Skip to main content

Jessy - “5 Travel Tips for Smart Entrepreneurs” by Ali Brown

Traveling for business can be unnerving for entrepreneurs at all levels. Most of us get so busy keeping shop that we forget to make the transition from personal traveler to professional traveler—and the result is wasted hours, money, and time. Below are a few tips on how to start traveling like a pro. Remember, as a business owner, your time is money!


1. Batch your meetings when possible

Let’s say you’re traveling cross-country to attend a conference next month. Instead of just spending time planning happy hour with an old college friend, why not set up some meetings with clients or media while you’re in that city. You’re already traveling in work-mode, and have likely packed business professional clothing, so why not maximize your time?


One business consultant I know would announce to her list which city she was going to be in a few weeks ahead of time, and offered one-hour consults for $250 a pop. She rented a small conference room, and booked up a full day that paid for her trip.


When a potential client knows you’re only in town for a limited time, it gives them a deadline to take action and get the ball rolling. And while our virtual world is amazing, people know that nothing beats meeting in person. (And of course, when all your work is done, definitely go out and have that cosmo with your college pal!)


2. Pack like a pro (and still look fab)

Ask any avid traveler, and she’ll confirm that packing truly is an art form. Add a woman’s professional wardrobe into the mix, and things get even more challenging. Listen, I have NEVER mastered the carry-on. I never will. My beauty kit alone is hard to lift. But I at least get everything down to one checked bag and one roll-aboard.


One way to streamline your packing is to pick one color combination for your entire trip. So, if you really want to show off your new black pumps, stick to clothing choices that complement black (instead of introducing an entirely new color palette, into the mix… like pastels). For example, on a recent trip to NYC I packed one pair of tan boots and one pair of tan wedges, three dresses that matched the boots, and a pair of jeans and a top that matched the wedges.


A few items every business traveler should ALWAYS have in her suitcase are an extra cell phone charger, a 6-foot long extension cord for hard-to-reach power outlets, and a set of travel-sized toiletries, like facial cleansers, moisturizers, night creams, etc. Buy doubles of your essentials and keep them in your suitcase ready to go. This is a huge time saver!


3. Go digital for all your planning

My team and I use a great travel management app called TripIt, which acts like a paperless travel assistant. First, buy your airline ticket the way you usually do. Then when you get the email confirmation, just forward it to your designated TripIt email account.


TripIt will aggregate all your travel information—your flight, car service, hotel information, meetings, etc.—into one central itinerary that you can access online and via your smartphone. The Pro version (which I use) will even text you updates in the event your flight gets delayed or anything changes, and you can click a button to look up alternate flights in case your schedule changes.


4. Go loyal (or go elsewhere)
One great thing to have your assistant or an intern do for you is to sign you up ahead of time for points programs with all hotels and airlines you frequent. As you travel more and more, you’ll find which ones you want to keep building more points for. For example, I’m a huge fan of Virgin America and try to fly them whenever possible to rack up my points. And I’ve become pretty loyal to the Marriott brand of hotels, since I began to rack up points there as well. And loyalty often pays… Thanks to my frequent hotel status, I recently got a free upgrade to a super room and view in NYC. You could even work your way up to a free vacation.


Also, consider when it’s worth to spend a bit more. I see too many folks be cheap when booking airfare and snagging any old trip for the lowest price possible on discount sites. Even flights that require them to change planes and that take up hours more time! Those deals are great occasionally, but I see many business owners trapped when they want to change their flight and miss huge opportunities just to save a few bucks. (Not to mention the higher risk of delayed luggage when you switch planes.)


I remember once trying to convince a client to stay in town an extra day to meet with a huge connection I had for her. This meeting could have changed her business and her life. She told me she couldn’t change her flight. At first I thought it meant she had to get home that day, but then she later stubbornly admitted she didn’t want to pay the change in price for her ticket and the airline’s change fee.


Be smart about your spending, but think from a bigger perspective!


5. Stay healthy on the road

While I’m pretty good at eating “clean” at home, it’s quite a challenge when I’m traveling. Between airport and hotel food, it’s not hard to come home with some extra bloat (and I don’t mean in your luggage). Because I’m usually at client lunches and dinners, breakfast is somewhere I have more control. I pack a shaker cup, some protein shake mix, rice cakes, and packets of almond butter. While these items take up some room in my bag, they’ve been a lifesaver when I need a nibble, and who wants to spend $30 on a mediocre room service breakfast anyway?


I also know I get cranky and lose focus when I’m hungry, so I always keep a baggie of almonds and a few protein bars in my bag when I’m on the go.


And I always pack at least one workout outfit. While I may not have time to hit the hotel gym or go for a run every day, there’s usually at least one day I can fit it in, and I’m always glad I did!


For many more of my travel tips for entrepreneurs on the go, and my BEST powerful time management and productivity strategies (101 total!), check out my popular Millionaire Time Productivity Secrets program here.


==========


© 2013 Ali International, LLC


WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEB SITE?


You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

“Entrepreneur mentor Ali Brown teaches women around the world how to start and grow a profitable business that make a positive impact. Get her FREE CD “Top 10 Success Secrets for Entrepreneurial Women” at www.AliBrown.com






via Ali Brown - Entrepreneur Mentor Featured on ABC's Secret Millionaire", Small Business Coach and Consultant for Women http://www.alibrown.com/blog/2013/09/12/%e2%80%9c5-travel-tips-for-smart-entrepreneurs%e2%80%9d-by-ali-brown/

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

How to Set Priorities Using the ABCDE Method - Brian Tracy

The more thought you invest into setting priorities before you begin a task, the faster you will get the important things done. The more important and valuable the task is to you, the more motivated you are to overcome procrastination and launch yourself into the job. William Matthews said,  “The first law of success is concentration – to bend all the energies to one point, and to go directly to that point, looking neither to the right or to the left.” Today, I want to share a method of time-management for setting priorities that I’ve been using for years, called the ABCDE method. FREE TIME MANAGEMENT TOOL: Download the ABCDE Checklist PDF The ABCDE Method The ABCDE Method is a powerful priority setting technique that you can use every single day. This technique is so simple and effective that it can make you one of the most efficient and effective people in your field. The ABCDE list is a to-do list on steroids when it comes to learning how to prioritize . The power of t...

lynda - Jane Wurwand, Founder of Dermalogica, this week on Glambition Radio

Jane Wurwand is not only the founder of the #1 brand of skin care in the world, but she’s also changing women’s lives on a global level . I’m thrilled to have her as my guest on today’s episode of Glambition Radio . Jane (originally from the UK) and her husband launched their business back in 1983 in Marina del Rey, CA with $14,000, no bank loans and no investors. Today, Dermalogica boasts sales of more than $250,000 million a year and is sold in 86 countries around the world! It’s a true rags-to-riches story, and she tells all in our interview . What many people may not know about Jane is that she is also fighting to empower women all over the world. She founded FITE , Financial Independence Through Entrepreneurship, which invests in local grassroots initiatives to help women and girls become leaders . To date, her FITE program has helped fund more than 40,000 loans for women to start or grow businesses in over 65 countries! (Visit JoinFITE.org to see how you can get involved.) O...

SMART Goals 101: Goal Setting Examples, Templates, and Tips - Brian Tracy

I think you’ll agree with me when I say: We’ve all heard that SMART goals are important . But a lot of people are left with questions about them, for example: What exactly are they? How do we use them correctly? Are they really contributing to your success? Here’s the deal: When it comes to achieving success, one of the most important steps that you can take is setting good goals. It is also important to recognize, though, that not all goals are created equal. In this article, we’ll take a look at a special class of goals called SMART goals and how you can use them to heighten your chances of success. FREE SUCCESS TOOL: Brian Tracy’s 14-Step-Goal-Setting Guide What is a Goal? A goal can be any objective that you set for yourself and push yourself to achieve. Sometimes that goal may be small (like waking up an hour earlier than you normally do) and sometimes it may be larger (like earning a promotion). But here’s the kicker: While having goals of all kinds is almost ...