Business Travel Management: For Employees and Employers
Traveling for a business can be the most stressful job for employees. It tends to be very time-consuming and tends to disrupt a person’s normal day to day routine. But if employees treat it as an occupational perk, it can be one of the most enjoyable activities. Apart from employees, it is also a major hassle for employers. Even though the business travel program is a necessity, it is an additional cost for firms. The major goal which firms set is to control these travel costs. The employers must design an appropriate litany of decisions and may even introduce business credit cards in order to keep up to date with modern-day technology. In order to help you maintain your business travel program, here are a few useful tips:
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Choose a Singular Business Card:
By choosing a singular business card you can stay organized and keep an active record of your travel costs. When choosing for a card, make sure to choose one which provides you the best facility and gives rewards that are capable of covering expensive travels. Once you obtain your card, make sure to use the rewards very wisely in order to save up for lengthy last-minute travels.
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Negotiate Terms:
When obtaining a business card, you can negotiate the terms and conditions. Make sure to negotiate on the terms which are most comfortable for you. Most businesses tend to negotiate with vendors, hotels, and restaurants which their employees are most likely to stay or eat at. Doing so, allows the business to develop good terms and obtain bulk discounts. This thus reduces the business travel program costs for the business and similarly helps them in passing on these negotiable terms to their employees.
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Keep Up-to-Date with Latest Networking Trends:
Through networking, businesses can keep a track of the travel programs which their competitors provide. This allows a business to gain knowledge regarding the trends and improvements in travel programs, through which they can also improve and extend their facilities. You can also gain inspiration from tech talk through which they can create a more streamlined business travel program for their own employees.
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Contact Airlines Directly:
It is cost-efficient to contact airlines and hotels directly. By having a third party or travel booking company in between, the value will be added to the service you provide. This extra cost can be both troubling for employees and the business itself. Dealing directly with the airlines will also allow you to book many seats in an aircraft that too in urgency too. With hotels, a standard policy of placing reservations at least 24-hours prior is placed, however, by dealing directly, you can also gain rooms on spot.
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Make Sure to Prioritize Employee Convenience:
As a business travel program is a very tiresome process in itself, it is hard for employees to willingly join it each time. As an employer, it is beneficial to provide the maximum convenience to employees during the program, in order to keep them motivated. This will help in maximizing their productivity and in turn, would benefit the business.