Whenever there is business travel, be it local travel, state, or International you can suddenly find yourself in immediate need of money or credit. You may have a line of credit in the form of merchant cash solutions, but you need to have access to your funds on the road, too. Lost or stolen wallets, purses, credit cards, checkbooks and especially having no money can totally ruin your business plans. It happens to us all, and seems to happen the more importance the travel holds for us. You can prepare against that contingency. Most people won’t, because it never happens, right? You know it does happen. Are you really prepared?

Local Travel

Local solutions are usually easy. But, what do you do with a car breakdown and a lost, forgotten or broken cell? Keep extra money in an account or have access to immediate lines of credit set up through a credit card or payday loan to help pay for emergencies without delay. The farther away you go, the more important the backup solutions become.

State Travel

Guard your wallet, your cash, credit cards and checkbook with your life. Plan for a backup. An extra checkbook or usable credit card, and additional identification, like a passport, in your hotel safe plus photocopies elsewhere, for example can be a savior; having those phone numbers with area and local contacts may also be of help. One or two friends in the area who are alerted and prepared for your visit are nice backstops for emergencies.

International Travel

This can get complicated and require planning ahead.

• Network – Friends or associates who have recently traveled, travel agencies, local banks, your library and the Internet are your quickest and best resources on tips for getting cash overseas.
• Currency – You will need to know and understand the currency of any country you’ll visit. The Internet can show you pictures and explain the values. Pay attention and understand the conversion value. Try to get a feel for the local value too. How much does bread or the hotel cost?  A currency converter can be a huge help, especially if you are traveling through several countries. Decide on how much cash, how many credit cards; think about using letters of credit for long stays.
• Credit and ATM cards -Take only those credit and ATM cards with the most worldwide access. Call the credit card company and tell them you are traveling so they don’t stop strange transactions overseas due to a potential fraud alert.
• Other options - Explore ideas like prepaid credit cards and other options. Your bank or travel agent may be helpful in understanding the possibilities available for your trip, like traveler’s checks.
• Documentation – Record all phone numbers and local contacts for emergencies. Have several copies made of important documents, like passports, and keep them in different places in case the passport itself gets stolen.

The way to prepare for emergencies is by expecting one. If everything goes well with or without any emergency, you want to be prepared.