What’s your best money-saving tip for business travel?
1. Use Startup Stay
“Use a platform like Bizpora (formerly Startup Stay) to connect to the local startup ecosystem and save some cash — it’s like couchsurfing for entrepreneurs. Who knows? The connections you make might result in some unexpected opportunities.”
CHRISTOPHER PRUIJSEN, Sterio.me
2. Stay An Extra Day
“Instead of rushing in and out of an event, consider staying for an extra night or two. This lets you take advantage of peak flight rates and better hotel rates when you’re staying for several nights. It also enables you to have time to catch up with new contacts, local leads or colleagues.”
KELLY AZEVEDO, She’s Got Systems
3. Pack Tightly
“When you go on a trip, you want to pack as many stops in as possible to get the most out of the cost of your plane ticket. If I’m going to D.C. for a conference, for example, I’ll also stop in to check on our D.C. franchise, meet with potential vendors, and spend time with family and friends in the area. Pack your time efficiently to make every travel dollar count.”
NICK FRIEDMAN, College Hunks Hauling Junk
4. Don’t Do It
“There are other ways to connect with people, like Skype and Google+ Hangouts. Travel is expensive and can be tiring. Also, meetings and events don’t always turn out to be as productive as you think they will be.”
JIM BELOSIC, Pancakes Laboratories/ShortStack
5. Decide Early
“In our early days, I used to wait until the last possible minute to book a trip — I was never sure if the business would “need” me to be onsite, so I deferred the decision. Plan your trips for the year and decide early on which events you can extract the most value from. Then, commit by booking your airfare and hotel at lower rates.”
AARON SCHWARTZ, Modify Watches
6. Don’t Pay Cash To Travel
“Leverage the purchasing power of your business by charging all your company’s expenses on credit cards with aggressive reward points programs. Purchase everything from materials to office supplies to vendor payments and marketing services on your credit card to rack up points. When it’s time to travel, simply trade points for airfare and hotel rooms.”
ANTHONY SALADINO, Kitchen Cabinet Kings
7. Find A Flat-Rate Airport Car Service
“Find a flat-rate airport car service that will get you where you need. Almost every city has one. Not only will you save money, but you will most likely be in a more luxurious car with a more professional experience.”
BENJI RABHAN, MorrisCore
8. Find A Credit Card Without Foreign Transaction Fees
“If you travel a lot, cards like American Express Platinum are well worth the $500/year fee. If your foreign transaction fees add up to more than 3 percent, this type of card is well worth it. Add in all the mileage rewards, bonuses for signing up and other assorted travel insurances and perks, and you end up saving big in the long run.”
MATT WILSON, Under30Experiences
Photo Credits
StartupCollective
