With the availability of smartphones and tablets, consumers are becoming more discerning about how they obtain information about travel. Everything is one click away with technology, and for business travel, there’s travel management software to customise based on your needs. Travel management platforms cover all aspects of business travel – increase adherence to travel policy, book travel, control costs, ensure employee safety and more. businesses to control and increase visibility over their business travel.
Business travel is not only reserved for the large corporates of the world. For small medium enterprises (SMEs), there is much value and growth to gain from business trips done right. It may differ by country but generally, small medium enterprises (SMEs) are companies that employ 200 or fewer people. They maintain revenues, assets, or employee numbers under a certain threshold.
Around 60% of business travel spending will come from those that don’t want to miss out on business opportunities and are looking to develop important client relationships. Following the dip in business travel due to the pandemic, SMEs are expected to increase corporate travel at a much faster rate than large businesses, because they have a much shorter and quicker approval process.
SMEs that travel for business have an upper edge over their competitors by being present and showing a high level of commitment to clients. As competition intensifies, the right travel management software can make all the difference to more efficient and better business travel. There are many benefits to robust business travel management in reaping business growth and achieving employee satisfaction.
In fact, more than 50 percent of SMEs are developing a timeline for the return to business travel, updated travel policies, or new safety resources and information for travellers.
If you as a business owner or an employee in a small business are currently facing the difficulties listed below, it is a good start to opt for a travel management solution for your companies.
In this article, we'll take a look at:
You have a business trip coming up and on top of preparing your pitch deck or contract document, there are travel documents to get in order – passport, visa, flight tickets, vaccination certificate, and the right Covid-19 testing.
First, the process of planning can take up too much time in researching travel restrictions & requirements, especially in small teams and companies. Different countries have different travel restrictions & requirements that need to be complied with, and it can be stressful to take note of if you’re not a frequent traveller or travel expert.
Researching and comparing the best flight and hotel prices on different platforms will take too much time. Mobile platforms are a quick and common way for travellers to search for the best deals and travel options. But for business travel, using multiple platforms is not the more organised or efficient way to book travel.
Besides that, SMEs may differ from larger companies when it comes to travel budgets which make having wide choices important. Having a one-stop-shop with a variety of travel options to choose from makes business travel more straightforward from the start.
When working abroad, the risk of falling ill or getting into an accident can be unsettling. Especially after a pandemic, these concerns may be felt more acutely by employee groups. It is important to make sure your employees know who to contact in case of emergencies or untoward incidents. Travel management makes taking care of business travellers much easier.
It can take a for a business traveller to be mindful of company travel policy while booking business trips. Often, travel bookings fall out of policy bounds and budgets unintentionally because there are no checks and balances within the booking process to help the traveller.
This is because the employee must compare different travel providers’ prices, check and confirm hotel rooms, book air tickets, and arrange for car rentals. It can easily take too much time and end up exceeding your allowed budget.
While this may be the case for some businesses, the truth is that you don’t have to wait until your company reaches a larger scale. No matter how small your business may be, you can still benefit from a travel management solution.
Small businesses are constantly looking for ways to save money, and that is where a travel management solution can help. With the help of this software, you can control the expenses of your business trips and book your business trips with more accuracy. Some may think that a travel management solution is only needed if your company is big enough that it has a considerable amount of travel-related expenses.
Let’s take a look at how the right travel management solution can benefit small businesses:
A large travel inventory will allow you to choose from a wide range of accommodations, flights and car rentals. You can also compare different carriers to choose the best flight and get the best deals on your next trip.
Aside from comparing travel expenses, it can also be helpful in planning your trip to make sure that you have the right accommodations, flights, and car rentals suited for the type of business travel and budget.
SMEs can set up their travel policies into the platform. You are able to set different policies for each group of employees and also to make exceptions to the policies. When employees make bookings, they automatically adhere to the company travel policy.
If someone requests something that is outside of our travel policy, it will be flagged and flagged to our travel managers to be approved.
It is essential to understand that there are many different ways to book business travel. The important thing to consider is what your business needs are.
Find the best travel management solution for you that aligns with your business goals. Whether you need to save money, keep track of travel restrictions and policies, or be updated on health and safety information, TruTrip is here to help. Book a demo or sign up for a free trial with us to make travel more straightforward and enjoyable for your business.
TruTrip streamlines booking, management, and reporting for hassle-free business trips.