Business Travel: Thing of the Past?
New research indicates companies have switched to virtual alternatives and many may never hit the road again.
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PrintOur business travel consists entirely of junkets to Starbucks in the morning, with the occasional corporate retreat to the pub at happy hour. So it is with objectivity that we can report the findings of the latest Global Business Travel Forecast by American Express. To wit: it’s not looking bright and sunny for the industry in 2010--or beyond, since companies investing now in video-conferencing systems and other virtual-meeting technologies might never again put their employees on planes. The upside for people who still do travel: bargains. The Seattle Times calls 2010 the "year of the deal" and lists 10 places to find discounts. (Not at Starbucks. We already checked.)
Study: Americans suffer from "vacation deprivation."
Groundbreaking research by HawaiiTours.com (that’s a hint) reveals that American workers are afflicted with serious vacation deprivation. Thirty-four percent of those surveyed said they felt refreshed and toiled harder at their jobs after some time off. Of course, the study is a joke made up by HawaiiTours.com. (But no reason to tell your boss that last part.)
Or if you’re looking for more work. People who own small businesses tend to take a Hawaiian vacation, oh, every century or so. Usually they’re trying to find new clients and increase their workload. One of the best places to look is the federal government, which spends more on products and services than any other customer on earth. But a lot of small-business owners, especially women, feel the system is stacked against them. To help, the SBA has a new online training course called "Winning Federal Contracts: A Guide for Women Entrepreneurs." The self-paced course is intended to help women learn about the federal procurement process. So if you’re a woman business owner, check it out. (Or just make a giant campaign contribution to some politician. We hear that works too.)
Happy Freedom from Bullies Week. You may not have known that this past week was Freedom from Bullies Week. We sure didn’t. Nor did we know there’s a Workplace Bullying Institute, dedicated to "raising awareness of and creating a public dialogue about workplace bullying." But we can appreciate the need for such an institute. In fact, there are days when things don’t go well and we ourselves wish we had some lacky to lash out at. Alas, there’s only our bulldog, Basil. Not that he doesn’t deserve a little bullying, especially when he gets bored and pulls all the toilet paper off the roll. But then he gives us that look and we let him slide. (Although you can bet we’ll bring it up in his next review.)
Study: Americans suffer from "vacation deprivation."
Groundbreaking research by HawaiiTours.com (that’s a hint) reveals that American workers are afflicted with serious vacation deprivation. Thirty-four percent of those surveyed said they felt refreshed and toiled harder at their jobs after some time off. Of course, the study is a joke made up by HawaiiTours.com. (But no reason to tell your boss that last part.)Or if you’re looking for more work. People who own small businesses tend to take a Hawaiian vacation, oh, every century or so. Usually they’re trying to find new clients and increase their workload. One of the best places to look is the federal government, which spends more on products and services than any other customer on earth. But a lot of small-business owners, especially women, feel the system is stacked against them. To help, the SBA has a new online training course called "Winning Federal Contracts: A Guide for Women Entrepreneurs." The self-paced course is intended to help women learn about the federal procurement process. So if you’re a woman business owner, check it out. (Or just make a giant campaign contribution to some politician. We hear that works too.)
Happy Freedom from Bullies Week. You may not have known that this past week was Freedom from Bullies Week. We sure didn’t. Nor did we know there’s a Workplace Bullying Institute, dedicated to "raising awareness of and creating a public dialogue about workplace bullying." But we can appreciate the need for such an institute. In fact, there are days when things don’t go well and we ourselves wish we had some lacky to lash out at. Alas, there’s only our bulldog, Basil. Not that he doesn’t deserve a little bullying, especially when he gets bored and pulls all the toilet paper off the roll. But then he gives us that look and we let him slide. (Although you can bet we’ll bring it up in his next review.)
