Press releases

SME employees adopt DIY business travel policies

Many SMEs are offering their staff limited guidance when planning business trips, according to research out today from Barclaycard Business. Nearly half (47%) of companies with less than 250 employees do not have a company policy on business travel, compared to just 22% of organisations with staff forces of 250 plus.

Results from the tenth annual Barclaycard Business Travel Survey also reveal that even within those companies which do have travel policies in place, these are not always adhered to by staff.

For example:

• Just one in ten (11%) SME business travellers are influenced by company policy when booking a hotel
• A third (31%) of SMEs say they would break their company business travel policy if they could get a cheaper deal
• One in five (21%) would break the policy in order to book a more comfortable option

Tim Carlier at Barclaycard Business comments: "Whilst resources can often be limited in smaller organisations, it would be advisable for those SMEs who have yet to adopt company policies on booking travel to consider the benefits of putting something in place.

It can not only drive cost efficiencies and provide economies of scale with travel providers but could also help to reduce pressure on employees and take the stress out of arranging business trips."

The research from Barclaycard Business also offers an insight into the travelling patterns of SMEs.

• Forty three percent of SME business travellers said they had spent more time away on business than in the previous year
• Business expansion overseas (33%) and in the UK (18%) were identified as the main reasons for this increase
• A further 16% said they are travelling more to generate new business which may signal the expansion of SMEs into emerging markets
• The top five business travel destinations for SMEs in 2005 were UK and Ireland (76%), Western Europe (57%), US and Canada (26%), Asia Pacific (11%) and Eastern Europe (9%)