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Save Money on Business Trips

Business Travel Advice

Save Money on Business Trips

Written by Kathryn Lang for Gaebler Ventures

Entrepreneurs often travel with business. Finding ways to cut expenses during these travels can help the entrepreneur in the journey to success.

Cutting expenses can be the difference between survival for an entrepreneur and failure.

Business travel may be a necessary cost of doing business, but there are ways to make the costs more budget friendly.

Easy Tips to Save Big on Business Trips

Accommodations – search for a hotel with the right price, but also with the right amenities.Hotels or motels that include internet access can make it easier for the entrepreneur to do work on the go.Look for locations that include a free breakfast bar. Even a continental breakfast can give you plenty of sustenance for getting through the day. Take a few extra pieces of fruit to eat as a snack later.

Ask about the appliances available in the hotel room. A room that includes a microwave and refrigerator can make it possible for you to eat on your schedule and to save leftovers for future meals.

Make the Most of Meals – Knowing when to eat and what to eat can give an entrepreneur on the go plenty of ways to save on a travel budget. Eat a big lunch. The plates served at lunch are often just as plentiful as the dinner menus, but the prices are much smaller. Order a large lunch and take the leftovers back to the hotel to enjoy later. Work the "free with entrée" angle. Choose a restaurant that includes soup or salad with your entrée. Eat the soup or salad for lunch and then take the entrée back to the hotel for dinner later.

Take advantage of the any conference gatherings. Entrepreneurs that are traveling to events and conferences are usually invited to cocktail hours and other events as part of the conference. The food available can become an early dinner. Be sure that you skip the alcohol so that you can be at your entrepreneurial best.

Enjoy the free items offered at the event. Not all conferences will include meals, but many will have a snack area with drinks, crackers or other items. Take a drink with you back to your room so that you have something for later.

More Tips for Business Trips

Keep the receipts for everything that you do purchase. You may be in a position to write these expenses off at tax time.Sign up for the rewards programs with the hotels that you use most often. Entrepreneurs that travel will benefit from free nights and other rewards. Skip the minibar, bottled water or other items that are not specifically free in the room. A water next to the coffee maker may end up costing you as much as a case of water from the local grocery store.

Ask for discounts. Hotels, airlines and the travel industry as a whole have suffered from the economy just like the entrepreneurs in business have hurt. Discounts may be available but not advertised.

Getting the most travel for your business dollar is one more way for the entrepreneur to find success.

Kathryn Lang is a professionial writer and motivational speaker. She enjoys writing about a wide variety of business topics including youth businesses and finance.