How to Spare Your Sanity on Your Next Business Trip Overseas

business trip - business travel

There’s a saying about mixing business and pleasure that comes to mind whenever I’m dealing with the subject of business travel. As a lifelong tourist, there are a few things I’d rather do while abroad than attend to business responsibilities.

But for inexperienced traveling businessmen, the challenge of going overseas for a business meeting can be a daunting double-whammy of anxiety and financial instability. But with the right practices, it can be easy to take the angst out of going abroad with a few smart practices.

1. Prepare your finances for business travel

Traveling abroad always carries risks to yourself and your finances. No amount of planning can make business travel foolproof since there are too many variables out of your control. Delayed flights, missing baggage, unavailable accommodations, and personal injury or illness are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what can go amiss. But a smart planner can strip most of the uncertainty out of these situations with a few measures:

  • Safeguard your household’s funds by investing in the right business travel insurance. It’s crucial to stick to a supplier that is familiar with the risks associated with your specific region; when booking a flight to the American South, it would be wiser to seek out Charlotte insurance rather than coverage from a provider in Walla Walla or Sydney.
  • Account for how much your traveling costs might set you back and create a flexible budget for emergencies and moments of spontaneity. My rule of thumb is that tourists should budget for everything from flight costs, accommodations, tour packages, and every other little expenditure beforehand – and then factor in an additional 20% at a minimum to provide some flexibility in your spending.
  • For the best informed and lowest cost planning, map out your journey at least a month in advance if you’re left up to your own devices in making accommodations. Booking between peak holiday seasons and in advance can spare you or your company hundreds of dollars, not even considering the savings in booking your lodging early. As an additional perk, knowing these costs in advance can make balancing finances far easier while providing you some peace of mind.

2. Ready your mind for communication

The strain of hours-long flights and sketchy lodging can be enough, but the added trial of being in a mind of sound business acumen can be too much for the unprepared traveler to cope with. I know I can scarcely grunt after hours of waiting for transfers, shaky flights, and finally arriving in my hotel room. To make yourself a sociable businessman after the tribulations of modern commute, consider these tips:

  • If possible, arrive at least a day in advance and just let loose. I’d recommend this for a multitude of reasons. Foremost, an extra day as a buffer before your business meeting can help your biological clock catch up with differing time zones.
  • Give yourself some free time to take in the sights and sounds since it can help you mentally adjust to a new environment, which can also really boost your morale before facing your important meeting. Most importantly of all though? Being abroad without time to tour the area even a little bit is a crime in and of itself.
  • Learn a little bit of local language and culture if you can. Doing research before you arrive can help, though exposing yourself to these things in context is the only real way to take it all in. Knowing a little bit of the local flavor and bringing it to the table when business is on the line is a winning strategy in connecting with others overseas – even if it is just a simple “Konnichiwa.”

With these tips in mind, you can turn the tide on how business travel affects you by sparing your sanity and making the most out of your budget.

Author bio: Austin Crowley is a traveling author who enjoys blogging about his exploits, along with his advice on travel and finances. He writes on behalf of local travel insurance providers, which is a necessary safety net to counter the otherwise unpredictable nature of travel.