In running your company, do you think twice about employees hit the road for business travel?
For some employers, it is a simple decision to whether workers need to travel or not. For others, they end up going back-and-forth on this decision.
So, if your employees should travel for business, will they make it worth your while? That is when it comes to landing and keeping more business and doing it in a financially relevant manner?
Pros and Cons of Business Travel
In determining if some or many of your employees need to hit the road for business, think about the pros and cons.
On the pros side:
- Face-to-face meetings – While you may be a smart owner and even a good travel planner, you may hesitate at times. That is to sign off on an employee going to meet with a client. If so, why is this the case? It may boil down to your fear that it will cost you too much money. Such costs can include airfare, hotels, rental cars and more. That said can you put a price tag on a face-to-face meeting with a client? Yes, calls, emails, texts are good ways to interact with current and potential clients. That said there is always the chance the face-to-face interaction will seal the deal.
- No distractions in the way – If your employees are on calls with clients, distractions may come up. As such, you could see disconnect with a client. He or she may feel as if they are not getting all your employee’s attention. By meeting one-on-one, there is less opportunity for such distractions.
- Out of the office – While you may not view travel for work-related business as fun time, it can be productive. Not only might your employee improve a relationship with clients, but the former may be happy to get out. As a result, knowing they can travel for work on occasion may inspire them to work harder at the end of the day.
On the cons side:
- Too expensive – In looking at the downside of travel, you may come to realize it is costing your business. That is too much money to have workers travel. Keep in mind that many businesses operate on budgets. As a result, spending too much on employee travel can have a negative impact on such budgets. If money is getting in the way of employee travel, see if there are ways around this. These can include less travel and digging for deals with transportation and lodging.
- Is work getting done? – Although the hope is you have trust in your employees, some owners like the hands-on approach. As such, will you worry that your employees are not getting the job done when out on the road? Some employers in fact might feel this way. It comes down to if you trust your workers and they are able to show positive results of such travels.
As you go about deciding if your employees should travel for business, will you make the right calls?