Minimizing Travel without Sacrificing Business
 Before I started doing consulting and training for Woman and Minority Owned
Businesses I spent more than 25 years in the telecommunications industry. In February
2002 (soon after the tragedy of 9/11) I wrote a white paper on Minimizing Travel.
Even though six years have passed the situation has not improved because security
regulations and gas prices keep increasing. Even though these pointers on Minimizing
Travel are not directly related to being a Woman/Minority Owned Business I thought
you might still find them helpful. Following is a slightly updated version of
the 2002 white paper.
The Dilemma
The cost and complications of business travel have increased tremendously over
the last few years and especially in recent months. Many businesses and organizations
are struggling with the decision of whether to travel or not and how to effectively
do business if they reduce the amount of travel. Some of the factors in these
decisions are:
- Cost of airline tickets, gas, rental cars
- Cost of overnight stay (with increased security and related travel time one-day
trips are not as easily accomplished)
- Cost associated with increased time involved in travel (monetary and personal
sacrifice)
- Apprehension to travel/Concern for staff traveling
- Frustration in the time and complication of travel
- The old revenue to expense formula weighs heavier on the expense side today
We are all ready to strongly consider alternatives to travel. However, much like
a very hungry person in a buffet line everything looks good. You will have to
carefully analyze possibilities and be sure the methods compliment to the specific
ways you do business and the outcomes you need. Following is a tested method for
insuring the right choices are made.
- Determine what type of trips you and your staff make and the desired outcome(s)
- List the real negatives of not being face-to-face with the person(s) at the far
end of the trip
- List the time and dollar costs associated with the trip
- Compare the two lists
- Think of all possible methods of interaction (listed later) short of an actual
trip
- Compare each of the interaction methods with the negative of not being face-to-face
and decide if there are ways to overcome the negatives
- Ask the person(s) at the far end of the trip how they feel about other methods
of interaction
- Determine if you can serve more clients/customers and thus increase revenue by
using alternatives to travel
- Make a decision on each trip or type of trip based on the above factors
The Solutions
There are many ways to communicate and conduct business without traveling. There
are also measures you can take to insure trips are more effective. A business
must realistically evaluate the options to determine what is best for the situation.
Several non-travel interaction methods may be employed by a business, depending
on the specific situation and desired outcome. You must educate yourself and/or
call on consultants and customer advocates to ensure you are not unduly influenced
by the immediacy of the situation or the hype of the proposed solution.
Here is a list of some of the possible alternatives to business travel. (Some
situations may require a mixture of the alternatives either simultaneously or
at specific junctures in the process.)
- Video Conferencing
- Via your private network
- Via the Internet
- Via a video conferencing service/facility
- Audio Teleconferencing
- Online Presentation
- Online Meeting with or without screen sharing
- Email
- Instant messaging
- Online Chat
- Bulletin Board
- Extranet (allow clients access to applicable information within your network)
- Hard copy (US Mail, overnight delivery, private courier service, etc.)
- One-on-One Phone Conversation (it sounds silly, but it is sometimes overlooked)
- There are probably others that I dont know about since Ive been away from telecom
for several years
Even though the logistics of travel have become more complicated, it is still
the same set of logistics every time. Getting to the airport, allowing time for
security checks, dealing with luggage and luggage screening its the same every
trip. If the trip is made by car its also a uniform set of activities. Preparing
to do business from home base requires a whole new set of preparation and execution
logistics. It also necessitates a new set of precautions. Here are some of the
basic considerations and actions:
Appropriate network speed and size (phone lines or wireless)
Adequate network security
Proper software
Necessary equipment (video, quality speaker phones, headsets to filter out noise,
etc.)
Suitable spaces that are acoustically adequate for video conferencing or audio
conferencing
Training (equipment and procedures)
The old tried and true preparation actions for doing business are even more important
when doing business without traveling and for making travel more efficient. Some
of those actions are:
Research the other party (website, other internet sources, newspaper articles,
financial report, and other appropriate material)
Reading ahead (the proposal, the past correspondence, any other background or
appropriate information)
Test equipment and/or line at least a day before it is to be used
Know how to use the equipment or software
Have a technical expert available a life line
Practice (on-line presentation, video or audio speech, etc.)
Allow enough time for the meeting (people tend to think a video or phone meeting
will not take as long as an in-person one, your time savings comes from not having
to travel)
Schedule multiple meetings or contacts if you do travel
Be sure you have proper materials with you whether you travel or have a meeting
online or by phone
Be sure the right people do the traveling or are involved in the online interaction
(do not involve unnecessary people in a video or phone meeting just because you
can without having to incur travel expense)
Send one or two people to a conference and have them provide the information
to other appropriate staff. Purchasing videos of the presentations may be an alternative
to attending at all.
Travel is a way of life and business for commercial, non-profit, education and
government entities. However, economic and security conditions require evaluation
of travel practices and the implementation of alternatives It will take some effort
to overhaul attitudes and procedures, but the results will be a more efficient
and effective way of doing business.
I do consultations, research, radio interviews and meetings by phone all the
time. During a phone consultation or meeting I often have the other participants
go directly to websites and help them walk through forms, understand procedures
and find information expediting their ability to action. Doing consultations by
phone makes it affordable and possible for my clients to use my services.
Janet W Christy
Author of Capitalizing On Being Woman Owned
President, Leverage & Development, LLC
Director, Business Hospital For Women
janet@leverageanddevelopment.com
864-244-4117 Fax: 864-322-2832
www.leverageanddevelopment.com
www.businesshospitalforwomen.com
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