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Being a consultant is tough enough, but even more when you constantly have to move from place to place to meet clients. You have to adapt to new business climates, countries, and cultures all the time. You also have to be ready for emergencies and meet deadlines even if you’re halfway across the globe. It takes a special type of person to survive in this field, but the right set of tools as well. Here are some essential tips for traveling consultants.
Make it Easy for People to Pay You
As a consultant, you have to make sure that you make things as easy as possible for people who want to pay you. It can be tricky working with cross-currency payments and banks tend to charge high fees for sending and receiving money in a different currency.
It often makes sense to use an international transfer service instead. Most people are familiar with these and they’re available in virtually every country and territory in the world. Many services even have apps to make life easier, such as the Ria Money Transfer App.
Get the Right Card
If you’re traveling on your dime, we would suggest that you get yourself a good business credit card. Some will give you tons of benefits such as access to a private lounge, discount on lodging, and much more. Shop around and find one that fits your needs and has a deal for new signees.
Look at Travel Insurance
You also have to make sure that you invest in travel insurance. This can protect you in case you have a medical emergency or if your stuff gets stolen or lost. However, it’s very important that you look over the terms and what’s included.
Most travel insurance policies have exclusions, and you want to know the exclusions before you sign up for the policy. For example, acts of God like hurricanes and a volcanic eruption may disrupt your vacation, but they’re probably not covered by your travel insurance. Most policies won’t cover anything that happens when you’re drunk or under the influence of drugs.
Travel insurance typically won’t cover acts of war, terrorism, or an uprising. Some policies simplify the matter by saying you’re not covered if you’re going to a high-risk country. A good rule of thumb is that your insurance won’t cover it if your government warns against going there.
Exclusions are a serious issue when it comes to travel health insurance. For example, many travel health insurance plans will not cover pre-existing medical conditions. You may be able to make up for it by buying an add-on policy specifically for those pre-existing conditions.
It may be cheaper to buy a business travel insurance policy rather than a vacation one.
You can sign up for travel insurance on a per-trip basis or on an annual basis. If you’re planning on several trips in a given year, an annual policy may be the best deal. However, they typically have a maximum duration per trip, so make sure that you know this first.
Follow these tips if you want to be as efficient as possible as a consultant when traveling. This will allow you to avoid major issues and facilitate the logistics.
