Travel is a growing part of doing business in this globalized world.

And traveling for any reason, even if it’s a long-awaited vacation, can come with stress. But business trips, by their very nature, bring extra challenges. You’re compounding travel issues like flight schedules, hotel reservations, rental cars, and living out of a suitcase, along with meetings, conferences, deadlines, and a multitude of business concerns. It can all add up to a nerve-wracking experience.  

But, here’s a secret. It doesn’t have to be. There are things you can do to make your business trip not only less stressful but even fun!

Travel Her Way is a boutique outdoor adventure travel company for women, founded by one woman who longed for adventure and spent a year traveling around the world. Their handcrafted tours take you to places off the beaten path for an immersive experience in a new culture. Take a moment to see what adventures they have in store for you!

It Starts With Planning

Spend some time looking into different options for airline tickets, hotel reservations, and ground transportation for your trip, keeping within company policy.

If you’re traveling by plane, choose a seat you want as soon as possible, like an aisle so you can stretch or a window so you can sleep with your head against a wall.

If possible, put everything into a carry-on bag. That way, you can load your boarding pass on your phone before you arrive at the airport and head straight through security without having to visit the check-in desk first.

Pack smart, taking only what you need. Carry your laptop as a personal item in a backpack, briefcase, or messenger bag, with a dedicated laptop sleeve for protection. Fold your clothes along the seam, and roll them, even your business wear. Then get packing cubes, putting like items in each one. 

Make It Fun!

If you can, extend your trip an extra day to do some exploring. Research and plan things to do and see in your destination city. Plan activities that interest you, like tourist attractions, guided tours, and attractions. Look for unique restaurants and make reservations early. 

If you can’t extend your stay, try taking some time for yourself during lunches and in the evenings. Plan meetings at places you want to visit, like a coffee shop inside a museum you want to explore. 

Check ahead of time and see if there are any plays, concerts, or special events going on while you’re there, then book tickets ahead of time as soon as you know your schedule or meetings.

Make It a Vacation

In many instances, you can actually combine your business trip with a vacation for tax deduction purposes as long as your plans are primarily business related. This means your trip must have a business purpose, such as client meetings or conferences. Or you could be a guest speaker at a conference, or you’ve traveled to that location for research and development for the business. If that is the case, you may be able to deduct the full cost of your hotel room and transportation on your tax return. You should also be able to deduct half the cost of meals and entertainment. 

Of course, you’ll want to check with your accountant or tax preparer ahead of time before booking your reservations to be sure you’re tax compliant. Then, of course, save all your receipts. Most places, like hotels and airlines, will provide digital receipts. Other expenses like taxi cabs or dining will, more often than not, offer paper receipts. Make sure you scan them with your phone's camera in case the physical receipts become lost or illegible. Then load all those files into one PDF file. You can use a PDF converter to store all kinds of documents in an easy-to-share PDF file.

Stay Business Prepared

Whether your trip is mostly business or mostly vacation, you’ll need to stay business-ready, and that means carrying business cards with you everywhere you go. You never know when you’ll meet someone you’ll want to stay in contact with. Your business card is a tangible handshake, one the other person keeps with them after you’re gone. You want to leave a favorable lasting impression, so make sure your business card is the best representation of you. Click here to learn how to make your own personalized business card that you can easily design and customize by adding images, text, color schemes, and the font of your choice.

Business travel is a necessity for many of us, but plan early enough to make sure you get to have some fun along with all those meetings.