Having a small or micro business does not mean you only do business locally. With technology advancing everyday, the smallest of businesses can have customers around the country or on the other side of the world. Depending on your industry, it may be necessary to meet with your customers in person. And as your business grows, it may be the best way to cement relationships with your clients, because video conferencing will never replace face to face meetings.
Last week I learned about something that will help you to move around the state, country, or the world. Tripware, an MS Outlook plug-in, is a travel tool for small and micro businesses. It allows you to book airline, hotel, and auto rentals, all in less than 2 minutes. Then your itinerary is put in your calendar. Any travel changes will be made there, as well.
Using advanced algorithms (don’t worry if you don’t know what this means – the Tripware people do), Tripware analyzes your travel habits and recurring behavior, thus automating your business travel as much as possible. It will save you trouble and money by eliminating the need of a travel agent, executive assistant, or separate tools to book and manage travel and appointments.
Tripware's features include “one click” booking, identifying airline/hotel preferences, trip schedule preferences, tie-ins with reward programs, pre-travel reminders, ability to book multiple travelers, expense report management, sharing itineraries via email, and more. Later this year they will offer enhanced functions, including the ability to drag and drop changes to meeting and travel schedules, and the ability to book international travel. This is a lot! And it will allow you to spend less time dealing with your travel and more time running your business.
You can download the necessary software from their website. Tripware charges a nominal fee per booking, starting at $5.00 plus a small percentage of base fare. It is very affordable. You can check them out here Tripware.com
Lastly, I asked them if this could also be used for personal travel, and the answer was yes. And they are currently working on even more features for personal travel. So when you find a tiny sliver of time for yourself and your family, you can easily book that much needed vacation.
