go about it in a number of ways and besides organizing and paying for them to attend some interesting event unrelated to business, you can also just give them some free time they can spend either exploring the city on their own or resting in their rooms. Another option is for them to stay a bit longer, so for instance, if the trip ends on Friday, they can stay a bit longer as long as they come to the office on Monday, rested and ready to work.
Conclusion
To ensure a prosperous business trip, your employees need to be acquainted with the itinerary and their tasks because you cannot expect high productivity if they are left in the dark. This trip also needs to include some free time for them so they can recharge their batteries and increase efficiency. In addition to that, the more time you spend researching, the greater the chances of finding an economical transportation and accommodation solution so that you get optimal results without spending too much.