If this is your first time on a business trip, there are a few important things that you should know, especially when packing your things. You cannot just bring yourself and a few essentials because a business trip might take overnight or it can last for as long as a few weeks.
A couple of days before your trip, you have to prepare all of the items that you would need to make sure that you won’t leave any important things behind. We created the ultimate guide to help you know the must-have items for your business travel.
RFID Wallets
When you are going on a business, RFID wallets are very important. You will go to a different place and electronic pickpocketing is very common nowadays so you need a wallet that will help protect you from RFID skimming. Here are the types of wallets that you can bring with you:
- Money Clip: This is a great way to store your cards and money and no one will even notice that you have one. It is not bulky so if you place it in your pocket, no one would know that you have a wallet with you.
- Bifold: A bifold wallet is very popular as it is much thinner compared with other types of wallets. Although it is not as thin as the money clip, it is a traditional type of wallet with RFID protection.
- Trifold: This wallet is a good choice as well since you can put a lot of cards inside it. It is much thicker so it is a popular choice for people who like to put their wallets inside their bags.
Briefcases
You’ve seen a lot of businessmen bring briefcases with them and it is not a fashion statement. A briefcase is very important as it holds all the important documents that you need to bring to a business meeting. If you are traveling, you need a briefcase to present a professional look in front of other businessmen.
Wheeled Briefcases
If you are going to travel, using a wheeled briefcase is your best choice because it is very spacious and it looks professional.
A traditional traveling bag is not a bad idea, but having this type of briefcase allows you to arrange all your documents and prevent them from being damaged or crumpled inside a traditional traveling bag.
Laptop Briefcase
If you are bringing a laptop with you, which is very likely, you need a laptop briefcase. This type of bag is made specifically to protect your laptop.
Leather Briefcase
If you want to go out in style and you don’t plan to bring a lot of things with you, a leather briefcase is a good option. It is very sturdy and it provides the same amount of protection that a traditional briefcase can offer.
Luggage Lock
Before you proceed with your travel, make sure that you always have a luggage lock. This will serve as a form of protection for the things inside your luggage. Even if you only have clothes and other essentials in your check-in baggage, you still need to use a lock to make sure that everything inside is protected.
A TSA-approved padlock is a good help to deter theft. You should ensure that your bags and suitcases have lockable zippers as well.
Bring Casual Clothes
On a business trip, you won’t spend most of your time meeting with clients or big bosses. You may have a lot of time to explore the area so you can’t go around wearing your tuxedo or formal dress. If you are going to bring clothes with you, here are a few tips that you should know:
- Don’t roll clothes. You may not have the luxury to iron your clothes in the hotel unless you have an iron in your room. It is not acceptable to wear wrinkled clothes even if you are only going outside to stroll.
- Place your clothes based on their uses. Put your formal and semi-formal clothes in one section, your casual clothes in another and your underwear in a third area in your luggage.
- Don’t bring too much. Count the number of days that you will be staying in a certain place and prepare everything beforehand.
Bring your Mobile Phone and Laptop
You should never forget your mobile phone and laptop when you go on a business trip. A lot of unforeseen circumstances can happen so you need to have your communication devices with you all the time. The laptop should be hand-carried and you should never put it in your luggage. Here are the other things that you need to bring along with your phone and laptop.
Charger
Don’t forget the charger for your phone and laptop. This would be a big disaster if you forget. You won’t be able to charge your laptop and phone during the trip.
Power Bank
You should always have a power bank with you. Even if you are not going on a business trip, your power bank can provide emergency power for your mobile phones.
Bring Medicine
You should never forget your medicines when you are on a business trip. If you suddenly feel unwell on your trip, you won’t have to hunt for medicine in an unfamiliar location. You need to bring medicines for headache, LBM, and body pains.
Remember that you cannot cancel your business trip just because you are not feeling well. You should always be prepared and bring medicines with you at all times.
Business Cards
Of course, when you are on a business trip, you should always bring plenty of business cards with you and make sure that they are always within reach. Here are some of the reasons why you should always have them with you.
- You never know when a chance encounter might happen so you need to have a business card to hand out if you meet someone while on the trip.
- Since it is a business trip, you will meet a lot of people that are in the same industry as you are and you will have time to meet with potential clients so a business card should be within reach.
- Bringing a business card with you is a more professional way of exchanging information and contact numbers than just bringing your phone out to ask for numbers.
Breath Mints
When you are traveling, you won’t have a lot of time to brush your teeth. You can do that at your hotel, but if you are going to travel for long hours, you can’t have bad breath, especially when meeting with other business people.
Bring breath mints with you at all times. Before you talk to people, pop one in your mouth so your breath smells fresh all the time. The first impression lasts so if you have bad breath, other business people will remember it.
Documents
You have to bring all of your travel documents with you when traveling not just your ticket and passport. There are so many documents that you need to bring during a business trip so you have to take note of them before you leave your house.
Business Documents
Never leave your business documents behind because this can defeat the purpose of your trip. You are traveling for business purposes so forgetting your business documents is the same as not traveling at all.
Travel Documents
You can’t go anywhere without your travel documents so you have to bring your passport, ticket, visa (if applicable), hotel voucher, and more. Bring your IDs with you as well just to make sure.
Small Travel Umbrella
Bringing an umbrella is optional, especially if you are going to a snowy area. However, if you are going to a tropical country, you should always bring a small umbrella with you.
You can put the umbrella in your hand-carry bag so you can access it once you get out of the airport. Even if someone picks you up and has an umbrella, you still need to bring your own, especially if you plan to go out and stroll.
Conclusion
When you are going on a business trip, you should always make a list of all the things that you need to bring with you.
This will guarantee that you won’t leave any important things behind. Don’t be afraid to bring bigger luggage with you, if you think that you need to bring more items, especially true for ladies.
