ExpenseAnywhere

IBM Study reveals people in the US are feeling better about the coming Memorial Day weekend than they did a year ago.

noreply@blogger.com (ExpenseAnywhere) — Thu, 24 May 2012 16:12:00 +0000

Some positive news coming ahead of the Memorial Day weekend in the wake of some major economic downfalls. Greek and Eurozone crisis to Facebook IPO downfall to the JP Morgan trading losses.

Here is wishing all of you - a happy and fun-filled Memorial Day weekend.

Click for the IBM study article:

Expense management automation helps managing expenses and controlling costs; two factors on which CFO's can have complete control over

noreply@blogger.com (ExpenseAnywhere) — Mon, 21 May 2012 17:02:00 +0000

Global financial crisis, economic downturn, increased uncertainty, greater regulation and currency fluctuation, factors not completely controllable by CFO's. The rising currency volatility, the increase in cash reserves and geopolitical imbalances are posing challenges to CFOs who are otherwise optimistic about the economy.

Read the full article at:

http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/the-balance-between-controlempowerment/474843/

When it comes to packing, less is more!

noreply@blogger.com (ExpenseAnywhere) — Tue, 15 May 2012 14:23:00 +0000

Time is Money: Save Time Through Packing Light.

Traveling to Walt Disney World is not an excursion to Mount Everest, so when it comes to packing, less is more! Think back to your own travel experiences, to Orlando and elsewhere. Have you ever wished you packed more?

Click to read the full article by

Margie Binder,

http://usat.ly/Kq47iM

How to pack your gadgets for travel

noreply@blogger.com (ExpenseAnywhere) — Fri, 11 May 2012 19:56:00 +0000

Need to bring electronics with you on vacation? With our tips, you can learn how to pack for travel in the most efficient way while following all safety regulations to save time and hassle.

Click to read more:
http://bit.ly/JgktpG

Fly to the Moon for $9, Plus an addiotnal $1.2 Billion in Airline Fees

noreply@blogger.com (ExpenseAnywhere) — Wed, 09 May 2012 15:56:00 +0000

If you ever thought of a trip to the moon, Spirit Airlines has a deal for you that could turn your dream into reality. The only thing to worry about would be the addtional fees involved. After all, we all have been told to Aim for the moon and we would at least land somewhere amongst the stars.

Click for the full article. http://on.wsj.com/HqYYQx

The best credit cards for travel

noreply@blogger.com (ExpenseAnywhere) — Thu, 03 May 2012 16:07:00 +0000

If you spend time on the road for business or pleasure.....It's great to know the credit cards options and the benefits each provides. Please click on the following link to read the full article by Dave Johnson.

http://cbsn.ws/KfDwpM

The Isolation of Air Travel May be a Thing of the Past

noreply@blogger.com (ExpenseAnywhere) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 15:37:00 +0000

Tired of feeling cut off from the rest of society while flying? A recent article from MSNCB reassures travelers that this will hopefully be a problem of the past. Currently only around 80 planes have access to streaming wireless in-flight entertainment (IFE). The hope is that this number will reach 9,000 aircraft by 2021. This change would allow passengers to not only enjoy the select wireless content offered by an aircraft, but also would allow passengers to use their own devices to access the Internet and view more content that is stored on their devices.

Currently, the Federal Aviation Association does not permit the use of personal electronic devices on planes during taxing, take-off or landing, due to the possibility that it may interfere with a jet’s avionics systems. There is a possibility that this will change though as the agency is looking again at the use of personal electronics and how they might be tested for safety.

Some airlines already offer travelers the ability to rent out personal electronic devices that are pre-loaded with movies and/or TV shows and this is a trend that will most likely continue as airlines test this possibility. The cost of these devices and/or using the Internet for personal devices is yet to be determined.

For more on this article:

http://overheadbin.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/20/11284539-wireless-in-flight-entertainment-expanding-in-the-skies-soon?lite

ExpenseAnywhere Invited to Speak at GFOA 2012 Conference

noreply@blogger.com (ExpenseAnywhere) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 15:25:00 +0000

If you or your company is attending the GFOA (Government Finance Officers Association) Conference this June, make sure to attend the panel discussion: "Automate and Innovate: IT for Accounts Payable." Ashok Dhar, CEO of ExpenseAnywhere, has been invited to speak at the concurrent session on automation systems for accounts payable. The panel will focus on the overall efficiency and benefits that automated accounts payable systems provide, which includes: internal controls, effective cash management and the ability for electronic payments. The seminar will be held 2:00 pm to 3:40 pm on June 12, 2012 in McCormick Place West Level-1, Room W-186.

For more information:
http://online.myiwf.com/gfoa2012/Sessions.aspx?ID=T07&sp=

Business Concierge Services Making a Comeback

noreply@blogger.com (ExpenseAnywhere) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 14:50:00 +0000

A recent article in the San Francisco Chronicle mentions that an aspect of business travel that has been on the downturn will be seeing an increase in 2012. The part of business travel discussed is the use of Business Concierge Services. This industry provides business travelers with the ease of having an outside party deal with the entire process of their travel. This includes things from running errands, managing appointments and making travel reservations, to even arranging for pet sitting.

Although originally used by mostly celebrities and affluent professionals, the company began to cater their businesses toward private households and corporate employees. That being said, the company saw slow growth as the economy worsened and people were left with less disposable income. As the economy continues to improve in 2012, the industry is seeing increased revenue and a brighter future of these services.

For more info:

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2012/04/20/prweb9421718.DTL

Looking to Get Away?

noreply@blogger.com (ExpenseAnywhere) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 20:28:00 +0000

Exhausted of only traveling for work? If you are looking for an inexpensive way to get to a relaxing beach, try the international flight now offered by AirTran Airways, a subsidiary of Southwest Airlines. A recent article on MarketWatch states that the flight departs from Denver International Airport and will take travelers to Cancun International Airport. Today is the first day of flights for this new route and they can be booked at www.airtran.com or www.southwest.com.

Southwest also recently announced that members of their frequent flyer program, Rapid Rewards, can earn bonus points by booking certain international flights on AirTran Airways, which includes the new service from Denver to Cancun. Several other international routes for AirTran have also been announced by Southwest, including: San Antonio to Cancun and Mexico City, starting May 24; Austin to Cancun, starting May 25; Orange County to Los Cabos and Mexico City, starting June 3; and Chicago/Midway to Cancun, starting June 3.

Whether booking flights for business or pleasure, it is always a good idea to stay on top of the various new routes available to travelers. This is only one of many things one can do to facilitate an easy, hassle-free trip.

For more on this article:

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/airtran-airways-officially-launches-its-first-international-flight-from-denver-international-airport-with-new-service-to-cancun-2012-04-16

Staying Happy & Energized on the Road

noreply@blogger.com (ExpenseAnywhere) — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 20:27:00 +0000

Even with the improving economy somewhat easing the financial pain of business travel, people still have to work hard to balance travel with their personal lives and needs. As mentioned in an article on JS Online, one important way to stay connected while away is to book a hotel that has free high-speed internet. It makes any online business needs easily accomplished, while also allowing for a great way to keep in contact with the family while away. In order to stay energized and feeling your best, the article suggests to not skip any meals, particularly breakfast. It is generally easy to find hotels that offer a delicious breakfast spread that will help keep you ready for the day, such as Country Inns & Suites.

Making sure to bring workout clothes with you so as to fit in some exercise while traveling is another great suggestion. This is great for people who hate to miss a workout or for anyone who wants to feel more energized and less stressed. Enjoying yourself may seem like an obvious thing to do while traveling, but many times it is not the first thing on your mind when traveling for business. This article suggests walking around the city you’re staying in or asking locals about the best places to go. By doing this you can enjoy yourself a little and maybe even have more to discuss with clients! Another way to ease one’s travel is to use an expense management system that takes away from the stress of saving and/or digging through receipts!

For more on this article:

http://www.jsonline.com/sponsoredarticles/business/147310185.html

Using Mobile Apps to Keep Cash in Your Wallet

noreply@blogger.com (ExpenseAnywhere) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 15:12:00 +0000

Travelers are always looking for ways to cut back on their expenses, and one way to do that is use technology as an advantage. A recent article on the Daily Finance web site states that business travel is still a constant, even with the rising cost of travel expenses. The article offers a look into five mobile apps that can be used to help manage and facilitate the ease of traveling without emptying one’s pockets completely.

First on the list is Foursquare.com, a check-in app that also offers instant rebates to consumers who use an American Express card. It can also help people find the popular spots to go in any given location, as these are posted by friends and viewable to the user. HelloWallet.com charges $9/month and allows users to track their transactions and budget their expenses. Another app named TurboScan can be used as a step of the expense management system as it allows users to scan documents and save as a PDF.

Cardmunch.com is a service of LinkedIn and offers the ability to scan business cards with a phone and update the information into any contact management system. Kayak.com is a search engine that is useful for finding cheap travel information and also contains an iPhone app with a currency exchange calculator, airport information, contact numbers for major airlines and tour information.

While all of these apps may be helpful individually along the way, it is important to keep in mind the ease that comes with having an expense management system that all employees can access and use to manage their end-to-end travel spend and reimbursements, especially one that also offers Mobile App options in order to easily manage the travel spend and expense reporting process.

For more on this article:

http://www.dailyfinance.com/2012/04/09/5-money-smart-apps-for-business-travelers/

Keeping Track of Tax Deductible Travel Expenses

noreply@blogger.com (ExpenseAnywhere) — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 18:48:00 +0000

In a world where money is everything, it is crucial to know what business travel expenses are tax deductible, and what are not. A recent article from USA TODAY gives an overview of why it is crucial to have credible documents handy when filing income tax returns. Keeping documents as evidence of prudent travel and spending is also handy when one needs to be reimbursed, especially if one is audited. There are various travel expenses that can be deducted, but the rules and stipulations may be confusing to some. It is recommended to visit the IRS website www.irs.gov, which provides people explanations of the laws in laymen’s terms.

The article reminds business travelers to not spend frivolously on business trips and that even if the IRS does not require the report of receipts under $75; it is beneficial to keep all receipts. If one does not have accurate records of their expenses in order to back up a claim, they may have to pay interest, the tax itself, and also a penalty. This is where the benefit of utilizing an automated expense management system comes into play, receipts and other ways of tracking expenses are easily stored and retrievable.

For more on this article:

http://travel.usatoday.com/news/story/2012-04-02/What-travel-expenses-are-tax-deductible/53951208/1

Is Extreme Saving Worth it for the Employee?

noreply@blogger.com (ExpenseAnywhere) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 19:00:00 +0000

Some people spend lots of time and energy attempting to avoid the often expensive choices for business travel arrangements. A recent article in the Wall Street Journal describes how frugal spenders will go to great lengths to be able to cut their expenses while traveling for business. Some people even go so far as to carry around their own personal, foldable bicycle in order to cut back on cab fare. The question overall is, does this behavior truly benefit the employee? The company may be saving money, but the odd looks people receive may not be worth it. Some employers worry what clients will think of their employees’ strange behavior, while others seem to accept it as simply the way that employee acts and spends their money at all times, business trip or not. One of the benefits of having an automated expense management system is that the greater visibility allows companies to really hone in on where they are actually overspending on travel expenses.

For more on this article: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204781804577271652014459814.html?ref=linkedin#articleTabs%3Darticle

Business Travel Begins Shift from Europe to Asia

noreply@blogger.com (ExpenseAnywhere) — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 19:47:00 +0000

A recent article in the African Business Review by Melissa Rudd, discusses where the highest average hotel rates can be found worldwide. With cities such as Istanbul seeing a dramatic rise in pricing over the last few years, it appears that a shift is beginning to emerge that finds business travel to Asia gaining popularity over Europe.

Although Europe still appears to dominate much of the higher-end hotel market for business travel, Asia may not be far behind for much longer.

http://www.africanbusinessreview.co.za/money_matters/just-how-costly-are-your-hotel-expenses

New Regulations Could Strengthen U.S. Ties with India

noreply@blogger.com (ExpenseAnywhere) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 19:37:00 +0000

According to an Indian news source, new regulations could soon appear that would make visa renewal for qualified Indian applicants working or studying in the U.S. a much easier process. Such changes could not only help bolster the U.S. economy, but also strengthen the relationship the U.S. has with India.

For more on this article: http://twocircles.net/2012mar22/us_allays_indias_visa_concerns_backs_easier_business_travel.html

Technology Aimed at the Business Traveler

noreply@blogger.com (ExpenseAnywhere) — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 19:23:00 +0000

With today being the Spring Equinox, we felt that our blog deserved a more upbeat and lighthearted look at the world of business travel. Grace Nasri of Reuters recently published an article detailing the top 5 gadgets currently making trips a bit easier on business travelers. Although the suggestions are not officially endorsed by Reuters, we felt that they were well thought out and very much worth mentioning.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/19/uk-business-travel-gadgets-idUSLNE82I02T20120319

Happy Sunshine Week!

noreply@blogger.com (ExpenseAnywhere) — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 20:08:00 +0000

This week celebrates the freedom of information provided by the Sunshine laws, which were granted to all U.S. Citizens in the mid 70s. The Sunshine laws were created to provide greater transparency into government processes, so the public could be made more aware of the laws and rulings that affected them most.

As a company that must adhere to many government-mandated regulations including the Physicians Payment Sunshine Act, (PPSA) which will soon take effect, we proudly support this week!

Rebounding Economies Push Hotel Rates Higher

noreply@blogger.com (ExpenseAnywhere) — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 19:20:00 +0000

Rob Gill of Air and Business Travel News discusses a recent survey by Hotels.com in which the hotel booking agency calculated a 4% overall increase globally in hotel rates in 2011 as compared to the previous year. http://www.abtn.co.uk/news/1317104-business-travel-recovery-fuels-hotel-price-rises

The rise in hotel rates, although potentially discouraging to travelers, serves as a positive marker for the global economy. With certain countries in particular, higher hotels rates serve to be very indicative of their increasing growth and expansion.

Travel Groups Look to Expand Into Africa

noreply@blogger.com (ExpenseAnywhere) — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 19:55:00 +0000

For many business travelers, the idea of flying to Africa on business may not seem like a very typical trip. A number of travel groups are looking to change that, however, with plans aimed at expanding into parts of Africa in the near future. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/09/uk-hotels-africa-idUSLNE82802J20120309

Hotels Now Catering to Women in Business

noreply@blogger.com (ExpenseAnywhere) — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 20:17:00 +0000

With the number of women that travel for business increasing significantly over the past decade, numerous hotels have begun to offer exclusive female-specific features. Flowers, powerful hairdryers, and steam irons are just a few of the added amenities that hotels are equipping their rooms with in order to attract a larger number of female business travelers. Check out the full article from CNN: http://edition.cnn.com/2012/03/07/business/women-hotels-business-travelers/index.html

Are you a female business traveler? Let us know what you think about these added amenities? Would you choose a hotel that offered such services versus one that did not?

Increased Transparency for Canadian Government Officials

noreply@blogger.com (ExpenseAnywhere) — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 20:57:00 +0000

With increased transparency becoming an ever-present theme for government officials in the U.S., Canada is also taking steps to make more information available to the public regarding government spending habits. http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/councillors-expense-reports-now-on-display-140406653.html

By making information more readily available to the public, an automated expense management system would be of great benefit to numerous government entities by allowing them the ability to easily track, monitor, and create reports on all travel and expense-related spending.

Business Travel Show to Return to CNN

noreply@blogger.com (ExpenseAnywhere) — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 18:24:00 +0000

There is exciting news today for business travelers that came in the form of an announcement from CNN international, in which they disclosed the return of their "CNN Business Traveller" program to their international channel beginning in March. The award-winning program, hosted by Richard Quest, will take an in-depth look at what it takes to get a leg up on the competition when it comes to making the most of a business trip.

For more information about when and where the show will air please visit: http://cnnpressroom.blogs.cnn.com/2012/03/02/award-winning-cnn-business-traveller-returns-to-cnn-international-in-march/

Airlines Continue to Raise Fares

noreply@blogger.com (ExpenseAnywhere) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 16:24:00 +0000

Unfortunately for many businesses, airline price hikes have become an ever-present theme over the past few years. The tumultuous fuel costs are very much to blame for the added fees and changing flight patterns as airline companies look for ways to compensate for their most exorbitant expense.

Check out this great article discussing rising costs and the struggle airlines are facing: http://bit.ly/zbWR5s

How is your business planning on dealing with rising fuel prices? Cut backs on travel? Implementing new travel regulations? Let us know!

Political Candidate Receives Hefty Expense Reimbursement

noreply@blogger.com (ExpenseAnywhere) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 19:32:00 +0000

The Washington Post recently addressed the expense reimbursement information of Republican presidential candidate, Newt Gingrich. The presidential hopeful's campaign reimbursed him for travel-related expenses totaling more than $300,000, drawing significant attention from the Federal Election Commission.

By utilizing an automated expense management system such as ExpenseAnywhere, Gingrich's campaign would have been able to easily track additional details and quickly create reports on all employee travel. Such data could have helped to ease suspicions and clarify where the campaign money was being spent.

Check out the full Washington Post article here: http://wapo.st/wSCYrw