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Posts Tagged ‘Costs’

If you have a small business, you obviously envision it becoming a big and well established enterprise. As the business grows beyond city, country and continental borders, communication modes need to be upgraded. This is why as you nurture your business you have to think of the best way to cut traveling costs while maintaining a high level of productivity during business meetings.

In conventional business setting, designated employees would ideally travel across the world to make business deals or to attend conferences that would market the business. These business trips entail booking a hotel for accommodation, booking a meeting room, having transport arrangements to various meeting points, setting aside traveling allowances as well as organizing for meals for the traveling persons. We all agree that employees are bound to make fraudulent claims after a trip.

Some people misuse these business trips and turn them into their personal expeditions at the expense of their companies. Other employees turn the trips into a shopping spree. Monitoring the steps of your employees while they are away requires a lot of time and money thus many organizations would not think of spending funds to check on their employees whom they have sent away on business.

The best way to curb problems arising from traveling far to have meetings is to invest in a good online meeting room, with a powerful computer which can transmit multimedia. Have a web-cam, headsets if needed and install necessary software to support communication as the meeting goes on. It is also important to have a standby generator that ensures the meeting is not affected by power blackouts. With technology, you can link to your customers, suppliers and business partners at the comfort of your office.  Read more...

Sometimes when we are traveling on business, it is easy to let costs get out of control.  But if you are working from a per diem or have other constraints on your travel budget, you should learn some cost cutting methods that you can put into effect that won’t make your life miserable on the road.

These cost-cutting ideas are not just to stay out of trouble with the budget people back at the home office.  Often businesses have a set budget for business travel and once it is gone, no further trips can be made during that budget year.  So if you anticipate the need for more business trips in the months ahead, it is prudent to keep an eye on costs as you go so you can conserve that limited budget to facilitate important trips yet to come.

Economizing on the road can be difficult because you are put right in the middle of the hospitality industry which, while good at making you feel comfortable and providing for your needs, hotels and restaurants are also good at running up your tab.  But there are some easy ways to sidestep a lot of unnecessary spending so you can stretch your business travel budget – Here are a few. 

* Eat before you go.  Airport restaurants or snack bars are notoriously overpriced.  So even if you are leaving early in the morning, have breakfast and get well satisfied before leaving home so you don’t have to buy food en route.  Read more...

Advancements in services and tools for the modern ‘mobile office’ have paved the way for conducting all business matters, anywhere now – and with cost efficiency too.    

Almost overnight technology has brought us laptop computers, online reservation systems, airport check-in kiosks, in-room hi-speed Internet, wireless capabilities, interactive TV, satellite navigation systems, and of course handheld devices like mobile phones and the personal digital assistant.

“Most business travelers will tell you that their handheld device is their most favoured travel companion,” says Gordon Stein, business segment vice president at Rogers Communications. “Communication is the primary reason, but so is the efficiency of mobile client management, access to Internet resources, destination and travel services, plus quick and easy digital assistance for the traveler’s itinerary, daytimer, calendar, and more.”

It is reported that 92 per cent of corporate travelers use their cell phones on the road and a growing 64 per cent also rely on wireless management services now available on mobiles. Some airlines, for example, are issuing boarding passes and seat selection via handheld technology.

This very reliance, according to Rogers, has spurred travel suppliers to offer cost controls for ever-increasing wireless services. Unexpected ‘roaming’ charges, for example, can increase the cost of doing business exponentially.

“When you travel, your device needs to ‘roam’ for connectivity, often tapping into a local carrier,” Stein explained. “Roaming charges can really add up, but they can be controlled. As business doesn’t end at the Canadian border, it’s important to find out what options are available from your service provider to ensure cost-certainty and peace-of-mind.  Read more...

The best time to travel is in the holidays, right? Not if you want to make big savings on your traveling costs it’s not. If you travel in off peak (or low season) periods, or even in the shoulder season, you’ll find traveling costs a lot less.

Where are you traveling? Do you know the peak travel times for this destination? Summer and spring, no matter where you are, are generally considered the peak seasons to travel, unless you are a winter sports enthusiast. In that case, ski resorts will be having their peak season in winter. And what hemisphere are you thinking of visiting? The seasons differ depending on whether you are north or south. For example, the North America summer months are June, July, August but in Australia the summer months are December, January and February. You will need to research your destination to find out the low season times to visit.

First of all, what type of savings can you expect to make if you travel in the off-peak season? 

1. Air fares are much cheaper. There are less people wanting to fly so air carriers drop their prices to attract customers. Take advantage of these great savings. If you are traveling in the high season, see if you can book a flight mid-week. These flights are generally cheaper too.

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