Control Your Small Business Travel Expenses

Cost Effective Travel Tips for Small Business Owners

Traveling for Business

When you own a business, it is sometimes important to manage and minimize your expenses. One of the toughest expenses business owners struggle with is how to handle the sometimes costly event of traveling. While it is important to go, see, and do to help grow the business, driving, flying, and other modes of transportation can often be very expensive, not to mention it means time away from your business. Since there is no full-proof way to eliminate travel expenses without eliminating travel, here are some tips to manage travel expenses and stop them from negatively impacting your bottom line.

Stay Productive, Even When Traveling

If funds are being spent on travel, it is important to make sure that you are still being productive and working toward making money and business growth even when away. An easy way to do this is to establish a cloud connection to the office and important files for when you are away from your desk. This will also help to reduce the amount of technology that needs to be brought on the trip which could mean less baggage and fewer baggage fees if flying. Additionally, utilize the voice recording feature on any smartphone to make notes while driving or while unwinding at the gym – then, email those recordings to yourself in order to address them when you return back to the office.

Utilize a Travel Rewards Credit Card

Almost every business credit card offers some type of travel rewards, and some even add rewards for various business spending. These cards often offer additional rewards when flying, including a free checked bagged and Group 1 seating. It is important, however, to research different credit card offers and chose one that best fits your business needs. Building up rewards with both travel and general business purchases can help accumulate miles that can be redeemed for future business trips or even vacations – this system has the potential to save you money in your business and in your personal life.

Schedule Automated Tasks for When You Are Away

Business travel can often cause disruption in the office when you are away. A great way to manage and minimize this disruption is by automating some of the day to day tasks so they are still being completed even if you are not at your desk. Schedule different tasks like bill pay, payroll, social media updates and shipments before you leave so you can rest assured they will be taken care of. Also, if you need to stay in touch with customers at home, consider having your desk phone forward calls to your cell phone so you never miss message and always make sure to put an out of office and alternate contact information on your email so customers know when you will return and how to get in touch in case of an emergency.

Set Aside Time to Switch Gears

Transitioning from a business trip back to the office grind can also cause headaches and disruption. A great way to make this transition easier is to set aside some time to unwind, refocus and take care of time sensitive items such as tracking business expenses, generating an expense report and catching up on missed messages and emails. Trying to move from traveling right back into work can often make you feel rushed which means things may get missed in the shuffle. Make sure to also take some time for you to catch up on sleep and rest and return to the office refreshed and ready to work.

If you found these tips useful, you should also read the personal blog of Stacy O'Quinn. Stacy has helped dozens of individuals create a legitimate home business offering them financial freedom for the first time in their lives. Stacy makes use of Dani Johnson training techniques that he used to create his own six figure income. For more information, please click here. 

*Photo Courtesy of Phil Price via Creative Commons License