Five tips for improving work travel

Love it or hate it, work travel is inevitable for anyone working in events. Find out how to make the most of your work trips.
Simone Miliasas
Simone Miliasas from Joy of Business

Love it or hate it, work travel is inevitable for anyone working in events. Find out how to make the most of your work trips.

Author and founder of Joy of Business, Simone Milasas, who travels on business up to 10 months of each year, has picked up some tips along the way that make travelling with business a breeze.

Here are her top five tips for making the most of business travel:

1. Stay connected and available

Being available wherever you are in the world is essential when running a business.

People will say, “I didn’t want to disturb you while you were overseas,” or “I know you are busy,” or “How was your holiday?” Invite people to ring or text or Skype you on their time, and get back to them at your earliest convenience.

Milasas says, “The only time I turn my phone on silent is when I’m sleeping. This way, you’ll never disturb me and I will get back to you as soon as I can.”

2. Manage your wellbeing

Travelling can throw your body clock off, so doing everything you can to look after yourself and your wellbeing is essential.

When you are traveling, see if you can upgrade to business class or buy a business class ticket. It’s worth it. By the time you arrive at your destination, you’ll be feeling fresher.

Have a look at what you can do with your travel. She says, “I am Platinum in Qantas and Gold in Star Alliance so I get treated really well. I have more luggage allowance, access to lounges and can always access wireless and have a glass of Champagne on the go. Having these options wherever I am in the world makes travelling a dream.”

To manage her fitness, Milasas has downloaded Zumba and yoga apps so she can do 20-minute workouts each morning.

“Because I travel 8-10 months of the year, I can’t just resolve to join the gym or get my exercise for the 2 months that I’m home. Incorporate exercise into your travel routine,” she said.

3. Empower your staff to step-up while you’re away

The benefits to your business of being away are numerous. Not only do you have someone awake 24/7, but your absence in the office will allow other staff to step up in their roles. If you’ve always been a go-to problem-solver, your staff will have to take greater responsibility for running the day-to-day.

Milasas explains, “If you are continuously empowering your staff and giving them the green light to create as they know how to create, then you will end up with a very different business.”

The business will not look like you think it is going to look like. The business will look very different and it may even be created beyond what you can currently imagine.

4. Trust your instincts when bringing your business to the global stage

Ask each day where in the world your energy is needed?

Milasas, who grew Access Consciousness into a business that now operates in over 170 countries, said, “Every morning I lie in bed and ask who or what requires my energy today? Growing a business to one that now operates globally, has required my questioning and awareness each day around which country requires us, what can we look at and who can we talk to, to grow and thrive.”

5. Travel with money

Three things Milasas recommends for travelling with money are: look at what cards and memberships will give you the best deals, e.g. Frequent Flyer points; carry the amount of cash that a wealthy person would carry, in multiple currencies; and claim your expenses. On a business trip in Australia, 50km’s outside of where you live, you can claim all your meals, groceries etc.

Travelling with your business will invite new possibilities for growth and expansion. Ask, where in the world can I take my business?

 

One thought on “Five tips for improving work travel

  1. Take a day off after big events in great locations as a personal reward. Let’s face it, we work seriously long hours on event days and deserve some down time. Nothing like a long bike ride in a beautiful destination or swim in the ocean, to recharge the batteries.

Leave a comment:

Your email address will not be published. All fields are required

Advertisement

Sign up now

Join our mailing list to keep up to date with the latest event industry news direct to your inbox

The A-Z guide for organising events

Advertisement