For some employees, travel is a part of their daily routine. Maybe your employees commute to work each day, or maybe they travel around the globe to visit your other offices. Whatever the case may be, there are some etiquette tips that every person should know before traveling.
Punctuality
One of the easiest etiquette tips is also one of the most important. Always be punctual! Whether traveling by car, plane or train, this means first and foremost scheduling your travel times and arrival times earlier than necessary. It's always best to be early: not only does this give you time to get everything in order, but it also ensures that you have plenty of time to make it to your final destination.
Preparedness for travel and meetings
Traveling prepared encompasses many different things, like having the proper documentation and tickets for travel, but also remembering all the materials that you will need for your meeting. What’s an easy way to do this? Use an iPad! It's portable, lightweight, and easy to store during travel. An iPad is only one of many ways to simplify business travel.
Familiarize yourself with the culture and the city
As an act of courtesy (and to make sure you don't offer a handshake where it's considered taboo) it's always a good idea to look over some of the cultural practices of the city that you will be traveling to. It's also great if you have an opportunity to look over some of the popular destinations in the city. While you may not know exactly where things are located, it's great if you can offer your colleagues a dinner spot that you've heard great things about!
Courtesy in respect to your technology use
A great tip for both the business and the pleasure traveler, always remember to be respectful when using technology. Other travelers don't want to listen to your phone call or hear your ringtone for each email received. Talk as quietly as possible and always put your phone on vibrate!
Always clean up after yourself
Be it by plane, car or train that you're traveling, everyone has trash that they need to dispose of at some point. Make it a point to throw away the trash in an appropriate location, rather than leaving it for an employee or future traveler to dispose of!
These are our top five travel tips, but we know there are many more out there. What tips can you offer for small business travelers?
