Whilst travelling for business is considered a perk for many professionals, it can also be problematic for family-orientated people who do not want to spend extended periods away from the people they love.
From keeping in touch with the kids to making the most of the time spent away from home, here are the most common business traveller problems – and how to solve them!
Staying connected
Fortunately, we live in an age when it is easier than ever to stay in contact with loved ones even from the other side of the globe. A laptop or mobile device with Skype or FaceTime installed can help you video call with the kids and the partner wherever you are.
The WiFi Finder app helps you find locations where you can connect to wireless internet for free, ensuring you are not caught out by expensive data roaming costs. This can give you the opportunity to have daily catch ups with the family or read younger children their bedtime stories – helping to keep their routine relatively regular whilst on your travels.
If you travel regularly, it may be worth discussing a free data roaming package with your mobile phone tariff provider to cut usage costs whilst overseas.
Gift buying
If you are feeling a little guilty for travelling with work and spending extended periods away from the kids (or the partner), a little gift can help alleviate those unwelcome feelings. MoneySavingExpert presents the best travel credit cards, rewarding users when spending overseas – making it more affordable to buy the loved ones something a little special.
Downtime
One of the biggest gripes when travelling with business is the amount of down time which many experience. From long waits in the airports to business days with just one meeting and little else, there are innumerate reasons for business travel downtime. Investing this time wisely can improve the worth of business travel.
Use LinkedIn to seek out local professionals from your industry for exchanges of ideas, create contacts and potentially secure contracts. Alternatively, if you would like to include more relaxing activities into your business travel, TripAdvisor can help you find local restaurants and landmarks to explore – all with impartial reviews from genuine visitors.
Hotel costs
If budget costs are forcing your boss to seek the cheapest accommodation for you on your travels; the time spent away from the office may be uncomfortable. Cheap motels and mothball-ridden hotels are not the ideal locations when preparing for an important business meeting or presentation.
Use the Hilton Hhonors scheme to encourage your bosses to find you more suitable and comfortable accommodation on your travels. Frequent visitors get great bonuses when staying at one of the thousands of Hilton hotels around the world. The scheme rewards frequent business travellers so your business trip could help fund a holiday stay for your boss – further encouraging them to stump up for an upgrade or even a drinks package for you.
Flight costs
Similar to accommodation, cheap travel can make for uncomfortable business trips. Flying with budget airlines can have detrimental effect on your work performance upon landing. Make business class flying more affordable with the PartnerPlusBenefit scheme from Lufthansa.
The scheme rewards frequent flyers with Lufthansa Airlines and their nine partner companies, providing you with a more comfortable passage all around the world and your bosses with a financial incentive to let you travel in style.
Language barriers
Travelling to distant lands often brings with it a selection of cultural and language barriers, making conversation and relationship-building difficult. Overcome these language barriers with the iTranslate app, capable of accurately translating over 80 languages. This will allow you to converse in the local tongue (to an extent). So whether you wish to order a coffee in Neapolitan café or inform your Japanese contemporary where to sign on the contract; this app will help you overcome the language barrier.
