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5 Ways Business And Leisure Travel Can Help Grow Your Startup

Here's a look at five ways that travel can benefit your small business.

Though travel can be—undeniably—costly, it may be one of the most important things you can do to establish your brand. If you’re debating whether or not to buy new luggage and start checking out airfare, it may be more beneficial than you can imagine.

Positive and purposeful travel experiences can help get your business off the ground much faster than sitting at your home office desk sending emails and making phone calls.

Here’s a look at five ways that travel can benefit your business:

 

  1. Put a face with your name.

    On the Internet, you’re just a name, a photo and what you post. Building your brand online can only take you so far. When you’re trying to connect with others to help your business grow and thrive, and especially when you’re trying to exchange services, you’ll do much better  in person. Sitting with you and shaking your hand will help cultivate trust, and improve the likelihood of closing your next deal.

  2. Investigate new markets, first hand.

    If you’re offering a product or service, traveling can help you develop a plan for your expansion. Even if your startup has an eCommerce model, you can benefit from visiting key markets where your buyers are located. Gaining market intelligence and meeting with prospective partners in a local region can spark creativity, help you develop insights and more strategic growth plans.
     

    Photo: © Olga Khoroshunova
    Photo: © Olga Khoroshunova

  3. Strengthen business relationships.

    Travel makes everyone feel a little more empowered. For example, if you manage a distributed team, like Buffer, then it makes sense to travel to markets that host remote workers. Going from video conferences to coffee outings can improve team dynamics and company culture. You’ll also be able to have an open dialogue and an idea exchange that will assist you in shaping the future of your startup.

  4. Make new connections.

    Important seminars and trade shows happen across the globe. They’re so important that industry peers travel from many countries just to attend them. Attending a key industry event will give you the opportunity to network with individuals whom you may not have otherwise met. You’ll also find yourself in a better position to reinforce and build online relationships that you’ve already created.

  5. Make dollars work harder.

    You may have heard of the term “digital nomad” before. Essentially, being a digital nomad entails traveling wile managing your startup. Some lifestyle entrepreneurs and location independent founders will even insist that it’s less expensive than setting up a fully operational office.

    For example, in America food and rent costs are much higher than they are in many other countries. You may be able to rent housing, office space, and feed yourself for less than what you’d spend on rent alone if you’re based in the U.S. It’s so common that you’ll even be able to find coworking spaces – office spaces built specifically for early-stage entrepreneurs in most large cities across the globe.

    It’s also worth mentioning that a change of scenery may prevent you from feeling as though you’re burning out; a welcome break from a mundane, regular routine.

 

This article has been edited and condensed.

Will Norquay is a frequent business traveller who shares his experiences and thoughts writing for Stayz, Australia’s #1 holiday rental website. Connect with @stayz on Twitter.

 

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