Profile of the Modern Mobile Business Traveler

Modern Mobile Business Traveler Profile & Infographic-

By Megan Ritter

On The Road Again

With the reduced costs of doing business in other places—it can be in other states or even countries—businesses are expanding into new markets. To establish themselves in these new markets, where labor costs might be lower and business regulations more relaxed, they send employees from the main office to these satellite offices to see that everything is running smoothly. This, in turn, costs money. Businesses paid $225 billion in travel costs in 2012 alone, and that number is looking to increase as businesses go international and find opportunities for growth elsewhere.

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The Passenger

Three quarters of business travelers tend to stay within 250 miles of their home. However, 7% go over 1,000 miles away. This means they have to cross an international border, an ocean, or both. Multinational corporations are becoming more and more common nowadays, with even smaller businesses having offices outside the United States to explore new markets where they can sell their products and services.

Business trips average three days at five times a year—that means 15 days of the year, you’ll find yourself in another location. As companies begin to hit the road in search of new revenue streams, this number will rise. That means lots of time spent in airplanes and airport terminals. As the old saying goes, time is money, so you can convert that time into more money for yourself and your business.

Mobility Killed The Desktop Star

45% of all employees in your average business are mobile employees. Businesses can save by having their workforce go mobile—all one needs on the go are their mobile devices.84% of business travelers use smartphones for business while traveling. Having mobile devices fully charged and ready for use will greatly help a waiting business traveler as they wait for their flight to take them to their destination.

Factors such as flight delays and cancellations can extend your wait, so make sure you have these devices (and their chargers, of course) ready to take out at a moment’s notice. Most (if not all) airports have WiFi access, so you can stay productive on the go and collaborate in real time with your coworkers. If your itinerary includes a stopover, you will have to wait again for your next flight, so remember to keep your devices charged at all times.

The Droid (or iDevice) We’re Looking For

It’s a given you have a cell phone—88% of adults do—but just over half (57%) have a laptop, and about a fifth (19%) have a tablet. These travelers are in their late 40s and average $58,000 a year in salary. That means they’ve been in the industry a while and know their stuff, which means they can get work done without needing to set foot in an office. However, 46% still prefer to work there, and 38% prefer the home.

There are many productivity apps one can use on the go. Skype, Microsoft Office, Google Hangout, Google Drive, and Dropbox are just a few of these apps that can be put to use for the mobile traveler. These allow for collaboration in real time and the sending of documents and files between co-workers via the Internet, and storing important documents and files in a secure cloud. In a sense, the mobile device is the office.

Business travelers prefer iPhones and iPads over their Android counterparts, and laptops are used widely as well. A lot of productivity software is now mobile-friendly, allowing business travelers to access documents from any device. On top of that, with WiFi access in almost all airports, you can get together with the team on short notice to get work done.

Knowledge Is Power

Mobile business travelers are using their mobile devices to not only check flights, but also to book them. Itineraries, hotel rooms, and directions can all be done from any device as well. Plans tend to change quickly, so having a mobile device ready at all times can help the business traveler prepare for any situation that may arise.

One Stop Shop

The traditional atmosphere of work has been reduced to something that can fit in your pocket. Businesses should make moves to accommodate more mobility as they continue to expand into new markets. A side-effect of this is greater mobility towards a work-life balance, which many employees expect going into the workforce today. In turn, this will keep employees happy on-the-go, as well as help businesses achieve their goals while being outside of the office.

Stay tuned for more posts  by Media Crush guest journalist  Megan Ritter