3 Ways Small Business Owners and Their Teams Can Travel Smarter — Photo by Hilton

Roughly 1.3 million business trips take place every day in the U.S., according to American Express Business Travel. For small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), those trips can lead to a positive impact on a company’s bottom line – but can also be challenging to coordinate, budget and manage. But it doesn’t have to be.

To help, Hilton leaders share three considerations for SMBs who want to travel smarter and maximize their personal and financial investment in business travel:

1. Enroll in a business travel program

Hilton data uncovered 75% of SMB customers book their own business trips and manage their own travel in-house, without outsourcing. Additionally, 80% of global travelers agree that it’s important to be able to book their entire trip online, according to the company’s 2024 Trends Report.

To address this need, Hilton this year launched Hilton for Business, a first-of-its-kind, free-to-join travel program, offering a comprehensive set of tools to enhance the business travel booking and management experience for SMB owners and their employees. In addition to no minimum spend requirements, one of the key benefits of the program is a quick enrollment and verification process to minimize the time required for the entire company to start booking discounted business travel.

When it comes to travel and travel management, SMBs have unique needs that, until now, have never been fully met. From the company dashboard and consolidation of travel to the ability to separate personal and business profiles within Hilton Honors accounts, all the elements of Hilton for Business were designed to enhance the overall travel experience for SMBs. Mike Gathright, senior vice president, customer experience, Hilton

2. Save money with discounts and loyalty rewards

Smart, budget-conscious consumers know joining rewards programs can result in financial efficiencies and gains. This applies to business owners as well. Owners can save money by identifying those partners and companies that will help them maximize their budget. Programs like Hilton for Business offer special discounted rates as well as travel rewards, like the ability for a company to earn Hilton Honors Points for itself as well as its travelers for each stay and to receive milestone Bonus Points based on the company’s cumulative travel with Hilton.

The first step in building a bespoke travel program for SMBs was to listen loudly to the needs of our customers. In doing so we discovered 70% of SMBs identified point earning opportunities as one of the most important features of a business travel program. With those insights, we prioritized that feature of the program to ensure that we were not only meeting – but exceeding – customer expectations while also driving the industry forward. Frank Passanante, senior vice president and global head of sales, Hilton

3. Maximize rewards with a co-branded credit card

For brand loyalists, the ultimate commitment – which leads to maximum rewards – is finding a co-branded business credit card that meets an individual’s financial needs and complements their lifestyle choices.

We at Hilton are committed to providing a wide array of offerings that meet the expectations of SMB owners and travelers. Following our recent co-branded credit card announcement, business owners can now accelerate the speed in which they earn and redeem Hilton Honors Points, leading to elevated travel experiences – whether traveling to Columbus, Ohio for a business meeting or Maui, Hawaii for a family vacation. Mark Weinstein, chief marketing officer, Hilton

For more information or to join Hilton for Business, visit HiltonforBusiness.com. For more information on Hilton’s co-brand credit card offerings, visit here.

About Hilton

Hilton is a leading global hospitality company with a portfolio of 22 world-class brands comprising more than 7,500 properties and nearly 1.2 million rooms, in 126 countries and territories. Dedicated to fulfilling its founding vision to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality, Hilton has welcomed over 3 billion guests in its more than 100-year history, was named the No. 1 World's Best Workplace by Great Place to Work and Fortune and has been recognized as a global leader on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices for seven consecutive years. Hilton has introduced industry-leading technology enhancements to improve the guest experience, including Digital Key Share, automated complimentary room upgrades and the ability to book confirmed connecting rooms. Through the award-winning guest loyalty program Hilton Honors, the more than 180 million members who book directly with Hilton can earn Points for hotel stays and experiences money can't buy. With the free Hilton Honors app, guests can book their stay, select their room, check in, unlock their door with a Digital Key and check out, all from their smartphone. Visit stories.hilton.com for more information, and connect with Hilton on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.