8 Must Have Business Travel Essentials

Love it or hate it, business travel is part and parcel of a job for some of us and regularly jumping on planes to be whizzed off to countries far and wide can be exhilarating but it can also be stressful.  Making sure you are prepared and organised means you can eliminate any stress and maybe even fit in some time for sightseeing.  Here are some business travel essentials that will make your life easier and your travels stress-free!...

The ability to charge devices on the move
We often use our phones more when we travel; checking maps, calendars and emails while on the move can leave you with a drained a battery.  A pocket sized power bank can give your phone or tablet enough battery power so you don’t get stuck with a dead phone, in the middle of know where, just before your important meeting.  Power banks come in all shapes and sizes, from powerbank pens to heavy duty powerbanks that can charge your devices 7 times!

A roaming Solution
All business travellers are well aware of excessive roaming charges, but the need to stay connected when you travel is often greater.  Luckily there are roaming solutions available; you can get an international SIM card for free incoming calls and cheap calls, SMS and data, you might be able to get a decent deal with your existing provider or you can attach a Virtual Number to your SIM card and avoid roaming charges all together.  Make sure you are aware of the rates before you travel and that you have reduce data roaming usage by following these data saving tips.

Portable WiFi
Unless you want to pay for Wi-Fi in airports or anywhere else you can’t get free WiFi (or WiFi at decent speeds) take portable WiFi with you.  It means you can get online while travelling on trains and when you are out and about.  With an unlocked portable WiFi device you can use any data SIM card inside so you can make sure you always get the lowest rates. These palm sized gadgets enable you to can mean that you’re connected quickly regardless of your location.

 
Headset
This is particularly useful if your hotel, or areas you are visiting have free WiFi, you can arrange Skype meetings for business back home you need to conduct or just to connect with your loved ones. Having a headset with keep communication private if you’re in a public area and will mean the sound quality is good enough for you to hear.

A multi charger
There’s no point having technology which isn’t fully charged; this can include phones, tablets and laptops along with electric razors and hairdryers. There are only a certain number of plug sockets in any given hotel room and chances are you won’t have enough adaptor plugs for them all so a multi charger means you can charge all of your devices and items at once.  Make sure you take a universal travel adapter with USB ports so you can use no matter what country you travel to/from.

Tracking for your luggage
Losing your laptop bag or other travel accessories is a major headache, especially if you’re travelling with a work laptop. A small Treasure Tag which can be purchased online attaches to your item and then syncs to your smartphone. You can then track where your item is if it gets lost or stolen, and it only takes a standard watch battery which can last around six months.

Passbook App for your iPhone
On a business trip not only will you want to keep track of things like your boarding passes and hotel accommodation, but you’ll want to keep track of any receipts which may need reimbursing to you. The Passbook app for iPhone will compile all your paper documents in one place so you have a comprehensive paper trail of everything to do on your trip.

Suit bag
When you’re heading away on business chances are you’re going to be taking a suit away with you for those important meetings and client/ business dinners so a suit bag should be a high priority. Instead of folding or rolling your suit into your luggage pop it in a separate suit bag and take it with your hand luggage to ensure it stays crease free. Perfect if you’re not going to have time to hang it up and iron it when you land.

If you find business travel to busy and stressful, here are tips to make business travel pleasurable.