Posts from — May 2010

The recent economic shake up has prompted many businesses large and small to shine a spotlight on their expenditure, one area in particular to receive additional scrutiny is business travel.

American Express Business Travel recently released the results of its 2009 European Barometer, in which 66% of respondents reported a reduction in their budgets, with an average cut of 31% over the previous year. A contracting market has also created a significant shift in attitude towards what kind of expenditure is justifiable, with a focus on client retention and accountability instead of ambitious new business development and lavish corporate entertainment.

In the meantime, conferencing technologies have evolved, boasting remarkably simple interfaces based on reliable technology platforms, backed up by the latest advances in server technology and cloud computing. Many businesses are now questioning why they should spend large amounts of money travelling to and from client meetings when they can communicate effectively via conference call or video conferencing. Even in the new business sector the ability to easily exchange important documents and presentations simultaneously is revolutionising the way business win new accounts.

With the careful selection of a trusted conference call provider, businesses can manage their client communications more effectively and encourage a new level of direct interaction between their teams and their customer’s teams. Indeed this improved interfacing can result in far more ‘meetings of minds’ than would normally be affordable due to the high costs of transporting a full team onsite to a client that may even be on the other side of the world.  Read more... (307 words, estimated 1:14 mins reading time)

Geneva is one of the foremost economic cities in Europe and is the base for global institutions, public and private companies, charities and diplomatic corps. Built on the shores of Lake Geneva, Geneva was the spiritual home of Calvinism and today houses the World Health Organisation as well as the Red Cross. The city caters to the high number of business travellers who come to Geneva. Geneva is so popular for business travel because it has a central location as well as business friendly government policies.

Getting There and Getting Around

Whatever your line of work, you will most likely be flying into Geneva international airport. More than 40 different airlines have routes to and from the airport and there are connections with all of Europe’s major cities. The airport has recently been refurbished but it is still easy to find your way around. You will see the car hire terminals as soon as you come out of arrivals. Alternatively there are trains and buses which run frequently to the city centre. Taxis are an expensive one off option should you wish to take them. The public transport at the airport is good and runs with typical Swiss efficiency. Nevertheless car hire Geneva airport sales are always high. High-flying businessmen usually don’t take public transport as they like to have control over their own destiny. They hire cars so that they can go where they want at a moment’s notice. Prestige and luxury car hire is a particularly thriving business in Geneva city and Geneva airport. This is a city with a very high standard of living and executives do not want to stand out by driving just any old car. BMWs and Audis are always popular while it is very much in vogue at the moment to rent a chauffeur driven car. Not only does it make you look important, but it allows the time to put the last touches to a business presentation or finalise your concepts for that important meeting. Bear in mind that if you hire a car that is not chauffeur driven you may have problems parking it.  Read more... (562 words, estimated 2:15 mins reading time)

In this modern day and age keeping in touch and going about your business where ever you are is an essential part of life. So when on the move the best way to do this is by using a laptop, whether it’s a commercial business transaction or everyday life. The laptop will be right by your side with all its conveniences.

So when on the move, you should keep in mind to take some basic precautions and steps to safeguard and look after your device. Following some simple guidelines may save you from the trouble of loosing your information and the laptop itself.

When traveling out of the country or taking a long journey always remembers to place your laptop in its given bag or safety carrier. The bag is designed to hold your laptop in place and will reduce the damage if it is mishandled in any way. Another good idea would be to store it in a non descriptive bag as it will not draw too much attention by undesired parties.

Keeping your laptop near you at all times is essential. Do not leave your laptop unattended or in a distance when you are traveling, because it is child’s play for persons to distract you and rob you of your laptop.  Read more... (377 words, estimated 1:30 mins reading time)

Whether you’re planning your first work trip or you are already a seasoned traveler, we have put some business travel tips together to make your life easier and to help you get the maximum benefit from your trip.

Tips on how to travel

You can make things a lot easier for yourself just by getting your travel arrangements arranged to provide best convenience and comfort. There’s little worse than scrambling off the airplane or train and turning up for a meting feeling like you’ve just been put through the wringer.

Always pre-book your travel tickets and print any confirmation documents to go in your travel wallet. Likewise, always pre-book your accommodation and again, print off any confirmations to put in your travel wallet.

Speaking of bag, or rather bags, hand luggage, take a little bag or case ( the type the airline will accept in the cabin – or you can just put in the boot of your vehicle, or easy to carry on a train ) and just have a change of shirt, undies, and socks with you should you need them.

A little thought and research can go a great distance here, especially if you are travelling abroad. Different mains plug configurations could be a problem and the simplest way of solving this one is to buy one of those universal adapter kits. Just remember to check that your destination country is covered by that particular adapter. Similarly, telephone sockets alter. Not all countries have Wi-Fi so you might need to connect your laptop to the web thru a telephone socket.  Read more... (297 words, estimated 1:11 mins reading time)

When your office sends you to another city, state, or country for official business travel, you initially feel excited. For some, it’s an opportunity to go to a place that they’ve never been to. For the frequent travellers, a business trip is a chance to explore a certain destination more. Excitement really sets in especially that you virtually don’t have to spend a dime for that travel.

On the other hand, a business travel can be a source of stress. It’s tiring enough to get on board a plane and endure a long flight. How much more if you are pressured at finishing an important presentation? The worst part is, in business travel, you don’t own your time fully. Your schedule is bombarded by meetings, client presentations, and even trainings and seminars.

So how do you make a business travel less stressful – and consequently more personal? Is it possible to still find time for personal leisure in a company-initiated trip? The answer is yes. Here are a few pointers:

1. Use a large wallet that can keep all your receipts, your passport, and your passport together.

In a business trip, you need to liquidate your expenses. As such, you need to keep your receipts as your Accounting Department would require a copy of those. To avoid having problems come liquidation time, make sure that you keep all your receipts together. Better yet, regularly list your expenses. This saves you time and stress once you get back to your office.  Read more... (565 words, estimated 2:16 mins reading time)