Tips to Make Business Travel Less Painful

If you’ve ever had a job that involved frequent travel, you know there are tips to make business travel less painful because, despite the benefit of gaining miles through airline loyalty programs, you know business travel is a pain. Trying to work as a traveling freelancer or digital nomad is a tempting prospect until you realize the reality of crowded airports, passenger seats that grow smaller every year, bland airport food, wasting time trying to work in a strange place with wonky WIFI, and being away from home. Sure, you get to see more of the world while making a great living, so it might seem tempting, especially with the growing need for skilled professionals in other areas and salespeople who must meet clients despite the growth of digital technology. Well, today, we hope to offer some tips to make business travel less painful, so you enjoy those traveling jobs.

Image courtesy of Inc Magazine

Making business travel less painful

While logic might suggest that technology has replaced the need for frequent business travel, the data don’t support that logic. In fact, except for a fairly large decline in travel during the pandemic, the pace of business travel continued to grow. In 2024, global business travel is expected to reach its highest level so far: over $1.5 trillion after four years of sluggish recovery from the pandemic. In 2022, the latest date for which data is available, business travelers took an average of nearly two business trips per month.

To make business travel less painful, focus on packing light, planning ahead, prioritizing comfort with good seating and appropriate clothing, managing your time effectively, staying hydrated, utilizing airport lounge access when possible, and ensuring you have all necessary documents readily available, while also setting boundaries to maintain some work-life balance during travel.

So, let’s explore the tips that will be most useful for you in making business travel less painful.

1. Stay motivated

As a digital nomad, freelancer, or other frequent business traveler, it’s often difficult to stay motivated. You’ll usually work by yourself, and this can feel isolating at times. This can happen no matter where in the world you’re working from. The trick to this is to stay motivated, especially at the start of your career.

It might help to add a day or two to your trip for something fun. Data compiled here from various sources shows that about 60% of business travelers plan to extend their business trips, doing something fun to make business travel less painful.

Of course, that often means stowing your business stuff while you’re traveling. With enhanced security, that can be challenging, although there’s luggage storage in Miami for you to keep belongings while you’re there, for example. Also, most hotels will keep your belongings even after checking out of their property. Amenities like these mean you don’t have to carry your computer around outside of working hours. It could help you take in more of the city without needing to drag around any heavy equipment.

2. Know what to charge

If you’re just getting started with freelancing or interviewing for another type of traveling position, you need to know what to charge. That’s especially true if you’re expected to pay your own travel expenses on top of making a commission or fee. Many of these revolve around getting paid for your work. When you’re setting your prices, make sure you charge what you’re worth.

It’s easy to see why, as you’ll need to figure out your worth. Spend some time on this. Don’t go too low, as you won’t be able to afford your monthly expenses, and travel expenses continue to grow at a rate higher than inflation. At the same time, it’s worth avoiding being too expensive, as you could price yourself out of the market.

3. Pack light

Sure, it’s nice to have your stuff with you when traveling, but it also requires you to check your bags, which is a waste of time. I once went to a job interview, and my checked baggage didn’t arrive until the day I left. Needless to say, I did an important job interview in my travel clothes (jeans and a sweater). You’ll also have to lug your stuff around, which can cause its own type of pain–in your back. Instead, consider these packing suggestions to make business travel less painful:

• Buy a travel bag that allows you to efficiently stow your items in an organized fashion in minimal space. Many hotels offer amenities such as workout clothing and equipment, toiletries, and laundry services to allow you to pack less. Don’t forget chargers for all your devices, as most places don’t yet offer this amenity.
• Stick to wrinkle-free clothing that’s easily washed in your hotel room and dries overnight
• Wear comfortable clothing for lights, as you never know how long you’ll be wearing them. You might have to sleep or remain in a cramped plane for hours.
• Pay a little extra for those seats featuring extra legroom, such as an exit row.
• Pack water. If you’re flying in most countries, you can’t take water through security, but you can bring a water bottle that you fill on the other side of the security gates.
• Buy access to the airport lounge. Many airline credit card companies offer this free perk, and it’s worth the money to have a quiet, comfortable place to work, reliable WIFI, food, and drinks during long layovers or flight delays.
• Pack medication with you, even if you do end up checking a bag. Delays or lost luggage are a reality of today’s travel scene.
• Store everything in the cloud, including itineraries, proposals, invoices, and more. If your devices are stolen or lost, you need the information at your fingertips.

4. Don’t forget to take a vacation

When your work involves frequent business travel, it can feel like almost every day is a vacation. Staying in a hotel, eating in a restaurant, and other realities of business travel can reduce their appeal during your off-work hours. That doesn’t mean they actually are the same when it comes to leisure travel. You’ll still spend the bulk of your day working, and that’s without mentioning any time you’re spending getting to and from destinations to work from.

That’s why it’s always worth considering a vacation every once in a while. It lets you take a break and actually look after yourself. See it as a form of self-care. Blocking out a few weeks of the year and getting yourself one of these short term rentals in Vienna (or indeed elsewhere) can be a good way to get away and not think about work, but still have the option to check in if you need to.

Make business travel less painful: wrapping up

Trying to work as a traveling freelancer or digital nomad is appealing for countless reasons. That doesn’t mean it’s the easiest thing to do, though. You’ll have to put a lot of work into it and be prepared to spend a decent bit of time and effort on it.

With a few digital nomad and freelancing tips, this doesn’t need to be as complicated as you might think. Once you’re putting the work in, it could be quite rewarding.

Need marketing help to support business growth?

We welcome the opportunity to show you how we can make your marketing SIZZLE with our data-driven, results-oriented marketing strategies.  Sign up for our FREE newsletter, get our FREE guide to creating an awesome website, or contact us for more information on hiring us.

Hausman and Associates, the publisher of MKT Maven, is a full-service marketing agency operating at the intersection of marketing and digital media. Check out our full range of services.