Multiple reasons exist that may push you to travel overseas with your startup for the first time. This doesn’t necessarily mean you’re scaling internationally and looking to open a new branch – it could be that you (and a few other members of staff) will represent your startup at a global event. Perhaps you’re heading out to visit suppliers or a manufacturing plant in another country; the possibilities will continue to stack up.
The reason behind your first overseas adventure doesn’t matter all that much. Instead, the big focus is on knowing how to manage things when you travel and represent your business for the first time. It may not seem like a big deal, but when you look through the considerations below, you realize just how important it is to be prepared.
Carry Out Cultural Research
There used to be an excellent HSBC advert on TV that demonstrated the differences in cultures all over the world. This advert showed someone traveling in a foreign country and making what they deemed to be a friendly hand gesture to locals. It transpired that this gesture was considered extremely rude in that culture, so the person in the advert was basically insulting everyone when they thought they were being kind.
Aside from being a funny advert, this perfectly represents one of your biggest concerns when traveling for business purposes: what if you accidentally insult the local people?
It’s bad enough if you do this on your own, but the impact is worse when you represent your startup. Doing the wrong things – or forgetting to do important cultural things – can ruin your business’s reputation before it has a chance to solidify. This is exactly what you want to avoid, especially if you’re traveling to try to gain international partners or suppliers.
So, carry out all the necessary cultural research to learn how you should behave in the country you’re visiting. Don’t forget to also research the general business culture here; certain things may be expected from businesses or corporate people in one country that you’d never even think to do in your country.
At the end of the day, it’s all about avoiding a terrible faux pas that ruins the trip and scuppers your startup’s chances of ticking off your goals.
Don’t Neglect Safety & Risk Management
You can easily forget about safety and security when planning your first business trip. From your perspective, why would you need to consider this when you’re just a small startup? Nobody knows who you are, so you shouldn’t face security risks…right?
Not necessarily.
You see, it’s more dependent on where you’re going and the possible security or safety risks that country/city presents. As an extreme example, if you travel to a war-torn country, you should expect serious security concerns. You may also discover that your type of business isn’t always welcome in a country – or, more commonly, people could protest a particular event that you’re attending.
All of these issues present security problems, which is why you can’t neglect this side of business travel. Look into executive protection services so a team can analyze the situation for you and draw up the necessary safety/security procedures. Your safety is always important when traveling anywhere, but it takes on more significance when you represent your business.
What happens to your company if you’re kidnapped or involved in a major security problem while away? Everything you’ve worked for could go up in smoke, not to mention dozens of people lose their jobs. You must take this seriously, so plan the security details before your trip.
Always Set Clear Goals Before Traveling
Speaking of planning things before your trip, you should have a clear idea of what you hope to accomplish. This isn’t a leisurely vacation; it’s a business trip. Therefore, you should always have goals in mind to make it worthwhile. This also gives you a sense of purpose during your trip, so you don’t lose sight of why you’re there – a lack of goals is how business trips spiral out of control and become unproductive.
Your goals will depend on the main reasons for your trip, for example:
- If you’re attending an event or conference, your main goal could be to network and acquire contact details from other businesses.
- If you’re looking to expand your offices, your key goal could be to obtain a list of potential properties to bid for.
- If you’re trying to strike up deals with suppliers, your biggest goal is to leave with a signed contract.
Goals give you a direction to move in, and they also help you plan your trip and figure out what to do to achieve these goals. They’re also a great measuring stick, so you can see how successful the trip was. If you return home with all of your goals achieved, then you know it was a fantastic mission. Conversely, if you go home in the exact same place as when you left, then you must rethink your approach for the next trip.
Plan For Any Jet Lag
Lastly, those of you who will travel across many countries and continents may have to deal with jet lag. This can be painful – but it can also ruin your business trip before it really begins. So, plan for this. You know jet lag will be a thing before you travel, so plan the trip around this so it doesn’t become an issue.
Set out a few days before so you have time to acclimatize and get used to the new timezone. Sure, it means your trip is slightly more expensive, but it also means you’ll meet with prospective clients or partners without feeling extremely tired. Take the right steps to plan around this problem, and it no longer becomes a problem.
So, if you’re thinking about traveling overseas for business purposes, and this is the first time you’re doing it with your startup, then be sure to keep these considerations in mind. They’ll help you plan a better trip that’s safer and more productive than ever before.