5 Ways to Use Your Time Effectively on A Business Trip

Going on a business trip out of town sounds exciting at first, well at least I thought it would be when I went on my first trip at age 23. As it turns out, in my experience, it was just another 4 walls to be in during the day and at night it was a cruel reminder of how alone I was. The best advice I can give a new business traveller is to use your time wisely so you can get back home. Here are 5 ways to effectively use your time on a business trip.

Set An Itinerary

Decide, in advance, what you would like to achieve on your trip. Make a list (I love lists – don’t judge me…) and then stick to it. Once you know what you would like to do each day you can then figure out how much time each task will take. Remember to set aside time for meals or even just to go outside and get some fresh air.

Choose The Right Accommodation

When selecting your accommodation for your trip, make sure to choose a place close to where you need to be. This will prevent you from being stuck in hideous traffic and wasting your precious time. Find short term rentals Toronto for a safe stay in the city, that’s close to all amenities and close enough to the office. That way you will have more time to focus on what’s important.

Avoid Unnecessary Meetings

At this stage in my career, most meetings seem like a waste of time, even at the top level – in fact, I’m mostly sure that at least 70% of them could have just been emails. The best way to make the most of your time on a business trip is to limit or avoid unnecessary meetings. All they do is cut into your available hours and aren’t always productive anyway.

Set Boundaries

During the first wave of the pandemic, most of us were working from home. We took a while to learn to set healthy boundaries for ourselves because everything was so new, but we eventually did and they were good for us. The same needs to apply when you are travelling for work, just because there are 24 hours in a day does not mean we need to be working flat out for 20 of them. Remember to take time each day to decompress and relax; only switching off your laptop at 1am and climbing into bed does not work.

Do Brunch, Not Lunch

The business/meal dynamic is a tough one to navigate, a part of you wants to enjoy a meal with your colleagues but another part of you wants to just get shit done so you’re not wasting time. The easiest way I found to do both is to have a business breakfast or brunch instead of a lunch. Limit yourself to 2 hours maximum and try to not go off topic too much. If you schedule a business meeting at a restaurant later in the day, you might be tempted to just call it a day at 3pm and not much else gets done for that day. If you are invited to a business dinner and feel that declining would be rude, remember to limit your alcohol intake – this isn’t your office Christmas party.