All travelers should be aware of themselves and their surroundings when on the road. Corporate business travelers need to be especially cautious when traveling to an area that they have been assigned to travel to, and therefore might not be as researched as personal travel. Fortunately, today’s technology provides us with a multitude of on the go options for our knowledge base, but we should all still head out for corporate business travel with a strong sense of safety procedures that are in place to protect both the traveler and the company. Here are some tips for procedures that are best employed:
Leave a Paper Trail
Or, an e-paper trail. Regardless of how your flights, hotels, and ground transportation are booked, it’s crucial that the details of your business travel be communicated to both your company and personal contacts.
Stay In Touch
There’s no excuse in today’s world for NOT staying in touch. Texting, emailing, calling – you name it, you can do it. Make sure your smartphone has an international calling plan and/or text/email plan and you can contact those that you need to whenever and wherever you are.
Check-In
Leave a copy of your passport and/or driver’s license with trusted individuals as well as a copy in your luggage, separate from your hard copy. This way if you lose anything it will be easier to get you up and ID’d quickly. If you are international, check in with your country’s embassy or consulate or at least have an idea of where it/they are located so you can have a home base in case of an emergency.
Stick With Your Schedule
Going rogue is exciting in movies, but not so much when on corporate business travel. If you plan to add on a few days of personal travel after a business meeting, make sure your office is aware of your plans so they don’t start searching for you. Be clear as to your daily schedule and if you are traveling with colleagues, stay with the group if you head out for meals or an evening on the town. There is safety in numbers.
These are just a few tips for keeping cautious while traveling – you can still have fun and get work done, just be aware of your personal safety at all times.
