Your business trip isn’t a vacation, but that doesn’t mean it has to be all work and no play. What are you going to do when your business meeting is over and your flight isn’t until the morning? Check out the nightlife, of course. But beware – you’re still on company time, so remember these do’s and don’ts.
Photo Credit: charlottepurdy
DO Go Out with the People You Know
You’re on a business trip – whether you’re attending a meeting or a conference, your primary objective is to do business. It doesn’t mean you can’t have any fun, but if you go out on the town alone, you could miss a good opportunity to continue networking or close the deal. It’s always more fun, anyway, to go out with a friend rather than try to make a new one.
DON’T Overdo It
You should enjoy your night, but you shouldn’t go crazy. You’re on a business trip, not personal, and anything you do will reflect on your company or determine your networking success. Don’t drink too much or do any other risky behavior. You might embarrass yourself, and if you get in trouble, your boss will be the one you’ll have to call to bail you out.DO Relax and Have Fun
DO Relax and Have Fun
Staying in your hotel room working is probably the worst thing you can do on your business trip. It’s a trip, after all, so get out there and have a good time. Drink a little, dance a little, and mingle. You’ve been working hard, and you deserve it.
DON’T Hook Up
It’s an unfortunate fact that sometimes businessmen cheat on their wives while they’re away. Meeting a random person in a far-away city means little likelihood of word getting back home, so it seems like a good chance. But don’t do it – you never know who that random person you meet out really is or what the ramifications could be (no pun intended).
DO Check Out the Local Scene
One of the benefits of going on business trips is that you get to visit a lot of new cities and towns across the country (or even the world, you lucky son of a gun). Don’t waste an opportunity to check out the local scene and attractions. Have dinner at the best restaurant in town; visit the hottest nightclub; find a swanky little lounge with a jazz band playing. Whatever you do, get a taste of the atmosphere – the nightlife is always unique wherever you go.
DON’T Run Up Your Company Tab
Another perk of business trips – they’re all paid for by your company. You can probably use the company credit card to take your colleagues out to dinner, for example, and you can probably get away with using it for a few drinks while you’re out on the town. But don’t spend too much – now isn’t the time to buy ten bottles of Dom in the VIP section. You may be having fun then, but when you get home, your boss will probably dispute your need for quite so much champagne.
About the Author: Jared Grant is a writer and travel agent who works with luxury Bahamas resorts. He loves to write about travel and all the various things to do while on business trips.