Corporate Housing Shoppers Blog – Advice, News, and More

CNN Money.com recently published an interesting article about Paul Ziff, who is president of Zenith International. Ziff travels solo 60-80 days out of the year, and offers advice on how to get more enjoyment out of your business trip. Some tips from Ziff include going to baseball parks just before the game, when certain seats are released inexpensively, and putting a piece of yellow tape on your luggage to make it more easily recognizable in an airport baggage claim. The article is entertaining and well worth a read.

My brother is a business traveler and one of the ways that we keep in touch with him while he’s out of the country is through programs like Skype. The effects of video conferencing on business travel is not as clear cut as NBTA’s online videos on the subject would have you believe. Yes, on the one hand video conferencing does eliminate the need for some business travel. But the trips it eliminates are the shorter, more expensive ones. The impact of video conferencing on the longer trips is this: it’s easier to create contract and temporary jobs now because of the ability to telecommute. More contract jobs means more business travel, not less.

According to the NBTA, or National Business Travel Association, business travel has dropped 10% from 2008, and is being scrutinized by politicians and the press as an unnecessary expenditure. The article goes on to say, and rightly so, that persuasion is easiest when done in person and business travel creates jobs. What’s needed is an effort to streamline the waste, not eliminate business travel altogether. (more…)

One of the huge advantages to using corporate housing is the presence of a fully equipped kitchen. This can be a life-saver for your expense account, as you can cook your own meals at home instead of eating out. (more…)

In the article “Impact of High Oil Prices and Economic Downturn on Business Travel,” the NBTA, or National Business Travel Association, notes that managers are making the following new habits in company policy:

1. Refueling a car before returning it to the rental facility.
2. Sharing ground transportation costs with other employees.
3. Moving to smaller, less expensive car rentals.
4. Renting more fuel efficient cars (non-hybrids).
5. Using more public transportation when traveling.
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The New York Times reported that more and more, business travelers are using social media to network with new clients, to locate appropriate venues for client dinners, and to get information about the area they’ll be traveling to while on the road. The article went on to mention that Twitter, Facebook, and Yelp are excellent sources of information. (more…)

The New York Times reported that business travelers who blog about their lives on the road have become more prevalent. If you have a business blog that you would like to contribute to our Blogroll, please comment below.  We will gladly give it our consideration.

For some people, the open road is a lonely one. Meeting people while working as a professional traveler can be difficult and frustrating. Not so for Gene and Linda Brown. (more…)

There’s no better place, possibly on Earth, to shop for books than Cambridge, MA. (more…)

Many of the providers on ShopCorporateHousing.com offer pet friendly accommodations. Here are a few tips for traveling with a pet by car: (more…)