5 business travel hacks for start-up founders
Travelling is stressful at the best of times. Travelling for business is even more so. Travelling for business when your company is still in its infancy is in a blood pressure raising league of its own.
So it happened. You’ve not only managed to start generating revenue, but you’ve gone and done the impossible and managed to get people in another country interested in your business. Great job! I’m guessing that this interest is either from investors or from overseas prospects that you’ve been busy warming for the past few months. Either way, it’s highly likely that you’re seeing dollar signs and starting to indulge in wild fantasies of private jets, the Monaco harbour side, and sipping champers in a presidential suite.
Unfortunately, it’s my job to disabuse you of such notions. Any dreams of traversing the world like James/ Jane Bond are likely to be short lived. Back to reality. You’ve probably only got a handful of paying customers, the cash from your seed round isn’t going to last forever, and your long-suffering co-founder (who is going to be stuck at HQ while you’re off gallivanting) is unlikely to be enthused at your suggestion that you fly business class ‘as standard’.
As someone who has done it many times, I can honestly tell you that, momentary snapshots of Instagram glamour aside, travel as a start-up founder is sleepless, stressful, and (on occasion) sweaty. Don’t get me wrong. It’s wonderfully exciting and a real privilege, but it’s also tough. So, with all this in mind, if it is your job to hit the road for your growing company, what can you do to make the experience more manageable?
Here are five, tried and tested travel hacks to help you start your international business travels like a pro.
#1 Monkey business
There are times on the road where you might feel like you have regressed into an existence akin to that of our primate cousins (unshaven and living off the bananas from the hotel breakfast buffet) but, for clarity, that’s not what I’m advocating here. Instead this tip is about cheeky ways to elevate your airbourne hours. Long-haul flights can be a slog, and the price difference between economy and business class tickets make the latter unjustifiable on a limited travel budget.
However, that doesn’t mean you have to spend your flight jealously eyeing the folks up ahead. Here are a couple of things you can do to ape the business class experience in good old economy:
Invest in a travel pillow and foot hammock. Trust me, these little beauties will seriously enhance your comfort levels. Don’t be fooled by the £8.99 neck pillows in WHSmith - those things feel like the begrudging hug you get from an ex when you bump into them in the supermarket . Spend a little bit more and you’ll recline in splendour for years to come. By the way, this is a foot hammock (I know you were wondering!).
Upgrade within economy. This is a lesser known hack, but it can really change the experience of an international flight. Some airlines have the option of paying around £100 for a seat with more leg room. Often this happens during the online check-in or seat selection process, and occasionally on the flight itself.
Be bold and move to free seats. Seriously, just do it! If there is a row of seats left unoccupied once everyone has boarded the flight then (IMHO) they are fair game. I often see poor people cramped up when there are four beautifully empty seats, right opposite them, calling out for their bottom. If the cabin crew seem to be a serious bunch then, as a courtesy, you might let them know you're moving. This helps to avoid being woken up by an inquisitive steward later in the flight.
#2 Lounge act
Using an airport lounge can seem like a bit of an indulgence, but I promise you that it’s nothing of the sort. International terminals (at almost every airport in the world) are designed to part you from your cash. Even if you’re just expensing the usual stuff, by the time you’ve bought a coffee and some food at airport prices you’ve already spent a decent amount of cash. Access to a lounge costs around £30-£40 and comes with complimentary food and drink. In addition to the free grub they also have great seating, Wifi, and charging points. Some of the best ones even have areas for you to take a nap. When you weigh up all the free stuff you get, and add in the value of a quiet space to do some focussed work on the move, the cost becomes a bit of a no-brainer.
If you’re a regular traveller then you might think about buying a lounge pass. Some challenger banks (like Monzo) actually offer discounted lounge access (as well as travel insurance) as a ‘perk’ of some of their premium current accounts. Worth thinking about if for the aspiring jet-setter.
Next time you fly - hit up a lounge and get your lizard on.
#3 Headless chicken
To put it simply: if you’re travelling for work (especially if it’s your first time), it’s easy to become one. It’s highly likely that you don’t yet have an Ops person to help you with planning and booking your trip and, in the absence of an admin guru, amidst the perpetual Zoom calls and KPI discussions, you might just neglect your travel admin. You will sorely regret this and, unfortunately, your business will pay for it. However, fear not, you don’t need to be that chicken!
Follow these tips to keep your planning ship-shape and Bristol:
Coordinate all bookings from your smartphone. Make a folder called ‘business travel’ and get your airline and hotel apps downloaded and in there. It’s so much easier when you’re reminded of things by helpful push notifications, and you’re not having to trawl your inbox for lost booking references.
Don’t fall into the cheap hotel trap. Booking the cheapest hotel isn’t always the smartest idea. As with the airport lounge, a slightly more expensive hotel might actually save you money overall once you have factored in the cost of breakfast, gym access, and travel.
Create a realistic meeting schedule. If it’s your first time to a particular country is it really realistic to plan 4 meetings per day? Can you actually travel from your 10am to your 12pm in 10 minutes? Are you really going to be able to give a good account of your product or service 12 hours after you land? Be practical and you’ll get more from the trip.
Research local business customs and attire. You might go into your co-working space looking like the bassist from a failing Indie band, and greet your teammates with a daily high-five, but this is unlikely to be the way things are done where you’re headed. Be culturally aware and be smart and you’ll and you’ll endear yourself in a jiffy.
#4 Houston we have…
Houston doesn’t want to hear it. And that’s mainly because Houston is your Co-founder and first couple of employees slogging it out back in the office back home. I assure you, literally no-one wants to hear that you missed your connection in Guangdong. Yes, it’s stressful, but it’s important to also recognise that what you’re doing is a bit of a perk, and that it’s the hard work of your colleagues that has paid for your airfare. Given that, you have very limited scope to complain! You’re on the road to advance the company, and it’s on you (and you alone) to make sure things go well.
It’s also important to be sensitive with your communications. If you’ve travelled somewhere sunny, exotic, or interesting then that’s absolutely fab. However, a continuous stream of pictures from the beach or the bar are likely to be unwelcome. Your colleagues don’t want to be receiving pictures of you grinning with a Mojito whilst they’re heading for their morning commute. Think about how things will be received back at HQ and you’ll be groovy.
If you want to be proactive then it can be a good idea to send a regular, business focussed update on Slack or by email. In it you try to cover what you achieved for the business that day/week. Touch on things like the deals/ connections/ ideas that the trip has yielded so far, and try to keep the cocktail out of shot!
#5 Maintain the temple
The combination of lots of travel and lots of work can very quickly (and often unintentionally) lead to neglected physical and mental wellbeing. You can easily find yourself eating a diet consisting of stuff that you grabbed at the airport. On top of this, the physically exhausting nature of international travel can leave you feeling like you barely have enough energy for your business meetings, let alone anything else. However, you have to try and resist falling into these patterns of behaviour and prioritise some healthy food and exercise. You won’t be able to do your business justice if your body and mind aren’t in good shape.
Here are a couple of things you can do to look after yourself:
Limit the booze. Boring, I know - but it’s super important. Travel inherently presents more opportunities to indulge in a tipple, business travel even more so. Save the drinking for social occasions on your trip that will benefit the business, and say no to the G+T on the plane.
Take the gym with you. You might not be staying in hotels with a gym or pool, and you might not feel comfortable enough to hit the streets for a run. No problem! You can create a portable gym with things like resistance bands or a TRX set that allows you to workout in your hotel room.
Prioritise your meals. If you don’t you might end up with a milkshake and bag of crisps from the 7-11 round the corner. Yes, you need to devote as much time to your business objectives, but you also need good fuel to be able to do that. Plan ahead and investigate how you can balance an 11pm check-in with consuming some fruit and veg.
That’s it! Follow these tips and you’ll ace that first trip. Keep yourself healthy and remember to maintain good comms with the gang back home. Good luck on your adventure, and I hope it is valuable for your start-up!
Get in touch:
If you’re about to embark on your first international business trip and you’d like some more advice, then why not drop me a line?
To learn more about The Ambassador Platform, my current company, and how we’re transforming student recruitment for the education sector, then check out our website here.
