It’s not uncommon for entrepreneurs to want to meet with VCs in a destination geography when they’re in town for business meetings or conferences. It makes sense to get more out of a business trip. While this is generally a smart strategy, trying to schedule your VC meetings at the last minute will likely lead to missed opportunities.

It’s important to understand that sending an investor an email stating that your team will be in town in a few days and would like to meet is not a practical strategy. There are two key reasons for this. First, VCs generally keep a busy schedule and might be booked a few weeks out. Second, VCs will often want to screen your business plan or have an initial phone conversation prior to agreeing to meet with your team. This additional step in the process may add days or even weeks to the process depending on how busy they are.

Inevitably there are times when the business trip is planned at the last minute. There may be little that you can do to contact investors early. If you do know you are going to be making a business trip and want to meet with investors, however, engage them as soon as possible.