For many businesses, travel is an essential part of operations. Face-to-face meetings allow for better communication and collaboration and help build and maintain relationships with clients and partners. Business travel can also be an excellent opportunity to learn about new cultures and expand your perspective.
Business trips also allow you to see first-hand how potential partners and clients operate. However, this can be expensive. For one, airfare is often more costly when traveling on short notice or during peak times.
Hotels and rental cars can also be more expensive when booked at the last minute. Meals and other incidentals can add up quickly when eating out or ordering room service. According to research, an average business trip costs $1,293.
With that in mind, here are four ways you can use technology to save money on business trips:
Consider Online Meetings Instead of Traveling for In-person Meetings
Business travel can be a huge expense for companies, and it often requires employees to be away from home for long periods of time. One way to reduce travel costs is to hold meetings online instead of in person. By scheduling online meetings, you can:
- Eliminate the need for employees to travel to the meeting location
- Allow people from different parts of the world to participate in the same meeting, which can be helpful if you have team members in different time zones
- Schedule meetings at shorter notice than in-person meetings, saving you from last-minute travel costs.
If you’re looking for ways to reduce your company’s travel budget, consider holding meetings online instead of in person. You can use different tech to have successful meetings virtually.
For one, you might want to use video conferencing software like Zoom or Google Hangouts. These will let you have a virtual face-to-face meeting, which can help build relationships with team members or clients. You can also use conference call services like FreeConferenceCall.com or Skype to hold audio-only meetings.
You can also use an online meeting concierge to level up your virtual lunch meetings. Regular online meetings are usually boring, uninspiring, and take a lot of effort to decide on the perfect meeting time and which video conferencing platform to use. There are several platforms that can cater to your food orders, manage your meetings, give you updates about your sales leads, and even allow your prospect to provide feedback after the meeting.
With online meetings, you can utilize tech to meet with your clients, discuss your proposals, and save a considerable amount of money each time. Using such platforms, you can also make your meetings more engaging. You get to stimulate interaction and keep everyone on their toes during the session.
Use Apps To Book Flights, Hotels, And Restaurants
With the rise of smartphones and mobile apps, booking business travel has never been more accessible – or more affordable. Travelers can save time and money by using apps to book flights, hotels, and restaurants. For example, when booking a flight, an app can quickly compare prices across multiple airlines and find the best deal.
Similarly, an app can compare hotel prices and find accommodations that fit the traveler’s budget and needs. And when it comes time to dine, an app can help the traveler find nearby restaurants with good reviews. In short, using apps to book business travel can save the traveler both time and money.
Use a Ride-sharing Service
If you’re traveling by car, using a ride-sharing service like Uber or Lyft can save you both time and money. You get to avoid the hassle of renting a car and also save on parking fees and gas. In addition, ride-sharing services can often be cheaper than taking a taxi.
If you’re traveling with colleagues, you can also use a ride-sharing service to split the cost of the trip. Not only will this save you money, but it will also help reduce your carbon footprint.
Use an Expense Tracking App
If you’re looking to reduce business travel costs, it’s important to track your expenses. This will enable you to identify areas where you’re spending too much money and make changes accordingly.
There are several different expense tracking apps available, so be sure to find one that meets your specific needs. For example, if you need to track expenses for multiple travelers, look for an app offering group expense tracking. And if you’re looking for an app that integrates with your accounting software, be sure to find one that offers this feature.
Using an expense tracking app, you can easily track how much you’re spending on flights, hotels, rental cars, and dining. This will help you stay within budget and make better choices about where to spend your money.
This shows that you can use tech to make business travel more affordable. Whether you use it to book flights and hotels or track your expenses, technology can help you save time and money. So, if you’re looking to cut down on your business travel costs, consider utilizing some of these tips.Meta title: Ways To Use Technology To Reduce Business Travel Costs
meta desc: Technology made it easier than ever to save money on business travel expenses. Here’s how to use technology to reduce the costs of your business trips.
