The bottom line of any business is profit, but creating a successful business isn’t just about keeping costs low. For a business to thrive you need to invest in your staff and create a working environment that inspires and empowers people.
Part of this is taking time out regularly to come together as a team to forge stronger connections and develop creative business ideas. To help you out, we’ve picked out some destination ideas for your next team-building trip that should offer just the right mix of inspiring landscapes and interesting activities.
Planning your trip
Before you pack up the laptops and vision boards and head off, you’ll need to think about the logistics of how you’re going to get there. Ideally, you’ll go somewhere within driving distance to minimize your environmental impact and it makes sense if you’re running your own business to rent one or more cars and to transport people in groups to keep costs down.
One simple way to save extra money on car rental is by picking up a Budget coupon code from Groupon. Groupon has lots of discounts and deals on Budget car rental, all updated regularly. Budget’s car range includes several larger vehicles that would be perfect for group travel – up to 15-seat passenger vans depending on your location.
Where to go
You’ve got your car rental sorted, now you just need to decide where to go. The following ideas may not be within driving distance for everybody, but they should give you some inspiration at least for the type of team-building trip you want to take and where you want to travel.
Park City, Utah
Home to the world-renowned Sundance Festival, Park City has an awful lot going on besides and would make a great destination for an active team-building trip. It’s not just about the skiing either – although the Park City Mountain Resort does have over 330 different runs – there’s much more besides. Get everyone on board the Alpine Coaster for a sled-style experience, enjoy hiking and biking, and if you do take to the slopes, make sure to stop in afterward at the High West Distillery, the only ski-in distillery in the world.
Sedona, Arizona
If you want an ‘away from it all’ vibe then Sedona is ideal – miles of unspoiled landscapes, unique red rock formations, and a very spiritual ambiance make it the ideal place to take a step back from your business and see the bigger picture. In terms of activities, there’s plenty of hiking to be done, or how about bringing in an expert yoga teacher to run some classes and guided meditations? A team scavenger hunt could also work well, complete with some orienteering and map reading challenges. You can create these yourself or there are companies who will create them for you.
New York City, New York
If you’re not keen on the Great Outdoors, how about an urban team-building trip? There are masses of opportunities for businesses in New York, from enjoying some social time taking in a show to testing your group work skills in an escape room. The Escape Game NYC offers team-building escape room packages that draw on exclusive insight from successful business leaders and include a debrief guide to help you make the most of the experience.
Napa Valley, California
If you’re celebrating closing a big deal or a landmark anniversary for your business and want to push the budget then taking your staff to Napa Valley is a great way to show them how much you value them. Enjoy stunning scenery and cooking workshops, and of course, you’ll need to have a go at wine tasting – just to get those creative juices flowing of course!
Team-building takeaways
Whether you end up locked up together in an escape room or skiing across the slopes of Utah, it’s important that you get value from your trip. It helps to set goals in advance for things you want to achieve and discuss while you’re away and to be clear about what learnings you’ve taken away. Yes, it’s a chance to have fun, but actionable outcomes are good too.
With some careful planning and a sense of adventure, you should find you come back to your desk feeling refreshed and excited for things to come.
Read More: Better You, Better Business: 4 Tips for Self-Improvement for Business Owners
