Taking your business global can translate into lots of travel.
Unfortunately, braving long lines at the airport, chasing lost
luggage and enduring bland in-flight meals are only half the
challenge. There are foreign languages and customs that must be
understood before your new partners sign on the dotted line--never
mind all the paperwork worries: passports, visas and other
documents you need in order to do business in a foreign land.
How do you keep your head when you're on the road? Here are
15 tips:
1. Avoid hot spots. They're everywhere you
don't want to be. "Know which cities are safe to
walk around in at night," advises Atlanta media consultant and
business traveler James Caruso. Check with the government's
Consular Information Sheets and the U.S. Centers for Disease
Control to steer clear of any dangerous areas.
- Insider tip:Private organizations such as
Kroll Associates (800-824-7502) also offer reports on global hot
spots.
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2. Know your airlines. Code-sharing can confuse even
the most seasoned travelers. This is when your ticket is issued
through one carrier, but the flight is shared with another carrier,
and may even use the other airline's plane. This usually
doesn't make a lot of difference unless you're counting on
a particular service or amenity. For example, you might pack a
power adaptor that fits the outlets on a U.S. carrier but end up on
its European code-share partner without the correct plug. Or, if
you're counting on a favorite meal on a particular flight, you
might have to go without.
Another downside to code-sharing is that sometimes there are
dramatic price differences between tickets for the same flight.
Terry Trippler, a consumer advocate with 1travel.com, a bargain
travel Web site, found that for one particular flight, a ticket
that cost $1,050 if you bought it through Continental was just $209
if you bought it through code-share partner Northwest.
3. Phone home first. Rent a cell phone before you
leave. Depending on which country you're traveling to, using a
rented cell phone is probably less expensive than using the phones
at your hotel. Checking with an expert before you leave will also
ensure you'll have the right cellular for the country
you're in.
- Insider tip:Most of Europe and Asia is on the
GSM (global system for mobile communications) network, and their
phones operate on a frequency that is incompatible with the
majority of U.S. mobile phones.
4. Use the Web. The Internet is an excellent
resource for business intelligence. Whether it's a pre-trip
briefing using financial data from a service such as Dow Jones
Interactive or a random Internet search for the best restaurants in
an international city, logging on beforehand can help prevent
problems. "You'll know what to do before you get
there," says Malcolm Kaufman, president of online business
travel service http://www.ontheroad.com The Internet is also
a must-have tool for making lightning-fast airline, hotel and car
rental bookings when your travel agent is unavailable.
5. Brush up on the language. New programs can help
you learn to speak like a native. Berlitz Passport to 31 Languages,
a CD-ROM tutorial that helps you grasp the essential elements of 31
major languages, is a great crash course. With the help of a
microphone plugged in to your PC, the multi-CD set compares your
speech to that of a native and lets you hone your pronunciation
until you sound like you fit in. The set costs about $30.
- Insider tip:For more in-depth language study,
Berlitz also offers CDs that teach you a single language.
6. Hedge your bets. Offset the risks of travel with
adequate insurance. Traveling may be expensive, but insurance to
protect you and your business in case you get sick on the road
generally isn't. Figure on spending about $100 per year for the
most comprehensive coverage. "People often don't buy
insurance, and then they get hit with a large bill--anywhere from
$30,000 to $50,000--if they need to be airlifted out of a country
and brought back to the United States for medical attention,"
says Jeffrey G. Jones, director of the Traveler's Health Center
at St. Francis Hospital and Health Centers in Indianapolis.
- Insider tip:Insuring your entire company or
family is often cheaper than buying coverage for an
individual.
7. Get your shots. This will keep you from getting
sick on the road and having to use that travelers' insurance.
Researching a country's endemic diseases is extremely
important, says Bruce Taylor, manager of clinical services for
online pharmacist Soma.com. "Because certain immunizations
require more than one dosage to ensure effectiveness, travelers
should allow at least 30 days before their trip to secure all
necessary shots or medications."
- Insider tip:If you've never been a
frequent flier, it's a good idea to see your doctor for a
checkup, even if you're traveling to a well-developed
country.
8. Pack like a pro. If you're going to live out of
your suitcase, at least make it livable. Buy a durable carry-on
bag, and invest in industrial-strength luggage. Never put all your
important travel documents in a single bag; spread the risk among
all your luggage. Bob Morgan, a professor emeritus at Gardner-Webb
University in Boiling Springs, North Carolina, and a seasoned
business traveler, suggests folding shirts and blouses into
gallon-size freezer bags. "They won't get as wrinkled as
they would be if you just folded them and put them in your
suitcase," he says.
- Insider tip:Stuff your socks in your shoes.
It conserves space.
9. Stay sane on the plane. Don't board a flight
without the following items: a carry-on bag packed with a sleeping
mask, earplugs, saline solution (if you wear contact lenses),
moisturizer, lip balm, pain reliever, bottled water, a snack and,
of course, something to keep you busy (a book or paperwork). Cabin
air is bone dry, so above all, don't leave out the liquids,
warns Ron Welding of the Air Transport Association. "Drink
lots of fluids," he advises. "And stay away from caffeine
and alcohol." They both dehydrate you.
- Insider tip:Try noise-canceling headphones.
They really work.
10. Behave. International airlines are cracking down on
passengers who misbehave. Virgin Atlantic Airways chairman Richard
Branson has supported a plan to blacklist potentially dangerous
"air rage" passengers from flights, and Vereinigung
Cockpit E.V., the German pilots' association, recently
suggested parceling out nicotine gum to smokers who get cut off
from their cigarettes. The group also wants to limit the number of
alcoholic drinks served to passengers.
- Insider tip:Book a seat next to the bulkhead,
where there's less chance of an in-flight incident.
11. Get connected. Don't suffer without e-mail
while you're on the road. A few years ago, you could afford to
take a break from your inbox but no longer. The Europe Access Pack
from 1-800-Batteries all but guarantees you'll make a
connection. The package includes 20 telephone adaptors and six
grounded power adaptors, plus an in-line telephone coupler, a
modular dual telephone adaptor, a two-line adaptor and an RJ11
retractable phone cable. Use them anywhere from Austria to Russia.
The whole kit costs $230.
- Insider tip:Too thrifty to buy the package?
Pack a screwdriver and make the connections yourself. (You'll
want to practice before you leave.)
12. Stay connected. Make sure your laptop remains in
peak condition during your trip. Symantec's Mobile Essentials
2.0, for instance, is a nifty application that helps you connect to
the Internet while you're away from the office. It handles
complex and time-consuming tasks, such as troubleshooting, with
ease and reduces your setup time significantly. At a cost of about
$70, the current release will probably save you lots of
headaches.
- Insider tip:A little know-how will make these
kinds of programs unnecessary. However, if time is short,
they're indispensable.
13. Remember your ATM card. Accepted in nearly every
major international city, ATM cards are safer than carrying cash
and less cumbersome than travelers' checks. "Using credit
cards or ATM cards also helps you avoid the sky-high commissions
banks charge to exchange your currency," says Paolo
Mantegazza, president and CEO of tour operator Globus & Cosmos.
In addition, he notes, ATM cards can help save you money by
securing that day's exchange rate and allowing you to withdraw
exactly the currency you need.
- Insider tip:Your bank can furnish you with a
list of locations where your ATM card will be accepted.
14. Don't worry about the euro. You won't
notice much of a change--for now. Travelers heading to Europe
shouldn't give a second thought to the new currency being used
in paperless transactions. "While the euro will mean
significant changes in Europe, for business travelers using
[credit] cards, it'll be business as usual," assures Mike
Sherman of Visa International. He says his company's payment
system has been handling euro transactions since January. For all
intents and purposes, he says, the process of paying in euros on a
credit card is now seamless.
- Insider tip:Euro notes and coins won't be
in circulation until 2002.
15. Don't forget the chambers of commerce. There are
85 U.S. Chambers of Commerce around the world that can help make
your international trips successful. "The chambers of commerce
offer a number of insights and services for companies that want to
go global," says John Howard of the U.S. Chambers of Commerce.
The chambers will help a U.S. business owner get settled in his or
her new country and give start-ups advice on everything from
customs to the business climate. Call (800) 649-9719 for more
information.
- Insider tip:A U.S. Chamber of Commerce is
often an entrepreneur's first contact in a foreign city. The
community of expatriates found there often becomes a de facto
social club for travelers.
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