Accelerating growth: How a managed travel partner...

Congratulations! Your company is growing fast. Maybe you've just taken a second round of funding, or you've expanded into a new region. Regardless of where you are, you're growing as a business, so your next step is to find the right partners to help manage the areas that'll keep you on your upward trajectory.

And the one area which is often overlooked but can build a serious competitive advantage? Your corporate travel.

Believe it or not, your travel holds the key to implementing the processes that fuel your growth without slowing you down.

How exactly does this work?

A managed travel program can provide a more holistic approach to your corporate travel. This accelerates growth by benefiting multiple areas of your business, including:

Duty of care - Knowing where your travelers are and how to take care of them is a huge priority. And having a robust duty of care plan in place demonstrates that their safety is your top priority. By mitigating travel-related risks, you'll protect your employees, assets and reputation, allowing you to focus on growth.

Efficiency and productivity - A managed travel partner will streamline the booking process, saving employees valuable time that can be redirected towards more critical business activities. Automated booking systems, consolidated itineraries, and 24/7 support provides smooth travel experiences, minimizing disruptions and maximizing productivity.

Financial savings - Whether it's helping to optimize savings, tap into powerful negotiated rates, or reap the rewards of machine-learning to meet your travelers' preferences, a managed travel partner can provide you with smart tech and services that streamline your spend.

Happy travelers - Satisfied travelers are a big deal in today's competitive talent market. Your employees will get the autonomy they're looking for with intuitive booking tools - whether that's on their desktop, mobile app, or smart watch.

Sustainability and corporate responsibility - Greener practices are at the top of the priority list for a lot of businesses these days. More and more, companies want to be accountable for managing their carbon emissions. A corporate travel partner such as American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT), gives companies visibility into the impact of your travel options, so you can make choices that reflect your sustainability commitments both internally and externally.

Blind spots - Managed travel partners can provide you with visibility into where your travel budget is being spent, if bookings are within policy, and where your employees are at any given moment. Using data, they can streamline expense monitoring and policy compliance while giving you a view of those real-time insights. They'll also allow you to mine your travel data so you can find ways to save in the future and identify areas that need attention.

Global reach - Managed travel partners like Amex GBT have a global presence and local expertise. This allows you to navigate complex international markets easily. Whether you're expanding into new regions, or managing multi-national travel programs, they'll offer valuable insights and on-the-ground assistance to facilitate growth initiatives.

What to look for in a managed travel partner

So, you're ready to take that next step, but who should you go with? For companies that are scaling fast, there are a couple of essentials to look for in a travel partner:

A mindset that matches your business

The ability to get up and running quickly, and to easily add functionality to meet your company's needs as you expand, is vital when investing in a managed travel partner. However, a lot of fast-growing companies and small business owners who are new to managed travel often don't know where to start. A more experienced travel partner like Amex GBT can help by answering any concerns you might have, while building a business case to estimate how much you can save by consolidating travel through one platform.

The ability for your travel partner to be able to quickly grow with you

There are a lot of seemingly exciting new travel tech companies out there, and it can be difficult to decide which is best for your business. However, many platforms might not necessarily have the infrastructure to build the scalable business relationships that your fast-growing business requires.

That's where Amex GBT comes in.

When partnering with us, you'll benefit from world-class customer service, decades of experience, and the gravitas of a global network. We'll help you scale in a way that reflects your company's culture - with the DNA of a smart travel tech company that has a global reach.

Furthermore, Amex GBT's network and industry expertise gives growing businesses access to valuable insights and resources that support your expansion efforts. With a global presence, we offer unparalleled access to local knowledge and on-the-ground support crucial for businesses looking to expand their international footprint.

And did we mention that we also use smart, cutting-edge technology and data analytics to provide actionable insights and optimize travel spend? This enables growing businesses to make informed decisions and drive cost savings.

Overall, partnering with Amex GBT empowers growing businesses to scale efficiently, navigate complexities, and achieve their growth objectives with confidence.

Business travel isn't going away, so use it to your advantage

You might still be on the fence about whether travel is really that important to your growing business. Yes, digital products for communications have opened up new opportunities - but no matter how convenient it is for quick meetups, they'll never be able to replace the power of human contact - especially when it comes to meeting new customers or introducing new products.

Building on the collective energy in a room, putting heads together (literally) to solve a hard problem or ideate innovative business ideas with like-minded contributors, creates an intangible spark that happens when you're together in a room versus virtually. So, if you're in a space where business travel is likely to play a critical role to your growth, it's probably time to invest in a managed travel partner.

Still unsure about partnering with a corporate travel company? Read our blog "7 benefits of investing in a managed travel partner" to discover why teaming up with a travel platform is a valuable next step.