Hack your business travel: 28 entrepreneurs share their best tips
Running your own business means never sitting still, both figuratively and literally. So we asked Australian entrepreneurs for their top business travel tips.
Running your own business means never sitting still, both figuratively and literally.
Whether it’s flying between Australian cities or travelling to the other side of the world, Aussie entrepreneurs know how to do business on the go.
So we asked members of our community of business owners, leaders and entrepreneurs for their top travel tips.
From what to eat and pack, to where to stay and more, these high-flyers were more than generous with their advice — including talent acquisition specialist Mitch King, who shared this amusing guide to taking work trips in your 40s, and Inventium founder Amantha Imber, who has seven top tips to follow.
Keep this list handy when planning your next trip.
Phoebe Netto, managing director of Pure Public Relations
“Bring work that you can do, or reading, that doesn’t require a device so you can work when your device is not available. Bring your electronic chargers. Bring electrolyte powder to add to your water on the plane so you arrive more energised, hydrated and refreshed. Air pods in your ears – even if not listening to something, if you want to avoid conversations while you work on the plane!
“Finally, a 20-30 minute power nap is made possible and more restorative if you listen to binaural beats, so have them loaded on your device so they will play even without internet.”
Dickie Currer, founder of Hype Man
“One: order a cup of ice right as the airplane is about to land and rub your eyes with it. They dry out on the plane and this will bring them back to life.
“Two: I carry miniature chewing gum, face cream, aftershave and hair gel on me everywhere I go so I can reapply throughout the day.
“Three: sleeper trains for long distances. They’re more chill than airplanes and you can get internet — it’ll force you to do some deep work. Plus, working from a sleeper feels like you’re working in bed!”
Karan Anand, managing director at Hnry
“See if you can status match before booking on a non-alliance airline. Getting access to premium boarding and lounges makes a huge difference when travelling for work. Even status matching for an airline that is an alliance member of the airline you’re booking for helps as you get the alliance benefits (eg I’ve status matched to Platinum for Garuda Indonesia in order to access the lounge with Delta Airlines). I also use ExpertFlyer to work out capacity for bid upgrades.”
“Ask for what they have decanted at the Qantas first lounge in Sydney. They may offer you the stuff they reserve only for the Chairman’s Lounge or First-Class flyers (including Grange) sometimes.”
Sarah Neill, founder and CEO of Mys Tyler
“When prepping for a trip that involves a time zone change I’ll manually change the settings of my calendar to the destination time zone so I can see my schedule and know I’m booking in meetings for the right time (the alternative is a bunch of 2am meetings the day prior which can get really confusing).
“WeWork is fantastic when traveling. If you pay for a month’s membership, you get a keycard and can book any location from midnight to midnight, so even if you have a 4am conference call (it happens), you can access a quiet space with quality Wi-Fi. It’s also a great way to meet people during normal business hours.
“I travel to the US a lot, so I use the e-sim functionality on my iPhone that allows me to have a second sim. I use Mint Mobile which has a very affordable 12-month plan. It means that when I’m in the US I’m using local data, and can make/receive local calls, while still having access to my Australian number.”
Sally Branson Dalwood, founder of The Sally Branson Consulting Group
“If you’re travelling to the same place regularly, find somewhere to stay you like, that suits your needs and stick to it. This way you don’t have to spend any extra time getting to know the place, where the nearest and best coffee is, where to get a good breakfast close by, how the Wi-Fi works, and if the iron is good! Helpful if it’s got an area to meet in or work from, like a nice lobby.
“This year I’ve packed a mini travel kit of a second pair of toiletries and contact lens stuff so I don’t have to pack, unpack, pack, unpack.
“And find a good carry-on — one that rolls well and doesn’t stick. A proper, not pretend, carry-on (you know, a life-size suitcase that people pretend is carry-on) and take the time to learn how to pack it.”
Scott Mendelsohn, owner of Natural Raw C
“The best travel tip was joining IHG Ambassador Club.
“For $200-odd this gets me late checkout at 4pm, check-in anytime (if the room is available), a room upgrade, free Wi-Fi, extra points that can be used for booking rooms, discounted rates, skip the check-in line, a free stay over the weekend each year, free water & US$20 food credit.
“It’s amazing value and the early check-in and late check-out is worth it. There’s a great range of hotels, from Holiday Inn to the InterContinental.”
Sarah Moran, co-founder of Girl Geek Academy and chief operating officer at PatientNotes
“If you’re loyal to an airline and can get ‘fly ahead’, book the last flight. Go to the airport when you’re ready and get on the first flight you can get a seat on.
“Last flight is often a cheaper ticket, and if you decide to extend that meeting with a client into a dinner you can still make your flight.
“It saves time and money and stress. Worst case is you’re spending longer in the lounge and can catch up on work before the flight.”
Gordon Campbell, co-founder and chief customer officer of Rich Data Co
“Over the last 12 months Rich Data Co focused on its expansion to the North American market – and as a result, I had the ‘pleasure’ of multiple trips to the US and living away from home for almost four months. There are three must haves for me:
“In-ear noise cancelling headphones/ear buds. I had survived with over-ear headphone (which I still love) – but for helping to sleep on planes, trains, and in noisy cities like NYC I find in-ear allow you to lay on the side of your head. An unsponsored recommendation is BOSE-QuietComfort Earbuds.
“For longer trips, you often end up basing yourself somewhere and day tripping for customer and prospect meetings. To streamline the airport experience, a good carry-on bag is essential, and inside I have my baby set of toiletries that meet the carry-on rules – and have ones I can top up from my larger kit that I travel with.
“Try unique things to each city you arrive into, experiences that give you an interesting talking point with locals and people in your network, and that may spur others to try and research, such as local sports or sights. During my recent travels to San Francisco, I tried Waymo, one of the first autonomous ride hailing services – yes, it self-drives and uses AI machine learning! I also enjoyed a trip to Niagara Falls as part of my travels and fit in a baseball game watching the Buffalo Bisons when I was in Buffalo, New York.”
Samantha Dybac, founder and CEO of The PR Hub
“I travel at least once per month for business interstate and have been overseas twice this year for business.
“I practice Vedic meditation which involves meditating two times per day, for 20 minutes each time, sitting comfortably upright with my back supported and eyes closed. On a normal day this requires discipline in my routine to make the time but when I am traveling for business the level of discipline steps up a notch to ensure I don’t miss a session.
“The beauty of Vedic meditation is that it can be done anywhere so I can be creative with where I meditate to ensure I don’t miss out. I meditate in Ubers/taxis where I know the travel time is sufficient, on the plane, during lunch time breaks when attending conferences, and sometimes in the back corner of a cafe where I let the staff know and they know not to ask me if I need another coffee or tea.
“I also prioritise my fitness while traveling to boost my energy and overcome any travel fatigue. I always make sure I either choose a hotel with a great gym or do my research in advance and find a local gym nearby where I can do a casual visit first thing in the morning.”
Harry Sanders, founder of StudioHawk
“My two tips that I use when traveling around half the year (or more) are:
“1. Having a bag ready to go. If you have a bag that’s always packed (duplicates of chargers, toothbrush, toiletries) so you don’t have to unpack and repack essentials; and
“2. Everything needs to have its home. Designate where certain items go in your bag, so that anything that does need to go in/out can easily be swapped without having to pull out everything.”
Brooke Roberts, co-founder and CEO of Sharesies
“I pack a small portable speaker when I travel – love to listen to my music in the hotel room.
“Do what you can to pack carry-on only. I have only just started mastering this recently but now without the need to get liquids and laptops out it so much easier to make sure my liquids are 100ml or less and to be a master of carry-on only travel. So much more efficient!
“I use the Claudia tote by Yu Mei when I travel, which has a sweet-as pocket that enables it to slip over a suitcase handle so I don’t have to carry it. It means I always easily have one arm fully free when travelling
“And always have a pen close to your passport. Declarations are becoming online now but seem to still need a pen, so it’s handy to have with your passport wallet or where you keep your passport.”
Shil Shanghavi, public speaking and storytelling specialist
“I time my sleep, especially for international flights with six hour plus time differences. It means staying awake or sleeping at odd times! It was difficult to do when I started the practice, however, now it’s a routine which always syncs my body clock to wherever I am travelling to.”
Mia Fileman, founder of Campaign Del Mar
“I just got back from nine months abroad where I was running my business and I had a traveling office that could fit into a July backpack:
- MacBook Pro
- Two Rode microphones
- keyboard, mouse, cables, charger, dongle
- notebook
- headphones
“I always carried it as hand luggage and it meant I could set up ‘shop’ anywhere and everywhere.
“Also, Savvy Time Converter was a saviour.”
Steve Hui, founder of iFLYflat
“My evergreen ultimate travel hack for business owners is: earn millions of points from paying business expenses, use points to get Business Class flights for less than half-retail prices, and repeat. You never need to fly economy again — that tips solves a million travel problems in one swoop.”
Carolyn Stebbing, founder and director at Little Village Creative
“I have packing list ‘templates’ for different trips (eg interstate day trips vs say, a longer stay at a conference). It helps me remember things like chargers, the right number of contact lenses, medication etc. So nerdy, but perfect for an ADHD founder like me!”
Michel Hogan, brand counsel, writer and speaker
“Carry a lightweight wrap that can double as a throw and folds up small. I have a favourite lightweight wool/cashmere one that I always travel with. It’s snuggly when planes get too cold, easier than a sweater to put away and stylish as a scarf no matter the climate I’m visiting.
“Also, I have a travel music playlist. Mostly instrumental, meditation or calming. I’ve listened to it for years so it is familiar and helps reduce stress — especially while people are boarding and there’s lots of activity around me in that confined space.”
Trent Milvain, chief operating officer at Law Squared
“Save a list of your essential items you need on your phone to make packing easier and eliminate the need to think.”
Steph Clarke, futurist
“When you’re doing long-haul, take all of your own food onto planes so that you can start eating at the right time for your final destination, not at whatever time the crew feed you. This is a massive hack for avoiding jet lag, as when you eat is also connected to your circadian rhythm. Oats sachets, fruit, vegetables, powdered noodles/soups are all pretty travel friendly options. Take a keep cup for making some of those up in.
“Also, get an eSIM to avoid the total rort that is roaming charges/packages from mobile providers. On a lot of phones now you can run more than one sim, so you can have your Australian sim still active at the same time.”
Deepak Singh, consultant and fractional head of people experiences
“If travelling regularly apply for an APEC travel card. It will save you a lot of time with visas, visa lines, customs and more queuing.”
Nataleigh Elzein, founder of Pinch Studios
“Get a chargers organiser from Belkin. Instead of using the chargers you have at home, purchase doubles so it never leaves your carry-on. The amount of time it saves — and I never forget a charger, powerbank, camera SD cards or headphones!”
Oliver Budgen, CEO of Bud
“My advice is to pack salt and pepper.
“When I’m on a business trip for more than two nights, I usually try to book a serviced apartment with a kitchen, so I can cook my meals and better control my diet. It’s fun shopping for groceries in a new city and helps me feel more settled.
“But there’s nothing more annoying than getting back after a long day and realising I have to buy a whole new salt shaker and pepper mill for a three-day trip.
“Bring your own salt and pepper. You may attract some strange questions at airport security, but it’s worth it.”
Sophie Venz, writer and founder of Never Make Your Bed Incorporated
“I travelled Europe for 10 weeks straight while working full time with only one backpack. These travel compression storage bags saved my life, time and time again. I refuse to talk to anyone about practical packing strategies if they don’t use these.”
Ryan Walker, former head of product at Startmate
“One: bring a multi-board from home. [It] saves having multiple travel adaptors or switching what you’re charging as you only need one travel adaptor to plug in. We use a cube-shaped one to save space
“Two: bring resistance Bands for workouts. It’s hard to have reliable access to gyms but getting some bands, plus this video, is all we need.”
“Three: bring a HDMI cord and optional adaptor. Self-explanatory, but it is a must to be able to watch TV anywhere you go.”
Nim De Swardt, founder of RE-CONNECT
“I got these connectable stackable jars for spices in the kitchen section and they are so brilliant for toiletries. My toiletries bag has reduced in size by 70% and they don’t leak. Perfect for carry-on.”
Jacqueline Jayne, cybersecurity expert
“Here are my cyber travel tips:
- Don’t use free Wi-Fi anywhere as it’s not secure. Get yourself a virtual private network (VPN) to safely use Wi-Fi;
- Invest in a portable charger (unfortunately cybercriminals can install malicious software in charging ports that can be transferred to your phone or device); and
- Never leave your device unlocked and invest in privacy screens.”
David Perks, founder of Pay Compliment
“Book a hotel that is a 15-20 minute walk from the office/meeting place if you can. That walk will make you more focused at the start of day and reflective at the end of it, as well as creating a divide between the workplace and your own space.”
Miriam Deliva, founder and director of Press Run
“If you’re travelling with domestic, pay the extra carry-on fee so you can exit faster.
“Carry extra clear plastic zip locks for things and to put your phone in — hang this in the tray and you can watch shows from your phone. And download movies and series on Netflix or show apps earlier so you have things to watch.
“Have a separate skincare kit for travel if you’re doing the extra baggage and carry-on only approach. I buy the Drunk Elephant Littles for example! And always travel with a pharmacist kit: mine has bandaids, eye drops, hydralyte, buscopan, charcoal tablets, throat spray, lozenges and ArmaForce, and pain killers.”
Giulia Cian Seren, founder of Juicy Pickles
“Book the special meal so you eat before everyone else does, and then you can spend the rest of your flight sleeping or working.”
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