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The Business of Saving Money When You Must Travel for Work

Adam Groff

April 23, 2015

Traveling for work is a necessity for many small business owners. Unfortunately, whether by road and sky, travel costs are on the rise.

To avoid breaking your business's budget, here are five unconventional yet effective ways to save money when traveling for work:

1. Be Open to Layovers

There are a number of ways you can save money when booking a flight for your upcoming work trip.

Booking early and staying away from flying on Fridays and Sundays, also known as the most expensive days to fly, are great money-saving tips.

However, skipping the highly coveted direct flight might be the most budget-friendly travel tip there is.

Flights with one or more layovers are upwards of 15% cheaper than direct flights. Not only that, but most layovers are less than two hours in most major airports, which really isn't that inconvenient.

2. Avoid Taxis

Sure, taxis are convenient, but they are also the most expensive form of transportation aside from a private car.

If you're traveling to a major metropolitan area; research public transportation ahead of time. Buses, trains, and subway systems are way cheaper and oftentimes faster than a taxi.

If the public transportation system doesn't mesh with your work schedule, consider using a car share service like Zipcar or Uber. Many larger cities also offer Smart car rentals that you pay for by the hour.

As an added benefit, you can also pick up/drop off the vehicle anywhere in the city.

3. Keep an Eye Out for Hidden Hotel Costs

As the following article looks at, declining unnecessary hotel fees is another one of the five unconventional ways to save money on travel for work.

You've probably never thought to do it, but asking for your bill summary before paying for your room can result in major savings.

Hotels tack on fees like newspaper delivery and internet service alongside room occupancy taxes and other bogus charges.

By declining add-ons like the newspaper and disputing unnecessary fees, you can save a ton, especially if you're staying more than one night.

4. Speaking of Saving Money on Hotels....

Bunking with coworkers or putting your employees in the same room can save your business a nice chunk of change when traveling. Before stacking multiple employees in the same room, find out which employees are willing to share their private space.

You can run into a human resources nightmare if you don't ask employees in advance if they're willing to share a room.

Although room sharing can cut your accommodations costs in half, happy employees are always more important than saving money.

5. Carpool to Nearby Destinations

Flying is expensive. There's no way around it - especially if your business is sending multiple employees to a work destination.

However, if the city in which you're traveling is nearby, say within 400 miles, carpooling is definitely cheaper.

Renting a van or SUV that can comfortably fit 4 or more passengers is oftentimes cheaper than a plane ticket for each traveler.

Sure, gas is expensive, but the price of plane tickets and transportation in and around the destination city will be way more expensive than the cost of the rental car and gas combined.

If your small business has its sights set on travel, keep in mind the money saving tips above.

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