I Take 75 Business Trips a Year — These 10 Tips Save Me Time, Money and Sanity | Entrepreneur

For the previous couple of many years, I’ve traveled 60-75 occasions a 12 months—largely for public talking, shopper visits and infrequently trip. My journeys are largely unbiased and home, with Vegas, Orlando and New Orleans topping the checklist. My purpose? Get it achieved as quick and affordably as doable. Eyes down, earbuds in, mouth shut, thoughts your individual enterprise — particularly on enterprise journeys.

If you are a frequent enterprise traveler like me, listed here are 10 classes I’ve realized to make journey simpler, cheaper and fewer painful:

1. Lean into loyalty

Even in case you solely journey just a few occasions a 12 months for enterprise, it’s important that you simply be a part of the loyalty program of the airline that almost all frequents your native airport, in addition to one lodge and one rental automotive model program. There are some circumstances the place you might pay a bit of extra. There are different circumstances the place you won’t get the perfect flight or location. But you will make up for these potential inconveniences by increase factors which may then be transformed into free rooms, flights and automotive leases, and the payback might be larger than what you paid. Some loyalty applications supply different rewards, corresponding to reductions on accomplice manufacturers, which can prevent extra.

Also, as your standing rises, you will get free upgrades, higher seating and baggage allowances with out charges and — to me, most significantly — particular consideration like quick re-booking when issues go improper. Lean into these loyalty applications, eat the pet food and over the long run, you will profit each from value and productiveness.

Related: Here’s How Entrepreneurs Can Save on Business Trips

2. Avoid airline and lodge journey playing cards

Airline and lodge bank cards aren’t value it. Sure, it will possibly appear engaging after they supply numerous miles upfront for signing up or expedited boarding. But the rates of interest and charges on these playing cards will, over the long run, be larger (in my expertise) than these of their rivals. Also, you are restricted to solely selecting flights and resorts with that model, which considerably limits your alternative of accessible flights, and you will be blacked out throughout high-volume durations.

If you are a enterprise traveler, select a card that is tied to an unbiased journey service. I’ve loved the Citibank Thank You program for years as a result of I accumulate factors each for my enterprise and private playing cards, am capable of mix these playing cards, after which can convert these factors into journey with their company that books on nearly any airline or lodge I select. Another trick: I’ll keep at Marriott (my most popular lodge loyalty model), cost every thing to the room, together with meals and drinks, get factors for the lodge after which pay the invoice with my Citibank card so I earn factors on the cardboard as effectively — double dipping. Double the advantages.

3. Subscribe to a journey publication

There are just a few nice journey newsletters you can search and subscribe to (I like The Points Guy), which might help you determine the perfect journey and allow you to know rapidly when there are applications or particular offers launched. Like grocery coupons, some individuals go loopy with these things, and sure, they do lower your expenses (though I’m unsure how a lot time they’re spending in return for the profit). Regardless of how a lot you lean into these providers, they’re useful to maintain you conscious of potential reductions that, if the timing’s proper, can prevent cash that you simply weren’t anticipating to avoid wasting.

4. Do not wait in rental automotive traces

Thank God we do not dwell within the days of our mother and father, when renting a automotive required sixteen types of identification and a strip search. Some of the higher rental companies (I like National Car Rental) let loyal customers bypass the check-in course of, go straight to the storage, bounce right into a automotive after which drive away by simply exhibiting their driver’s license. And on return, you get out and go. I discover this expertise to be cost-efficient, productive and admittedly, exhilarating. It’s all about time, and I pity these individuals standing in lengthy traces ready to be permitted to drive.

5. Eat at chains

If you are not a frequent traveler, consuming out may be enjoyable. But for the remainder of those that journey many occasions a month, we want consistency and affordability. So on the subject of meals, I typically stick with a sequence restaurant. Unless I’m entertaining purchasers, which I hardly ever do, I’m completely satisfied to get a filet at Outback Steakhouse for $40 that features fries and a salad relatively than paying $125 for a similar meal on the native steakhouse. Chain eating places are usually dependable, quicker and extra reasonably priced than different eating places. Other occasions, I keep away from the $30 lodge burger and get Uber Eats delivered. You need to go native? Find a diner. Or in any other case stick with your hometown.

6. Use expense administration apps

I’ve wasted numerous hours doing expense experiences over time. But no extra. Thanks to nice (and cheap) expense administration functions like Expensify, SAP Concur, Ramp, and Zoho Expense, enterprise vacationers can, simply by snapping a photograph, have their expense time sheets achieved with minimal involvement, which saves time and errors. I’ve received my automotive rental, airline, lodge and rideshare apps all related to the service I exploit, and once I eat out or take a taxi, I add a fast photograph. When my journey is over, my expense report is finished for me. If your online business has a staff of vacationers, it is a good way to handle their bills and, after integrating the app together with your accounting system, save a major quantity of again workplace time. Thanks AI!

7. Tip generously

Tipping would not prevent cash. It’s simply the suitable factor to do. Carry some money and maintain the individuals who clear your rooms with $10 per day. Give the valet one other $10. Never tip under 20% on a restaurant invoice. And sure, add an additional buck to the $8 cup of espresso you got within the on line casino foyer. It’s not their fault that the worth is ridiculously excessive. And you may afford it. Tip extra in case you can.

8. Consider taxis for pace

Whenever I arrive at my dwelling airport, I all the time block and sort out by the lots of individuals ready for his or her rideshare and go straight to the taxi space, the place there’s all the time a line of cabs ready. I largely do that in different cities, too. Generally, taxis nonetheless value greater than rideshares. And a few of them aren’t as snug a journey. But it is all about time, and no matter will get me to my dwelling or my vacation spot quicker so I can end with the journey expertise is, to me, well worth the added value.

Related: A Business Owner’s Guide to Maximizing Summer Profits

9. Double down in your safety

Don’t be silly together with your knowledge whenever you journey. Don’t reveal your non-public work to the man sitting subsequent to you in your flight. Buy a laptop computer privateness display screen, a bit of plastic that makes it unattainable for anybody indirectly in entrance of your display screen to see what you are doing. Make positive you employ a VPN service to encrypt your knowledge when on a lodge or airport Wi-Fi.

Better but, do not use the lodge or airport Wi-Fi and use your cellular hotspot at any time when and wherever you may for the perfect safety. Don’t do any banking or monetary transactions whenever you’re on the street in case you can keep away from it. Bring an additional battery pack in order that you do not run out of energy mid-trip when it’s essential get work achieved. And deliver three separate energy cords in your bag as a result of these items fail (and so do you whenever you overlook one in your room).

10. Roll your garments

Checking a bag not solely incurs additional expenses but in addition additional time on the carousel. To keep away from these charges and get on and off the airplane (and out and in of the airport) as rapidly as doable, my recommendation is to roll. Yes, roll. Roll as lots of your non-wrinkle garments (socks, underwear, shirts, and many others) and align them in your carry-on bag, beginning on the surface and dealing your manner in. You’ll be shocked at how way more stuff you may slot in your bag that manner. Make use of the lodge iron if wanted.

20-plus years of journey. 60-plus separate journeys per 12 months. And I’m nonetheless not within the larger echelons of the enterprise street warrior. Thank goodness. Regardless, that is what I’ve realized. You’re welcome.