How to Avoid Overspending on Business Travel
Business travel comes with expenses, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find ways to cut a few corners. The following guide can help prevent employees from overspending during business travels.
Smart Accommodations
The right accommodations can not only provide a great place to rest but also ensure that your employees don’t spend too much. The problem is that most people end up staying in regular hotel rooms, which can cost an arm and a leg.
If you step outside the box and consider a different type of living arrangement, then you may end up saving money. For example, members of Zeus Living have access to furnished housing in several cities at a fraction of the price of what you would pay hotels for similar accommodations. These monthly accommodations are discounted and usually offer things that would make business travel easier, like wi-fi and kitchenettes just to name a few things.
Travel Arrangement Service
You should consider hiring a travel arrangement service specialist. This service will make most of the travel arrangements for you. This specialist will find you good tickets and discounts to use when you get to your destination.
The service is also going to gather all information regarding the trip, such as food expenses so that it can be reviewed by everyone involved. Changes to save money can be made before the trip takes place, and if the trip already took place, then the next one could be optimized to save the company more money.
An Incentive Program
Some business owners don’t think it’s a good idea to reward employees who save the company money, but the reality is it’s a good idea. Create a program that allows employees to see the budget you’ve set for them.
Employees who save money should get a bonus. Some of the money they save can be added to their checks, or it can be used for their next trip so that they can get additional perks. You’d be surprised how good employees are at saving the company money when there are perks involved.
Join Clubs Whenever Possible
There are several airline plans or clubs that you can become a member of. Try to find an airline that offers points if you travel through them, which is sometimes added up so that you get discounts or free trips at some point.
You aren’t going to be saving money immediately. Now, this doesn’t mean you have to stick to this airline all the time because if you see a good discount elsewhere you shouldn’t hesitate.
Outsourcing and Telecommunications
Technology continues to make things easier for business owners to save money. There are times when travel isn’t necessary, and you’ve got to look out for these opportunities.
If you can hire a professional independent contractor to take care of a job, then do so, and just use remote telecommunication tools to talk to this person. You can train this person so that the job is done through video calls, and you can get detailed reports shared with you using cloud services. Doing this eliminates the traveling expense.
Figuring out how to cut business travel costs is an everyday task, so always be on the lookout for tips and deals. You never know when you’ll see a new opportunity to save, so just stay vigilant.
