« July 2006 | Main | September 2006 »
Driving to Meetings
August 28, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Since the last post, it doesn't look like airports are letting up, so the new measures may be in place for a while. So, with air restrictions banning everything from a laptop to a bottle of water, business travelers are left with few options. Long lines can add to the wasted time and stress associated with airports. Might it be time to take to the roads and alternate methods of transportation?
There are definite advantages to avoiding air travel at the moment. High fuel surcharges, heightened security, and airline cutbacks have led to fewer flights and more hassle. Traveling on the ground means more room for luggage. It also means you can work on your laptop while you travel, as long as you don't choose to drive there yourself. A slower trip can mean less stress and more built in time to prepare for the upcoming meeting.
Traveling by trains, buses, and cars also means that the cost of getting where you're going costs less, so bringing your family along for a trip or two becomes easier. Or it's easier for your company to send along colleagues so that you don't have to travel all on your own.
And once you get to your destination, you won't have to find your way from an airport into downtown. You can quickly get on your way and find your meeting or hotel. And if you're driving and staying at an Extended Stay Hotels location, you can go onto the website and get directions and a map to the hotel.
Sometimes you will have to fly and it can be a great deal faster depending on your destination, but until the current extreme travel restrictions are lifted, driving or taking alternate transportation is an option that's worth considering.
Airport Security Measure
August 22, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
NPR had a news piece last weekend about a rise in businesses chartering planes. The thing that was so surprising is that it wasn't the large corporations one would expect, but regular sized businesses that couldn't afford the time and aggravation of new security measures. Although most of the strict security measures being implemented are on international flights to and from London, all flights and airports are starting to feel the strain of even more stringent safety procedures. If you can't quite afford to charter your own plane to get around the airport lines and hassle, here are some tips that can help get you on your way.
If you know about the trip far enough in advance, consider shipping luggage or important items beforehand. If for some reason you need to bring liquids such as wine, shipping is especially important.
Keep in mind the extra time for getting checked baggage. If you usually travel light and can get away with a large carry-on, you may be surprised at having to check that bag. Try to pack essentials into a smaller bag that you can remove from your carry-on just in case you can't take much on the flight with you.
Plan ahead and bring work that you can do while you wait. You may need to arrive earlier than ever for your flight, but that doesn't have to be wasted time. If there are any documents you need to read or meetings you need to plan, this could be the perfect opportunity for some relative peace and quiet. And the line will seem shorter if you have something to occupy your time.
Keep the new security measures in mind far in advance. Get rid of water bottles and any other liquid containers before you go through security. Just be sure to ask for extra water on the flight so you don't arrive at your destination dehydrated. Take off your watch, empty your pockets, and put any possible metal items in one place so they're easy to put on the belt. Keep your cell phone and laptop since it's faster than turning it on when you get there. Don’t keep your cell phone charger in the carry-on because a loose wire can be misinterpreted and you could be held up.
Hopefully, these ideas will help you get onto your flight as quickly as possible. Bon voyage!
Grocery Store Safety
August 21, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
When you go to a grocery store, you want to know that it is clean and the food is fresh. MSN did an interesting article on the safest grocery stores. When you’re looking to buy groceries on the road, you may want to keep these options in mind in order to have the best shopping experience. I hope this helps out in your travels!
Here’s the list of 10 of the biggest grocers ranked best to worst in terms of safety:
Food Lion
Wal-Mart
Costco
Sam’s Club
Winn-Dixie
Kroger
Publix
Albertsons
Safeway
Other Supermarkets
August 18, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Here is a quick run-down of a number of grocery stores that aren't in the above list and can be found across the country. Some are independent; some are fairly widespread. There are too many supermarkets nationwide to include all of them, but hopefully this sampling will be helpful.
| Store | Description |
|---|---|
| If you have a card, Costco has some great prices on food. This can be very useful on some items but you may want to be careful since the good deals are for bulk items that may be hard to use up or store while on the road. | |
| Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Giant Eagle is one of the largest and longest running independent grocery chains in the country. In recent years, some have grown to be massive in size in large part due to its Iggle Video mini-store. | |
| If you see a Giant supermarket and there is no eagle, look at the logo. Is it a futuristic orange font? If so, then you've found Giant Food of Pennsylvania. If it's a big serif capital G, then it is a separate chain also called Giant Food serving Maryland and Virginia. While unrelated, they both offer fairly good value compared to other large stores. | |
| This is a New England grocery store that has also expanded into New York. They have a line of signature items that include really good bakery products. | |
| Publix is another Southern supermarket choice and is located in Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Florida, and Tennessee. It has a good selection and includes a pharmacy and photo lab. | |
| Like Costco, Sam's Club has good food if you have a membership card, but it may not be the best option for a solo traveler. | |
| If you find a Shoppers, it's a good option for a grocery because you don't need a card to get special discounts. Beyond that, it's a decent grocery store with a little bit of a confusing layout, but very good selection and a nice international food aisle. | |
| ShopRite is a pretty typical grocery store, concentrated in New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Delaware. It has a good selection and in some locations it has been expanding into having organic food selections. | |
| Stop & Shop has over 350 stores and is located in New England, New Jersey, and New York. They are usually large grocery stores will have all the typical groceries that you may be looking for. A Stop & Shop card can get you additional savings. | |
| This is a specialty store that has great prices on what is in stock, but a limited supply. It is not a good place to try and complete a full grocery trip, but it is the perfect place if you want to pick up frozen crab cakes or a one person dish of an international cuisine. These can be heated up for a great one or two person meal in your suite. | |
| Many Wal-Marts are incorporating supermarkets. This is convenient because it is open 24 hours a day. It is also an inexpensive option for grocery shopping. However, it does not always have a wide selection and if you have dietary restrictions, you may not find what you're looking for here. | |
| Reaching from Syracuse, NY to Woodbridge, VA, this chain redefines what it means to be a super market. They have among the largest selection of anyone including excellent international fare. | |
| If you're cooking on your own because you want high quality ingredients or have specific dietary restrictions such as being a vegetarian, Whole Foods is the place for you. They are more expensive, but they have good packaged ingredients as well as pre-prepared meals. | |
| Like Whole Foods, Wild Oats specializes in organic food choices. It has high quality food items and is great if you're looking to keep a healthy diet while on the road. It is more expensive than your typical supermarket option. | |
| This grocery store concentrates on its core market in the Southeastern United States. They have many locations in Florida. |
Regional Grocery Consolidation
August 18, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack
When you stay at a hotel with a kitchen, you have the opportunity to make whatever you want for dinner. So when you make use of this option, where are you going to go shopping? There are a number of regional, national, and specialty grocery stores that you may encounter on your travels. You may not realize how many of them are affiliated and really run by the same people that run your local supermarket at home. So you can visit a store that's not really all that different from what you’re used to, even if you're far away. Check out the chart below to find out how they're related. Then, you can go into a store and plan the perfect meal, wherever you are.
| A&P, Farmer Jack, Food Basics, Sav-A-Center, Super Fresh, Waldbaum's, Food Emporium | |
| C&S Wholesale | Bi-LO, Piggly Wiggly |
| Delhaize | Food Lion, Hannaford, Kash n' Karry, Sweetbay, Harvey's, Bloom |
| Kroger | Kroger, Ralphs, King Soopers, City Market, Dillons, Smith's, Fry's, QFC, Cala Bell, Baker's, Owen's, Jay C, Hilander, Gorbes, Pay Less |
| Safeway | Safeway, Vons, Pavilions, Genuardi's, Dominick's, Randall's, Tom Thumb, Carrs |
| SuperValu | Acme, Albertsons, Bigg's, Bristol Farm, Cub Foods, Farm Fresh, Save-a-Lot, Shaw's, Jewel-Osco, Hornbacher's, Shoppers, Sunflower, SuperValu, TLC |
New Jersey Hotels
August 8, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack
Whether you’re headed to a sporting event at the Meadowlands, the many corporate headquarters dotting the state, or looking for easy access to New York City, New Jersey has many reasons to come. The Garden State has amusement parks, museums, arboretums, diners, beaches, and more. With so much to offer, it’s no surprise that Extended Stay Hotels has so many options for travelers looking to stay in New Jersey. And if you need help finding things to do, check out the Extended Stay Hotels travel guides for Newark and Northern New Jersey
Currently, the New Jersey State Fair is well under way and the Jersey shore is bustling. If you’re looking to come for business, check out this month’s New Jersey Business Journal for a review of the conference and convention centers in the area. There’s lots of reasons to visit New Jersey, whether for business or vacation, and no matter why you’ve come, there’s an awful lot to see do while you’re in the area. And with so many Extended Stay Hotels locations, you can find the perfect place to stay during your visit to New Jersey.
Small Business Travel Tips
August 8, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Forbes has just finished a great four part series on tips for small business travelers. Many of these tips involve keeping costs down to fit into tight budgets. The articles that make up this series are Getting There, Staying There, Being There, and Eating There. These pieces discuss making smart travel arrangements, keeping costs down while on location, and managing a food budget while entertaining potential clients. Even the most seasoned road warrior can find some advice worth taking in these cost-cutting travel guides.
Jet Lag, Airports, and Scheduling
August 2, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
When so many people are taking planes to business destinations, jet lag becomes a problem for road warriors. Make sure that when you first get to your destination, you get onto the new time. If you avoid naps and tough it out until a reasonable bedtime, you'll be less affected during the trip. You may be exhausted the first day, but that means you'll sleep well throughout the night and be rested the next morning.
The airport in general is just a hassle and adds to the stress of business travel. If you're not going too far, a train might be more relaxing than a puddle-jumping flight. All the airport security, waiting time, and lines, stress could be greatly reduced by avoiding them all together. If this can't be done, be sure to allow plenty of time to get through the hassle and then bring a book to relax at the terminal. If you're not rushed, airports get a little less stressful.
If you are scheduling meetings with a lot of people coming in from the airport, try to schedule them sometime after 9am and before 4pm. Some people may want to be coming in or leaving the day of the meeting, and it will be more stressful on them to try and rush from the airport and worry about missing the meeting. Also, if anyone is taking an evening flight, they will need to get to the airport at least an hour or two before their flight, which makes late afternoon meetings hard to fit in.
With jet lag and airports and meetings, it's all about scheduling. Keep in mind all the time constraints and steps in getting to your destination and space out events. Take it easy and try not to work all waking hours while on the road. You won't be able to get as much done if you're run down from travel.
Travel Fatigue
August 1, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Business trips are on the rise and according to a recent study, less and less business travelers are looking forward to them. Yesawich, Pepperdine, Brown & Russell put out a study published in the 2006 National Business Travel Monitor that polled 1200 business travelers. The top reasons that business trips were such a drag? Too little sleep, too much food, and too much stress. Nearly a third of those polled were actively searching for new technologies that would help reduce the necessity of travel. Yet about forty percent believed that travel would only increase in the next year.
With travel time unlikely to diminish for many, business trips need to offer more down time and less aggravation. Be sure to schedule enough time for sleep. Travel is exhausting and stressful. If you need to, it may be worth making your trip a day or two longer in order to pack less into each day. If you are more rested, you will be more productive and the trip will be more valuable. This added value may be worth a couple more hotel stays to your business. It never hurts to ask and see if your company would pay for this more realistic travel pace.
The hotel is an important part of travel. Make sure you have a hotel with a name you know that will have a clean, comfortable room waiting for you. As far as overeating when traveling, it can be hard to avoid working dinners, but you can choose what you eat. Lighter fare is always a good option and you never have to eat everything on your plate. And instead of ordering room service on nights that you’re on your own, try cooking your own dinner. It is relaxing, rewarding, and you get to eat exactly what you want.
As business gets more global, business trips are getting longer and more frequent. So instead of getting weighed down by the stress of travel, carefully plan and make the most out of each trip. Also, space them out as much as possible so you can get a chance to recuperate in between trips. Even road warriors need a break.
