If your business branches out to other locations or countries, then it’s important to make sure that it won’t be a leak in your finances. Despite being essential, many businesses often just don’t do it right and lose not only money but employee and customer satisfaction. If you’re looking for a way to streamline your corporate travel, read on to find our very best tips on making it easier for you and your employees.
Create Corporate Travel Guidelines for Your Company – and Maintain Them
The most important thing about any trip away for employees is that they will be safe. Although it’s rare, accidents and emergencies can happen, but by outlining a set of rules and guidelines to follow for when employees go abroad, this can help to reduce the number of accidents that occur.
Not only does this keep your company happy and well-valued, but it also makes sure you’re not spending more money than you should be. Keeping the policy clear and easily understood, as well as easy to find, means employees will be clear on what they are and aren’t allowed to do and can avoid any misunderstandings, as well as allow your employees to feel confident.
Make sure that your guidelines include everything that is relevant; from basics such as etiquette and timekeeping through to more specific rules, such as who they have to report to during their trip etc. By creating a comprehensive guide you will be able to show your team the importance of representing your brand properly even when they’re travelling.
Having guidelines in place for all staff also helps to establish the relationship between all members of staff, whatever their level within the company. Whatever their role, big or small, it means they feel valued and as if they’re all in the same boat if everyone is held to the same standards, helping to increase cohesion within your company and function better as one team. For example, show your team that no matter what level they are at, if they go over their expenses allowance, they will have to pay the difference themselves. Don’t make your policy too strict, however, or employees will feel as if you’re running a dictatorship, not a business.
Look After Your Employees
Taking a little extra time to make sure everything is set up and ready for your employees will go miles in helping your business work more effectively. The main thing here is to choose somewhere for them to stay where they will be comfortable and happy. It takes a lot of energy to travel to a new location, sort business operations, day to day work, and generally manage things away from the office, so when they head back to where they are staying, you want to make sure they can relax, have some downtime and be fully rested for the next day. This will help improve your employees’ efficiency and your company’s reputation, as well as help them feel more valued within the business.
For the perfect housing solution for corporate travelers, we recommend checking out some of the furnished apartments in San Francisco that Blueground has to offer. They’re ideal for your employees, and they offer a variety of locations for you to review so that you can find one that will keep your employees safe, sound, and cozy!
Aside from making sure that your employees are looked after, be sure to hear them if they feel they aren’t. It’s important to make sure their complaints don’t fall on deaf ears, and you’ll be appreciated when their concerns are heard!
Reward Employees
How many of your employees spend a great deal less than what is set out by the budget? We can guess it’s not many. Of course, employees will spend no more than the budget set out in the policy, but often, they won’t spend any less, either. When you think about the money that could be saved through less spending away from the office, setting up a rewards scheme is a great idea. Those who spend under a certain amount could earn a certain reward, or perhaps a friendly competition between employees could help encourage them to spend less. Whatever your approach is, it’s a good way to cut the excess spending when employees travel and save yourself plenty of money in the long run. You can also explore adding rewards to other areas of your business, so that you can support your staff and create a friendly internal culture.
Cut Down Unnecessary Trips
There was a time where you’d have to visit everyone you wanted to do business with, but with the internet, those times have become less and less. Video conference calls often are a much quicker, cheaper and easier solution than traveling to a whole new location, and can save precious time and money. Although sometimes in-person meetings can’t be avoided, it’s worth considering whether using an application like Zoom to hold meetings instead is a better way to do business – it could save you a lot of time and trouble. Things like video conference meetings also free up your team member’s calendar, offering them an alternative where they don’t need to be away from their family and can sort business much more quickly and efficiently.
Corporate travel is a hugely important area when it comes to running your company, but with a bit of tweaking, you can prevent it from becoming a huge drain n on your finances, and finetune the efficiency of your business.
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