By Dawn Haynes
Even if regular business travel is the nature of the beast for you, travel during the summer months seems to kick into high gear as a whole as many of us set aside special time during this season to vacation, attend conferences, or engage in other activities that we might not otherwise be able to enjoy any other time of year. The following are a few tips to help ensure a safer travel experience for you:
Before You Leave
- Make sure you have someone collect your mail and newspapers for you while you are gone or temporarily suspend these services.
- Inform at least one family member or friend of your travel itinerary that includes hotel information, transportation information, and phone numbers. Establish a plan to check in regularly and follow through.
- Make sure that they also have copies of all of your important documents (passport, visa, driver’s license, plane tickets, rental car license plate, etc.)
- Consider purchasing traveler’s insurance.
Hotel Safety
- Reserve a room that’s above the 1st floor but below the 6th floor. First floor rooms are easier to break into and rooms above the sixth floor are sometimes too high for fire ladders to reach.
- If you’re staying in a motel where doors open directly to the outside (rather than a hallway), see if you can get a room overlooking an interior courtyard instead of a parking lot.
- Don’t let the front desk attendant publicize your room number. If they announce it aloud when giving you your key, ask for a different room.
- While you’re at the front desk, ask what phone number you should dial in case of emergency. Is there a direct line to the hotel security?
If You Are Traveling Abroad, Don’t Be Branded a Tourist
- Do an image search on the Internet to see how people who live in your destination dress and follow suit. Avoid relying on the images found in tourist brochures of guidebooks.
- When in doubt, consider buying clothes at your destination (at a local store, not a gift or souvenir shop).
Protect Your Location on Social Media Sites
- Sharing too much information about your location on your social media accounts may endanger your safety and invite a potential burglary in your absence.
- Adjust your privacy settings and use discretion when checking in on social media sites.
- Consider delaying posting all the photos and videos of your trip until you return.
- Also, forgo using mobile apps to check in at various locations.
Using these simple strategies will not only ensure a safer travel experience but will also help you avoid any unpleasant surprises upon your return. Wishing you continued small business success—safely!
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Dawn Haynes, the Toolbox Diva ™, is the CEO (Chief Empowerment Officer) of 2EmpowerU, (formerly Fight or Flight Self Defense). You can contact Dawn by email at dawn@2empowerU.net, by phone at 713-298-6301, or visit her website at www.2empowerU.net
