Part of managing your business involves going to considerable lengths to ensure that your company is getting the exposure it needs. Sometimes, these great lengths mean going great distances. While long distance journeys, to expos, meetings, and putting your face out there can be incredibly stressful, it can be a necessary evil you have to overcome to grow your business. What can you do to make the most of your business travel without making yourself and your business unwell as a result?
The Physical Act Of Traveling
It’s necessary that we go far and wide when we’ve hit a certain point in our business, to ensure that we are maximizing the impact of it and striking while the iron is hot. This means a lot of nights in hotels, and a lot of traveling in a physical sense. While we tend to go for the cheapest option, usually the car, we may find ourselves struggling with the balance of maintaining our business, but also maintaining a normal life. This could very well mean a lot of late nights on the freeway, so we can get home to our loved ones.
While the roads at night are considerably quieter, this doesn’t always mean travel is particularly smooth. This is time you can’t spend working on your business, or resting up to regain energy to take on the next day. And in the worst care scenario, should you be injured in an accident while driving under exhaustive conditions, this could bring your business to an immediate standstill. While there are specific lawyers that can help you in terms of these issues, (even an 18 wheeler truck accident lawyer, a very niche law practice indeed!) we have to face the fact that we are responsible for our own safety when we’re driving with some sense of impairment and fatigue.
Balancing Travel with Virtual Meetings
Like anything in life, it takes balance. In this case, we’re talking about tempering your travel for face-to-face meetings with virtual communication like conference calls and video calls. Not every scenario is the right fit for a virtual meeting, but when it can replace long and inefficient travel, it’s worth seeing if it is an option. In many ways, our health can take a backseat to our company. And while the work-life balance debate continues infinitely, only you know the best way to balance out your specific lifestyle.
Ultimately, running a business means that you will face many challenges and trade-offs in terms of stress and anxiety, and a lot of this can be the result of grueling travel. The impact of long-distance business journeys has been written elsewhere, and, unsurprisingly, it’s incredibly bad for our health. The best thing you can do is know your limits and allow them to dictate what is a reasonable amount of travel days per month.
What it all really boils down to is everyone has a different threshold for travel. Some thrive in this environment while others are severely taxed by the effort. You need to understand where you fall on this spectrum and weigh the income opportunities travel may bring against the risks this could cause your business and you personally.
