Traveling with your whole team is an amazing opportunity for team building, increasing morale, and learning how to collaborate to help the business grow. Nevertheless, the expenses for these arrangements can easily go out of hand, and more often than not, we don’t have tens, or even hundreds of thousands of dollars to spend on these trips. If you want to have a pleasant experience and still stay within your budget, then you need to check these smart tips for cutting corporate travel costs.
1. Plan on time
The number one thing that you have to do if you don’t want to go over budget on your trip is to start planning on time. This means that you need to write down all expenses that you expect, starting from transportation, traveling, accommodation, food, drinks, corporate events, and so on. You need to do project management where you will write down what needs to be done, what’s your overall budget, and how it can be divided between different things.
You should take offers and write them down for all these things, and you should choose the ones that help you save the most cash while giving the best services. Keep in mind that if you give yourself enough time for planning and preparation, you are more likely to think with a cool head and make decisions that are smart without being based on urgency.
2. Book the right hotel
Booking a hotel is one of the first things you need to do, but keep in mind that this has to be done after you make plans when it comes to flights and transportation. You should check to see which hotel is closest to the area where you will be doing your business so you don’t have to spend extra on additional transportation.
You can talk to different hotels and other accommodation types to see which ones offer the best options, which ones can give you a discount, and which ones are the best for all the things that you require.
3. Cut flight expenses
More often than not, when we are traveling in a different city or state, we need to go there by airplane. This is the fastest and the easiest way to travel, and it can vary in costs drastically.
If you want to be able to afford the tickets without going over budget, then you need to talk to airline representatives as soon as possible. Check to see which options are the best and try to be flexible with the dates. Note that if you book in advance, you are much more likely to cut the costs, and as long as you don’t make any changes, you should be able to stick to your original budget.
4. Plan for transportation
When you arrive at your destination, you will need to be taken to the hotel, and if there are any business meetings, dinners, or even if you plan to go around the city with your team, you will need to have a transportation method. Getting everyone on public transport is not practical, and it can force you to spend much more every day.
The best thing you can do is to rent a vehicle, and on Torontolimorentals.com, you can see how this Toronto Limo Service can help you out when it comes to comfort, security, ease of travel, and lowering the expenses.
5. Revisit your policy
One of the most important things you have to do before you go on a trip with your employees is revisit the travel policy. Chances are, it has not been revisited since the last time someone planned a corporate event, or even worse, it has never been revisited at all. More often than not we are not even aware of what’s added there, and we don’t know what we can do to change it.
On your own, first, go through the policy and see what you can change to make the trip cost-effective. Check to see if it is an option to incorporate pre-approval, and keep a close eye on the members who are responsible for all the bookings. By doing this, you are going to have much more involvement in the process, and you will be able to cut costs if needed.
6. Train your employees
Before going on the trip, you need to sit down with your team, go through the policy and make sure they understand it. Tell them what will be covered by the corporation, and which expenses are going to be extra in case they choose to do something on their own. In case you are flying together, let them know that if they choose to extend their stay after the corporate event is done, they will have to pay for their stay and the trip back.
The same goes for food, amenities, and other activities they may choose to do on their own. Explain what you will be covering and what is their responsibility. Talk to them about ordering in, traveling on their own, and so on. It has been shown that you can decrease up to 65 percent of your costs as long as you educate your team.
7. Provide the needed meals
Finally, you will need to provide meals for your employees, and you need to encourage them to follow the guidelines you give them. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is letting them use the corporate card for any restaurant they want to visit unless it is with a client. Even in these cases, you need to set up a limit and discuss it with your team.
You can check how much would the meals cost in the hotel you’ve booked, or if that is not an option, you can talk to several brands and restaurants in the location, and offer to make a deal with them. By setting up a meeting and making a deal beforehand, you can keep the food expenses to the minimum and there won’t be any unpleasant surprises.
Keep these things in mind the next time you need to organize a business trip and know that with just a few small changes you can save thousands of dollars. Collaborate with the right services, always have warranties and insurance, and don’t forget to talk to your employees before the trip starts.