Ways for the Organized Business Woman to Travel Smarter December 17, 2018Featured, My Career, PINK NotesOff

To be well prepared in business, you have to have a plan established for every occasion. Organized business women may keep a pressed set of clothes in their cars in case they spill coffee on themselves. They keep their itineraries stored on both desk calendars and mobile phones, just in case one gets lost. In short, truly professional business women plan for war in times of peace. So, it would make perfect sense for them to know how to pack for a business trip without missing a beat. This is how you stay prepared with luggage in tow no matter where your boss tells you to go.

Laying Out the Essentials
Business trips can be made at the very last minute, giving professionals barely enough time to tell their loved ones that they are going away. If you know that one of your job requirements is to fly out to various places in the world at a moment’s notice, you absolutely must have a full suitcase of essentials as well as an overnight bag packed at all times. So, what are the essentials that you should have stowed away? Well, obviously you will need clothes to wear in professional settings. You should also pack a few outfits that you will want to wear in the privacy of your hotel room or while you are on your down time, such as sweats and jeans. Don’t forget about things like pajamas, underwear, toiletries, feminine hygiene products, books, journals, and any other items that you use from day to day.

What’s in an Overnight Bag?
An overnight bag can be an emergency pack of sorts. This bag full of essentials will only contain the basics. So, you may keep a pair of heels, suit and blouse, phone and laptop chargers, address book, headphones, energy drink, and a handful of business cards in your overnight bag. You can definitely tailor what is contained in your overnight bag to your liking, but you want to always pack as light as possible. If you can, have several overnight bags packed and left in different locations. Keep one in the trunk of your car, one in your office, another in your home right by the front door, and even another one at the gym. You want to keep only enough things in your overnight bag as you would need to survive if you had to stay at work overnight.

Thinking Cosmetics
Whether you put on primer, highlighter, concealer, foundation, and lipstick, or have a simpler makeup routine, you need an organized way to travel with cosmetics. Unfortunately, lots of airports have strange and arbitrary rules about what you can travel with, particularly liquids. Consider using a clear cosmetics bag and keep all of your cosmetics in their original containers so that you are not forced to throw anything away. Also, try to get your favorite cosmetics in travel sizes so that you can keep all of your essentials with you no matter where, when, or how you travel. There are travel cosmetics bags that have zippers, pouches, and other convenient means of keeping your makeup organized. Don’t carry more than what you absolutely need, but you also don’t have to cut back on your makeup routine to travel lightly.

Arranging and Packing Electronics
All business professionals need to take electronics with them so that they can create makeshift workspaces, give presentations, and communicate with colleagues when traveling. You will undoubtedly need your mobile phone so that you can keep in contact with family and let associates know that you are en route. Laptops are necessary for accessing email, sharing files, and working on projects. Tablets and other devices might be used for storage or even to digitally sign contracts. So, how does one pack up all of these electronics for travel so that they are safe and don’t take up extra space? There is nothing wrong with popping your laptop right into a laptop bag, along with its charger, an outlet converter and a few other accessories as well. You might want to take a laptop with a lock if you don’t want to bring it onboard with you.

Being Prepared for Business
When travel makes up a big part of your job, one of your duties is to be ready for business on the go. Visit Flyporter.com to see where you are headed so that you can always be ready to go. Check flights to Toronto and other points in North America to get an idea of how long you will be on each flight, enabling you to plan your time right down to the minute. When you know where to buy your tickets, you can literally go online and have your flight booked in minutes, knowing full well that you have gotten the best deal. Even if your business enables you to write off expenses or your employer reimburses you for travel costs, it is good to know that being organized will save you money and mental energy.

Where to Keep Bags and Suitcases
While being ready to fly out with minimal notice is important for business women and men, you don’t need to live your life as if you are a traveling salesperson. Keep a suitcase packed at all times so that you don’t have to travel in a panic or go without. With an overnight bag at your office and in your car, you won’t need to stop home if you are traveling for the weekend. Consider how much travel is a part of your job and you will know all of the most ideal places to keep a suitcase.

Buying Essentials on the Fly
Not everything will be remembered, nor will you be able to remember to pack up everything you need every single time you travel. That’s okay, because most essentials can be sourced pretty easily. If you need something basic like toothpaste or a toothbrush, you can go to any drug store and pick up a spare for cheap. There are also services such as Amazon Prime that can be used to have the essentials you need for work delivered in just a day or two. So, for instance, you realize that you left a printer cord at home on your way to a different city. You might be able to get a replacement cord ordered, shipped, and waiting for you by the time you get to your hotel.

Travel light, keep your itinerary tight, and always be one step ahead in terms of planning. If you are a business professional, you are going to see a lot of hotel rooms as well as red eye flights. You might as well learn what you can live without when traveling so that you can know what the bare essentials are. Getting an e-reader might be good for someone who likes to do a lot of recreational reading. If you realize that eating out a lot impacts your weight, packing healthy snacks may be essential for you. Work may come first, but you shouldn’t neglect yourself just because travel is a big part of the job. Just have your overnight bag packed and ready to go and don’t be afraid to add another vital piece of luggage if you will be traveling for business for longer than a day or two.

Photo by Raw Pixel

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