2016

Aladesuru Walter Adewale!

4/11/2016

TRAVELING -

A Significant Investment!

During the third month of my bootstrapped

existence, I was blinded by an opportunity that put my business at risk.

I’m still a little bitter, but I’ve learned an important lesson the hard way: “Travel is a significant investment that deserves your attention as an Entrepreneur.”

After the bad experience, I took a proactive approach to managing travelling costs and worked hard to find ways to save money while on the road.

As the empire grew, it turned from a necessity to a way of conducting business and keeping costs low.

From that experience and others, here are [5] FIVE ways to travel for your business without blowing your small startup budget on fruitless opportunities.

1. Schedule and plan your meetings yourself

I learned the importance of planning MY own meetings the hard way.

Plan ahead and make reservations instead of leaving all of the decisions up to the preferences of who you’re meeting with.

2. Layover rule

Many major airlines allow up to 24 hours for a layover without charging an additional fee.

This comes in extremely handy when trying to cram several stops into a longer trip.

FOR EXAMPLE:

“Stop in Tokyo for a layover and conduct business, and in less than 24 hours, onto Hong Kong without paying for a multi-leg itinerary.”

This strategy has been huge for businesses and has helped trim travel budget by thousands each year.

3. You have to have points to win

I’m a big believer in points and The Points Guy, a website that helps travelers find the best deals and use of their frequent-flyer miles.

Points may seem arbitrary to some, but when you’re travelling multiple times every single month, you have to take advantage of flight programs and hotels to make the most of a small travel budget.

I rack up points with every meal, hotel stay, rental car or flight, and these have helped get many free trips throughout the year.

Also be sure to get business credit cards with lucrative points earning plans and great travel benefits.

Lastly, check out Skiplagged to find the cheapest flights available.

4. Auto rental: book, cancel, book

Whenever I’m going to need a car for a trip, I book far in advance.

Nine out of ten times, the rates for that same vehicle are cheaper when I land than when I first booked.

I check rates right when I touch down in a city, and if it’s cheaper I cancel my original rental and rebook for the cheaper rate.

5. Land first, book second

Staying in a Marriott in every city is nice, but I wait until I land to book a hotel room for the night using either Hotwire.com or HotelTonight etc.

Do your research beforehand to make sure there isn’t a Penn State football game that forces you to stay 50 miles away in Altoona -- I learned that lesson the hard way.

Always think of meals when considering a hotel as well.

Some chains have free breakfast in the morning and a free dinner or appetizers from 5-7PM, leaving you

one meal in between to cover outside of the cost of the hotel.

Thanks.

To making life better!!!

CEO/Brand Partner The Entrepreneur Annex!

www.aladesuru-walter-adewale.strikingly.com