on October 9 | in BUSINESSWISE, CAREERWISE, Featured, LIFESTYLE, LIFEWISE | by admin | with No Comments
With the numbers of those having to travel between cities for work and leisure steadily rising, the time spent commuting might be a challenge for businesspeople concerned about the effect on their bottom line. There are several easy ways to take a business commute in your stride and still be productive if you need to be, writes Shaun Pozyn, Head of Marketing at British Airways.
Increasing numbers of businesspeople in South Africa take advantage of the regular flights between its two major business centres, living in Cape Town and commuting to Gauteng each week. It is a short, two-hour flight that gives them access to the country’s major business centres as well as affording them and their families the sought-after lifestyle of living in one of the world’s most beautiful cities. Feasibly, you can spend a day with your team at the JSE and be home for a weekend with the spouse and kids on a golf estate in the wine-lands a few hours later. While flying is usually the most enjoyable part of any journey, seasoned business travellers know a few hacks on making the Jozi-to-Mother City commute a breeze.
It is acknowledged that entrepreneurs and SMMEs will drive SA’s economic growth, so effective and competitive business isn’t just about having a fulfilling and profitable career, but also a national imperative. There are several easy ways to take a business commute in your stride, even when you’re determined to contain your company’s overheads.
Ideally, you want reliable transport that allows you to work or relax, with as little time wasted as possible.
You might try some of the following:
1. Cape Town’s public-transport system is undergoing major improvements and many regular business travellers now skip the often-jammed N2 by taking a MyCiti bus, which runs between the Civic Centre and Cape Town International Airport every 30 minutes between 5am and 9.30pm. The journey is about 25 minutes, during which you can work if you choose.
2. A transport service like Uber is also useful: a cashless system using a mobile app, making it easy for business travellers to pay and claim the expenses when they need to.
3. If you do prefer to drive to the airport, British Airways offers a Valet Parking service to business class customers as well as Silver and Gold Executive Club members, and, unlike many international airports, there’s parking close to the domestic departures area.
4. If your business belongs to a loyalty programme like British Airways’ On Business, your company will earn points each time you fly, over-and-above what you’ll earn personally as an Executive Club member. The more you fly, the more benefits you’ll receive as you progress to higher Tier levels within the Executive Club making business travel more cost-effective;
5. Many business travellers have access to airport lounges. British Airways’ SLOW Lounges provide the perfect place to work, charge devices and grab something to eat or drink;
6. Having to put your cell phone off while in the air can feel like a boon for travellers, enabling time to catch up on work, finalise a presentation or tweak a spreadsheet;
7. The Gautrain high-speed train has freed travellers of driving from OR Tambo International Airport to Joburg’s business hubs and enables you to catch up on emails while being whisked to Sandton. But Sandton itself has become well-known for traffic snarl-ups. If it’s feasible, you can schedule meetings at Slow in the City at the Radisson Blu Gautrain Hotel. It offers meeting rooms, showers and other amenities;
8. While GPS makes life easier for out-of-towners to navigate to meetings and lodging, transport services like Uber allow you to work or relax while you’re driven to your destination without being baffled by the layout of an unfamiliar city.
According to Shaun Pozyn, Head of Marketing at British Airways, there are several easy ways to take a business commute in your stride and still be productive if you need to be.
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