You can never have enough tricks for saving time, money, and sanity, whether you're up in the air or on the road. That's why we asked 11 entrepreneurs from Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) the following question:
Q. "What is your best business travel hack (time-saving, money-saving, productivity, etc.)?"
1. Airbnb
I've saved countless dollars for my business by staying at Airbnbs. When you're a young startup with less than 15 people, every dollar counts. If I don't have to spend $250/night on a hotel and can pay $60 for a nice bed, I'm 100 percent game. It's setting our business up to have more money to invest in growing—and you still get a good night's rest! – John Rampton, JohnRampton.com
2. A Travel Checklist
Checklists are so undervalued. Have you ever found yourself unable to sleep the night before a trip because you're wondering if you forgot something? I have a simple Evernote template with various items from electronics, bathroom items, and clothing that allow me to quickly and easily go through each item one by one. This makes planning for trips a cinch. – Cody McLain, WireFuseMedia LLC
3. A Bonus Day for Meetings
I love to schedule an extra day at the end of a trip for meetings with local colleagues, new connections from a conference, or to simply see the city. Having this extra space in your calendar usually means a more enjoyable trip and better business relationships. Attending an event? Drop off a thank you gift to the host before leaving town to show your appreciation. –Kelly Azevedo, She's Got Systems
4. Elite Status
Try to fly on one airline so you can get elite status. You get many benefits and it can really save you time. For example, I was bumped to first spot on a standby list instead of No. 7. They only let two people on the flight and I was one of the two people. I would not have made that flight had it not been for my status on that airline. – Andrew Thomas, SkyBell Technologies, Inc.
5. Being Nice
Travel—especially air travel—is often trying and sometimes aggravating, but your problems are rarely the other person's fault. The gate agent had nothing to do with the flight being canceled; the TSA worker didn't write the airport security regulations. Being nice to these people will win you their help. But being nasty, impatient, rude, or aggressive will only make your problems worse. – Jared Brown, Hubstaff
6. Necessities in Each City
If you are traveling to the same few cities, it's best to leave some clothes and necessities in each city. You can ask the hotel or Airbnb that you stay in to keep a bag with all your stuff so you can travel very lightly and not have to carry much luggage. – Randy Rayess, VenturePact
7. Always Be Charging
I can't count the times I've been on the road and my laptop/smartphone battery runs out (just when I was supposed to start working on something important). Always carry a portable extra battery (or two) with you on your travels. Even if you jump from airport to airport, it's not always certain that you end up finding a free power socket you can plug into. Don't let your day get ruined by a dead battery. – Juha Liikala, Stripped Bare Media
8. TSA Pre✓®
TSA Pre✓® is the best membership for the constant business traveler. Once you’ve been approved, there is no need to remove your shoes or take your laptop out of your bag in the airport security line. Having a separate line for ‘expert’ travelers is really efficient. – Tom Alexander, PK4 Media
9. Mobile Office
For organizing, use TripIt Pro! For on the road, pack a mobile office. I pack a small power cord with four plugs for when you can only find that one outlet at the airport but you need to power up three devices for the flight ahead. I also bring a book or audio book for when there's no Wi-Fi, along with good old-fashioned pen and paper. And I can't live without noise-canceling headphones. – Kayla Wagner, Revel Interactive
10. American Express Business Platinum Card
The American Express Business Platinum credit card gets me access into most airport lounges, which is very useful for international travel, where I have long wait times between connections. Most lounges have free food, drinks, Wi-Fi, and, most important, a plethora of power outlets. – Nanxi Liu, Enplug
11. One-Bag Travel
The idea of one-bag travel is to have only one bag so you don't have to check luggage. There are lots of blogs about one-bag travel, and companies that have made such bags. My favorite that I've used for years is the Tom Bihn Aeronaut bag. I travel with two weeks worth of stuff in it, and it's a carry on. – Farbood Nivi, Learnist
