Business trips are an important part of working life. Within Germany alone, over 11 million business trips take place every year. Whether it's a customer meeting, a visit to a trade fair or exploring new markets - to ensure that everything runs smoothly, you need to make detailed preparations in advance. Whether you are traveling yourself or planning a business trip for colleagues, here you can find out what you need to bear in mind to ensure everything runs smoothly.
Planning a business trip - checklist
Participants of the trip
Who is going on the trip? Your boss? Yourself? Which employees absolutely have to come along? Even if only the boss is invited, it may make sense for the assistant to accompany them, for example to take minutes at meetings. At conferences with parallel presentations and workshops, several colleagues should also attend in order to take as much information as possible with them.
Clarify representation
As you will not be able to carry out your day-to-day business during the business trip, you will need to find a suitable replacement. Select a replacement as soon as possible, ideally before you plan the business trip in detail, so that the replacement can be found in good time and can familiarize themselves with the situation early on.
Also pay attention to the following points:
- What powers should the representative have?
- Which tasks can be assigned to which employee?
- Which tasks can be suspended during the business trip?
Organize the handover so that your replacement knows the current status of projects and who to contact. You should also inform your replacement about deadlines for tasks and projects so that they are not missed in your absence. Which decisions do you and others definitely want to be contacted about during the business trip and which can the substitute make themselves? Ask about this in detail and pass the information on to the replacement. Don't forget to set up mail and telephone forwarding and have powers of attorney issued.
Plan the duration of the business trip
Depending on the reason for the trip, it may take different lengths of time. For long-distance trips, additional rest days should be planned before, after and between appointments. In addition, departure should not take place directly after the appointment, as it is easy to get stressed and even miss the departure flight or departure.
Determine means of transportation
Is your business trip taking place within Germany? Depending on the distance, traveling by car or train is usually cheaper and more environmentally friendly than flying. Is it a long-distance trip? Then a flight is unavoidable. It is important to choose the best possible flight connection in order to arrive at your destination as quickly as possible.
Do you have to take cost specifications into account when planning the business trip? This can also influence the choice of means of transportation and should be clarified.
Regardless of which mode of transport you ultimately choose, plan your journey so that you arrive at least one day before the meeting or conference. This way, you can check into your hotel in peace and quiet and won't be late for your business meeting due to traffic jams or delays.
Do you also need to be mobile on site? Make sure you hire a car in good time.
Book accommodation
Pay attention to the following factors when choosing a hotel:
- How far is it from the meeting point?
- What (public) transportation is available nearby?
- What services does the accommodation offer and what do you have to book separately?
- Is breakfast included and would that even make sense?
Prepare documents
Are my passport and ID card still valid? Many countries require a minimum validity of six months. Find out about this and, if necessary, advise the travel participants to apply for new documents. In many countries, you must apply for a visa for all participants in advance. Take care of this in good time. Certain vaccinations are mandatory for some countries. You must therefore also carry your vaccination certificate with you.
If a rental car is booked, at least one participant in the business trip must have an international driver's license. Check this when planning the business trip and book a driver if necessary. Print out all booking confirmations and take them with you. Take business cards, diaries, important addresses and telephone numbers as well as any brochures with you.
Make copies of all important documents. These must be kept separately from the originals. This way you are prepared in the event of loss. Check all documents several times to make sure they are complete. Organize the documents in a folder according to chronological order.
Take out insurance
If you are planning a business trip, various types of insurance are useful or even necessary. These include
- Luggage insurance
- Travel health insurance
- ADAC card, green insurance card, letter of protection
- Cancellation insurance (in case the appointment is canceled or a participant falls ill)
Important: All insurance policies should be taken out through the company. Private insurance does not apply to business trips!
Planning other special features of the business trip
Is there a meeting with foreign-language customers or business partners? If no one from your own company can translate, an interpreter should be appointed.
Find out whether certain vaccinations are necessary, especially for long-distance travel. Inform all travelers about this and ask them to be vaccinated promptly and to carry their vaccination certificate with them on their business trip.
Find out whether your laptop and cell phone will work in your destination country or whether special adapters or phone cards are required.
Have a business trip planned externally
Are you short of time or don't have an overview? If necessary, hand over the organization of your business trip to a travel agency or a specialized service provider. They can plan your business trip and you have your head free for other things. This way you can be sure that everything is organized correctly and nothing has been forgotten.
Planning a business trip - Conclusion
The order in which you plan your business trip is up to you, as long as nothing is forgotten. The most important thing is to have a sufficient time buffer, take all the necessary documents with you and take out insurance in case of an emergency. Then you can get started with your business trip!
If you are planning a business trip and need a Book a hotel in Munich, würden wir uns freuen, wenn Sie sich für das Boutique Hotel Atrium München entscheiden. Die Business Einzelzimmer sind speziell auf Geschäftsreisende ausgelegt. Wir freuen uns darauf, Sie bei uns begrüßen zu dürfen!
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