Business Travel Safety

The National Crime Commission reports that each year thousands

of innocent business travelers fall victim to the rising

crime rate. 



It's time to stand up! Don't be just another crime statistic or 

willing victim. Learn important ways to protect yourself while traveling in unfamiliar or dangerous areas.



Easy With The Luggage:

Thieves look for business travelers loaded down

with excess baggage? This makes you a very easy target in

their shifty eyes. Why? Travelers struggling with excess luggage are 

less likely to notice one or two missing pieces until it's too late.



Label Your Stuff:

Label each piece of your luggage. List the items in each bag.

Carry snapshots of your luggage for quick identification. Lock

all luggage securely. This will discourage spur of the moment

suitcase or baggage snatchers.



Keep Your Purse Close...Your Money Closer:

Hold your purse close to your body. Wrap your purse over one

shoulder, across your body and under the other arm. Never

swing your purse loosely from a wrist or shoulder. A thief

could easily catch the strap and drag you screaming across

the crowded room, a terminal, airport, or empty garage. Invest in a fanny pack, money pouch or belt if you travel often.



Hold Your Head High:

Walk with confidence. Make eye contact with the people that

are around you. This is especially important for women

traveling alone. Studies show women do not look people in the

eyes as often as the average man does. Thieves see this

as passive behavior. In other words an easy target.

One who will not put up a fight.



If It Ain't Important Leave It:

Do you really need your social security card, voter registration

card, department store cards on a business trip? If thieves get

their sticky hands on those important personal items they 

could easily forge papers and steal your identity.



Foreign Travel:

Photocopy all your important papers, including your passport, and

your tickets before you leave home. Make several copies of each

important paper. Keep an extra copy in a secret compartment or

in a belt pouch. Store the other copies in the hotel safe. So if your originals are stolen you will have plenty copies on hand.



Special Precautions For Women Travelers:

Women, when they travel, should always wear a plain cheap wedding

band - this will discourage unwanted attention from strange males.

Thieves often look for unmarried women traveling alone, they

consider them easy targets.



Diamonds Aren't A Travelers Best Friend:

Leave your expensive rings, watches, bracelets, necklaces at home. 

Wearing expensive items is like waving a red flag at a charging bull. 



Alarms:

Purchase a pocket size travel alarm with a strap you can hang across

your door knob. A loud alarm sounds instantly if someone jiggles the

door knob. These alarms are very inexpensive but a good item to have

for the safety concerned traveler.



Question Hotel Personnel:

Question hotel personnel about fire and emergency exits. And be sure to

ask them about crime in the neighborhood, which areas to avoid, they

should know the area better than you and be willing to help you to

make your stay safe. Also question them about local money exchange

rates, and cab fares around town. This will help save you from being

taken advantage of by unscrupulous shop owners or cabbies.



Stay In Contact:

Carry a fully charged cellular telephone with you when you go on

your business travels. Keep it on when you are out in unfamiliar

territory. Make sure friends, family, business associates have

your cell phone number. If a dangerous situation occurs help

could be just a call away.



Tell A Friend:

Tell a friend or family member when you are going on a business trip

alone. Make sure your business partner or staff know your agenda. Tell them where you are staying, how long you will stay. What meetings you

are scheduled for. Addresses, names, dates, and so forth.

This is a very important detail if an emergency occurs and you

need to be contacted or you are in a emergency situation and need

help. 

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Tips For The Business Traveler

Most people view business travel to be a stressful and time-consuming process. Preparation for any trip takes time out of your schedule. But imagine if you had to pack and unpack your suitcase several times a month! Business travel also opens the door for a unique set of concerns. If you forget something (a bathing suit, a toothbrush) on a personal vacation, you can usually replace it while on your trip. But if a business traveler forgets a presentation or an important report, it could have much more serious consequences. Business travelers also feel the constant pressure to be "at work" while they are away. They type away at their laptops at the airport, draft letters on the plane, and make cell phone calls in the taxi. Consequently, many business travelers never have (or take) the time to relax during their trips, and come back more stressed and worn out than they were before they left.



But planning and preparation can cut down on some of these concerns. Having a set of PROCEDURES that you follow each time you travel will alleviate some of your anxiety and reduce the likelihood of an emergency occurring.



PACKING FOR A BUSINESS TRIP 



Problems such as running out of legal paper or misplacing an important phone number are stressful enough within the confines of your office. Without the safety and comfort of "home," feelings of unpreparedness and vulnerability are multiplied. But you can reduce the chances of forgetting something important if you SYSTEMATIZE your trip preparation.



If you often have to travel on short notice, keep a pre-packed overnight bag ready at all times -- including travel-sized toiletries, duplicates of important personal items (travel alarm, night light), and sleepwear. Then, when duty calls, all you have to do is pack your clothes just before you leave. And it is particularly important in business situations to simplify your travel wardrobe -- bring items that you can mix and match, that don't wrinkle, and that don't require special care. The last thing that you want to worry about as you prepare for an important meeting is hauling a lot of heavy luggage around. Of course you want to dress is appropriately for the occasion, but you can avoid over-packing by thinking through your wardrobe ahead of time.



You can also save a lot of time by pre-packing a travel briefcase. Keep this traveling office well stocked with office supplies -- pens, stapler, notepads, paperclips, a calculator -- whatever you tend to need on the road. Also create a travel folder for collecting those papers and materials (presentation overheads, reference items, unfinished work, travel information, etc.) you will need to take with you. Either fill your folder as you plan your trip, or keep a list clipped to the front of the folder. Then, make a note in your calendar to double-check your list and finish filling your folder the day before you leave. And once you have settled on an itinerary, record all of your pertinent travel information -- agenda, flight information, hotel reservation --on one sheet that you keep close at hand throughout your trip. There is nothing more frustrating than shuffling through a stack of papers trying to find your hotel's address with an impatient cab driver waiting!



TRAVELING FOR CONVENIENCE 



The business traveler's main goal is to get to his or her destination with as few problems and delays as possible (well, I guess that's a major concern for every traveler!) Start by making all of your arrangements through a travel agent. This will save you time, worry, and possibly money, as many travel agents are privy to deals that the general public cannot access. When you are booking your flight, have the travel agent go ahead and request your seat assignment along with your reservation. Ask to be seated as close to the front of the plane as possible, so you can be one of the first off of the aircraft. Also, aim for the earliest flight possible to give you plenty of "buffer" in case of delays.



You can take a lot of the guesswork out of your trip by becoming familiar and loyal to a chain of hotels that offer extra services for the business traveler. What are you always needing while on the road -- a copy machine? Fax? Modem? Courier service? Then look for accommodations that provide these services directly at the hotel. Also keep an eye out for those free services that make mornings easier -- continental breakfasts, the coffee machine in your room (if you are a caffeine junkie like my husband), an iron in your closet, and a newspaper by your door. These small touches will save you a lot of time, help you feel more at home, and get you going quicker in the mornings.



THEY CAN SURVIVE WITHOUT YOU! 


Take care of as many matters as you can before leaving town. Return phone calls, respond briefly to any outstanding letters, and inform important clients and colleagues of the dates that you will be unavailable. The fewer loose ends you leave, the fewer fires you should have to put out while you are gone. But if your staff should need to contact you, make it easy for them to reach you. Prepare 4 copies of a written itinerary before leaving -- for you, your secretary, your spouse, and the front desk at the hotel where you will be staying. Your staff will be less likely to panic if they have a clear idea of where you will be and what you will be doing each day that you are gone.



The most important step you can take is instructing your staff on how to handle situations while you are gone. Clearly define what issues warrant interrupting your trip and tell your staff how to take care of any other matters that pop up. Have your voice mail message direct callers to the appropriate party and assign urgent matters to a colleague. The goal should be to present a seamless service to your clientele. Customers don't want to hear that a problem can not be resolved because "so-and-so" is out of town. Your duty is to TRAIN your staff to head off problems that occur during your absence.



STAYING ORGANIZED ON THE ROAD 



Once you have embarked on your business trip, you may find that you have a hard time staying on top of it all -- your schedule, luggage, paperwork, expenses. There are, however some tricks that will help you keep track of your belongings and prevent personal loss. If at all possible, only bring what you can carry onto the plane. Checking your bags wastes time and invites lost luggage. Pack two small carryon bags rather than checking a bag -- one for your work items and one for your clothes. If you do have to check a bag, check the personal items and hold onto your business materials. If you had to choose between losing your clothes and losing your presentation materials, which would be the more tragic loss?



Keeping track of your expenses can seem like a real chore -- but it's easy if you do your record-keeping as you go. Use separate credit cards for business and personal purchases, and keep all of your receipts in one place. Reserve a zippered pocket in your planner or a manila folder for all business-related receipts. Then, mark your expense form as you go along -- recording the item purchased, the date, and the amount -- and retype it when you return from your trip. You'll find this much easier than trying to remember where and when you paid $5 for parking -- especially on long trips.



And what do you do with the myriad of paperwork business trips seem to inspire? You may have brought some of this paper with you, but the vast majority materializes once you have attended that first meeting (and heaven help you if you are attending a lengthy conference or trade show!) Airline tickets, agendas, and presentation materials are all susceptible to being misplaced when you are in a strange environment -- so try to keep all of your important paperwork in one place in your hotel room. And be sure to put out a sign that says "Don't Throw Away" if you plan to leave papers sitting out while you are gone (those housekeepers can be a bit too efficient!) Take a few moments to review the materials you have received at the end of each day. Categorize the information in a way that makes sense to you, discard what is unneeded, and make notes while the ideas are fresh in your mind. And keep a notepad nearby so you can make a running "to-do" list of items that require your attention when you return.



SCHEDULING YOUR DAYS 



Most people maintain a hectic schedule during business trips, running from one activity to another. Delays are unavoidable in life, particularly in travel. Unfortunately, very few people know how to deal with unscheduled gaps in their schedule. Rather than making good use of the time, they view the delay as a stressful event. So prepare for delays. Start by building in a CUSHION on either side of your appointments. Don't just leave enough time in your itinerary to travel from point A to point B -- assume that 43 different people are going to slow you down and you will have to make a detour to point C along the way! Also have a contingency plan in case an activity is postponed or cancelled -- bring work or reading material with you to fill the time.



And let's look at this scenario -- you've been in meetings all day from morning 'til afternoon. What do you do with your FREE TIME in the evening? More work? If you were at home, would you come home from a long day and immediately say, "Gee, I really should get more work done"? Well, some people do, but that's a completely different issue! Don't feel guilty about building room into your schedule for fun stuff -- sightseeing or going to a movie or having a relaxing non-business dinner. You are allowed some personal time on your trip, too!

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Money Saving Travel Tips

You must have seen the television add were one guy pays hundres of dollars while other pays thousands.
This shows the truth of money saving travel tips.
You can SERIOUSLY over-pay for travel if you aren't careful.



If you are planning to travel this year, or anytime, use these  money saving tips to your advantage. You might just save 60% or more on your upcoming trip. 



1. Plan Ahead



The reason airlines love travellers is that they travel on a very short notice. yo will and up paying more, often 2x as much, if you  don't include a weekend in your travel plans.
 if your unable to plan for many weeks in advance, take full
advantage of the time you can plan ahead. Check with
car rentals,restaurants,airfares and more to find out when is the best time to book their services. 



2. Use The Web

One great feature about the internet is that you can find fast information in it. The net allows us to work effectivelyon most money-saving activity of all and comparison shopping. 
Use full advantage of the search engines like Google and Yahoo as well as other travel sites. The AAA company (the people who rescue you on  the road) give away lots of information about travel to interest you in their memberships. 
Make a spreadsheet. When you find a great offer and price on a rental car, add that info to your spreadsheet. Soon you will have a stong database of savings.
sites like ebay provide the best bids for shopping.



3. Ask Around


People who travel often always love to share secrets with their friends and family who travel very often. It makes a person  feel good to help a friend and open up a discount which you might have overlooked otherwise. 
When you travel , With a little education,and some effort you can cut up to 60% your travel expenditures. You can use these savings to upgrade from a 2 star hotel to a four-star hotel. 



Either way, you will find the effort more than worthwhile. 

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