7 Big Startup Savings Tips

I’d like to share seven of my simple business travel and expense tips that I’ve picked up over the years. Using these tips, I’ve saved many thousands of dollars, a variety of flights and top hotel stays free. In fact, a three-week trip to Europe was completely free thanks to effective usage of points and miles. Any company of any size could benefit from better planning and trip maximization.

Tip #1 - Use business credit cards

This is probably the most overlooked business item I’ve seen with startups. Even if you are one person in a basement, you can get a business credit card using your own personal name. Each card provides a different set of benefits but here are some ideas to consider:

• JetBlue - gives a direct 5% discount
• PriorityClub - provides additional points per stay over the personal card
• Delta - 5% off on all flights, plus miles for usage

You need to find the card that works best for you as x airline might not fly from your homebase. But you need a business credit card. Another side benefit, business cards don’t show up on your personal credit report so it can help you "hide" any company debt.

Tip #2 - Get a business AMEX card

American Express has a program called Open which offers a variety of discounts at many national chains for car rentals, Kinkos, FedEx, etc. There is even a 5% discount now for Yahoo Search Marketing. Again, if you purchase anything at any of these chains, you need an Open card.

Tip #3 - Use the same hotel chain or airline where possible

Being able to maximize a hotel or airline program means staying within the same chain whenever possible. I like Priority Club and Starwood the best but almost every chain has a program. It’s not just enough to use the card when you check-in, you need to maximize the bonuses to hit the big freebies and top program levels. The more loyal you are to a chain, the more offers they will send you. Make sure you check FlyerTalk for your hotel and flight programs to check bonuses. Many bonuses aren’t sent to everyone but most times you can still grab them.

Tip #4 - Sprint SERO

Ok, sure you can’t use an iPhone on Sprint but if you are using a Blackberry, Treo or Windows Mobile device, Sprint SERO is the plan for you. The basic plan is just plain mad. $30/month with 500 minutes talk plus unlimited nights and weekends, unlimited data and internet, unlimited sms and text messages and included roaming. Check FatWallet for all of the details and use the code URANG (all caps) for $50 off your first bill(s).

Tip #5 - Shopping with Fatwallet rewards

If you shop online, check out Fatwallet rewards. They offer cash back when you shop through their merchant gallery. It’s easy and you shop through the normal merchant’s site but you just click from Fatwallet. For example, NewEgg pays 1% back, CircuitCity 2%, Staples, Office Depot, etc. About 200 stores are listed.

Tip #6 - Put your butt in a better seat

SeatGuru should be your first stop once you have picked a flight. The site displays every seat on almost every plane and which seats are best. Sure this won’t save you any money, but it will save your ass some pain when you are flying cross-country or international. If you fly a lot, ExperFlyer can help you find the best fares by showing you fare buckets versus the traditional pricing on airline Web sites. And FlightStats tells you a lot about the flights you are considered — on-time is a good thing.

Tip #7 - Using Priceline or Hotwire

While I don’t use these services too often as they conflict with the usage of rewards cards, if you do use either, BetterBidding should be your first stop. They will tell you what others have bid and won so you know what to bid. Never bid before doing your research!

Please add your tips on how you save money in your business.