< Previous20 Business Link www.blmforum.net BUSINESS TRAVEL AND LEISUREwww.blmforum.net Business Link 21 BUSINESS TRAVEL AND LEISURE Whilst Zoom is here to stay, companies must stay cognisant of the unique power that in-person meetings wield—after all, sealing a business deal often requires more than just pixels on a screen; it demands the authenticity of a handshake. Thus, corporate travel requires a fine balance between well-managed budgets and creating a positive impression, of the individual and their business. Whether nurturing business relationships, forging partnerships, or showcasing products and services, a person should adapt their mode of travel to suit the event, each coming with their own set of features and challenges. In this increasingly globalised society, companies typically work on a remote basis with their customers and stakeholders, who could be miles, or even countries away. Yet, honing and maintaining meaningful relationships with clients necessitates a strategic blend of remote collaboration and in-person engagement. Recognizing the value of face-to-face interactions, companies should allocate a portion of their travel budget to client-related ventures, be it across town or across continents. Typically, the quest for cost-effective travel solutions takes centre stage here, echoing the conventional modes of ‘Planes, Trains, and Automobiles’. If time is of the essence, planes and cars are undoubtedly the way to go. As a notoriously expensive and unreliable mode of transport (the strikes running at the time of writing come to mind), trains should only be considered for domestic travel where a hire car (or personal vehicle) is simply not an option. When setting up client meetings, the choice of venue is often a crucial factor in shaping the encounter. Opting for a local coffee shop or restaurant over the client’s premises is a thoughtful consideration, and choosing this setting can foster a relaxed and friendly atmosphere for a casual chat. In these scenarios, the simplicity of walking to the meeting venue can make a powerful impression by being so down-to-earth. Whilst the allure of a grand entrance from a luxurious car may be tempting, it risks projecting an air of vanity and unapproachability. The act of strolling to © stock.adobe.com/Jacob Lund In a world where virtual meetings have become the norm; the enduring value of face- to-face interactions remains undeniable. 22 Á22 Business Link www.blmforum.net BUSINESS TRAVEL AND LEISURE the meeting point not only showcases a grounded demeanour but also underscores your eagerness to connect, especially when time and physical effort is willingly invested in making the trip. In a world increasingly attuned to minimizing excesses, subtle gestures often speak louder than ostentatious displays, making the understated approach a compelling strategy for leaving a lasting and positive impression. Although stakeholder impressions are an important consideration, there are a multitude of factors to consider when creating a company-wide travel policy. The key areas of note should be cost, distance, sustainability, accessibility, and the number of travellers. Depending on how much weight your company gives to each factor (for example, number of travellers may not be so important for small businesses), the following options are also worthy of consideration. The age-old solution of providing company cars for employees navigating local or national areas has been a fixture. These wheels may don the company logo, serving both as a functional means of transport and an advertising canvas. While it offers the advantage of fewer vehicles and additional brand exposure, it may not be the most practical solution when multiple staff members are forced to vie for the same car on a given day. Alternatively, the option of granting personal company cars as employee perks presents its own set of challenges, particularly when tax complexities can leave employees significantly worse off. Balancing maintenance costs and depreciation, however, reveals that the allure of company cars is waning. A growing trend sees more companies steering away from this traditional approach. Enter public transport—an eco-friendly alternative that not only aligns with sustainability goals but also proves more cost-effective than maintaining a fleet of company-owned vehicles. Despite its virtues, public transport seldom assumes the mantle of a favoured choice, with the stress-inducing challenges of timetables, rush-hour commuters, limited routes, and © stock.adobe.com/Drobot Deanwww.blmforum.net Business Link 23 BUSINESS TRAVEL AND LEISURE occasional unreliability. Taxis are convenient and allow employees to use the downtime to prep for upcoming meetings. However, they are expensive, and so this perk may not be worth the cost. For businesses which only make occasional trips, however, the reduced cost of public transport likely still holds the allure. If so, mobility apps may be the key to a seamless and sustainable journey. Mobility apps like FREENOW (a European multi-mobility service provider) seamlessly integrate public transport, taxis, private hire vehicles, and even include innovative options like eMopeds and eScooters. The allure lies in the app’s convenience of consolidating diverse transport choices in one place, empowering employees to easily determine the optimal route from point A to B, thereby saving valuable time and effort. Beyond the practicality, these apps audit all business travel activities and swiftly compare prices between vendors, ensuring optimal budget utilization. Mobility apps are the easiest way of identifying available electric and zero- emission transport, becoming champions for sustainability targets. These apps not only streamline the travel experience, saving both time and money, but also offer real-time visibility into business travel and simplify the often- cumbersome process of managing travel expenses. Step into the future of corporate mobility, where efficiency, sustainability, and ease converge in a single application. © stock.adobe.com/Nemanja24 Business Link www.blmforum.net PRINTING AND PACKAGING A clean and uncluttered design allows consumers to focus on the essential details and helps the product stand out, while consistency with colour, shape, imagery, and taglines fosters instant recognition and trust with consumers. Simplicity can be the most powerful tool to hand, and you can often communicate your case more impactfully with a short yet genuine statement, or even an image, than with your brand’s entire style guide. Indeed, condensing your objectives while still conveying them accurately is one of the biggest challenges in printing and packaging to your advantage. It might be helpful to go through your brand’s own guidebook and isolate words, vibes or principles that come through as the most important to put across to an audience. Take some time to experiment with how all these highlights might combine in text and image, form, and appearance. Make a collage, mood board or even a cut-up poem of meaningful words and phrases from your brand story with colleagues, just to see where it goes. Play is so often undersold as a creative tool, but sometimes it’s only through making space to test and freely toss out ideas that we arrive at our best work. When acting to encourage more customers to stick around, keeping a touch of fun will go a long way. It may be easier said than done, but it builds good habits for including other, more crucial factors, such as accessibility for disabled people. Simplicity and softer colours in your imagery, while keeping print bolder in colour and easy to read, could help visually impaired customers find the details they need more easily. Meanwhile, Getting to the next level To look, feel, and be different from competitors, businesses should make their print and packaging designs vibrant and unique, but simple and clear in their functionality and communication. Getting to the next level www.blmforum.net Business Link 25 PRINTING AND PACKAGING © stock.adobe.com/Silvana using different textures and luxury printed details like embossing could create something more people in general want to pick up and bring home. Here’s yet another area ripe for experimentation, which can welcome sensory and mental stimulation for everyone who wants to engage with your brand. Providing alternative means of accessing information, such as NaviLens or QR codes, can further link the partially- sighted, blind or people with cognitive disabilities to your product’s benefits and ideals, provided you include clear and equally accessible instructions. You must also ensure they can be easily used from a distance by people using mobility aids like wheelchairs, for instance. Clarity and transparency should be worked on to be inclusive of every potential customer that comes your way. Even the keenest and most able of readers could be put off by unclear information, or too much or little of it. All the essentials, such as a product name, ingredients, usage instructions, and any necessary safety warnings should be clearly printed and easily legible. These details should also be strategically and prominently placed to guide consumers’ eyes across the packaging, and towards the most critical information. Using appropriate font sizing and styles also enhance readability, while providing another opportunity to play. See what happens when you challenge yourself to make clear labelling and copy its own creative expression of your brand’s unique vision and personality. Looking at brand image and identity, making the best possible first impression might be helpful when creating or reworking designs. Flashy gimmicks might be handy for an instant buzz but irritate customers in the long term. Ditching loud logos or a brash tone in favour of softer colours and quieter language may better put across honesty, caring, and trustworthiness. Think of the people you know who have these merits; chances are they don’t have to shout about them to make them obvious. Gently and genuinely putting them across in text will likewise encourage long-lasting loyalty. The quality of your raw materials also takes the excellence of your print and packaging design to a deeper level. Investing in best practice with printing techniques and materials ensures that print looks professional and is set to 26 Á26 Business Link www.blmforum.net PRINTING AND PACKAGING outlast the product’s lifecycle. Durable print options can work even harder to maintain packaging’s appearance, preventing information from fading or smudging. Sturdy yet minimal packaging and labelling will assist you in being mindful of sustainability, as well as communicating your ethos to customers. Labels can be an especially touchy area for eco-friendliness, as some materials aren’t as recyclable as others. There are still plenty of safe and reliable options, including paper and cardboard. Especially if they are uncoated and have water-based adhesive, these labels can usually be processed along with other paper waste in recycling facilities. Print methods are equally varied in sustainability, whether applied to labels or directly to packaging. Sustainable print techniques aim to minimise waste, energy consumption, and the use of harmful chemicals wherever possible. Digital printing is a favourite eco-friendly option because it doesn’t require the creation of plates or the use of chemical- based inks, all while allowing for customisable on-demand printing, reducing waste and inventory space. Water-based inks have lower levels of volatile organic compounds than solvent- based varieties, and reduce the emission of harmful pollutants into the atmosphere. Soy-based and vegetable- based inks make an especially kind replacement for those that use chemicals such as petroleum, being both renewable and biodegradable. UV printing alternatively reduces the need for solvents by using ultraviolet light to cure inks instantly, eliminating the need © stock.adobe.com/Jawed Gfxwww.blmforum.net Business Link 27 PRINTING AND PACKAGING for solvent-based drying methods, consuming less energy, and emitting fewer harmful chemicals. The more adaptable, reclaimable, and high quality your base materials are, the higher the chance they can be infinitely broken down and reused. This is especially important if you don’t already opt to reduce and reuse from the outset. Making recyclable packaging from already recycled materials is known as circular packaging, based on the concept of a circular economy – one where as many materials as possible keep being reused, and thus never go to waste. However, be aware that not all recycled materials are infinitely recyclable, if at all. Even after every aspect has been decided and your final products are on shelves, the process doesn’t have to end there. Carrying out user testing reinforces a strong relationship between business and customer, and helps evaluate how effectively packaging and print work together. Actively send out surveys and be open to spontaneous feedback from consumers, to assess how well the packaging communicated information or resonated with them. You never know where the spark of a unique refit or rebranding idea may come from, as the target audience of a product knows what it needs better than anyone else. Designing and executing the best packaging for your brand, identity, and product is a labour of love, often necessary to attract customers in the first place. But it’s worth the attention to detail, down to the literal fine print that holds attention by providing vital information, communicated in an intriguing way. You can make it fun, friendly, or soothing for people to engage with but, however you package the details, embrace the challenge to make them stand out. © stock.adobe.com/REDPIXEL © stock.adobe.com/ChayTee28 Business Link www.blmforum.net APPRENTICESHIPS AND TRAINING B eyond being important investments in future growth, training and development initiatives act as catalysts for employee growth across the board, while innovating the services and products you provide, and making your work a leadership example to others inside and outside your fields of expertise. It therefore stands to reason that training in general is about much more than the onboarding process for new hires. It should be seen as an ongoing commitment to supporting skills, fostering innovation, and adapting to the evolution of any industry you may be involved in. By affording equal access to opportunities for both new and existing employees, businesses forge a commitment to freedom of knowledge and expertise to all, not just a select few. A well-structured program serves as a compass for new hires, directing them through the specifics of your company’s operations, culture, and expectations. But ongoing guidance for existing employees is equally vital, as it ensures that the entire workforce stays updated on emerging trends, cutting-edge technologies, and evolving industry best practices, as well as championing everyone’s freedom to study new skills and expand their capabilities. Businesses have a plethora of providers and resources at their disposal. Specialised firms bring targeted and industry-specific expertise, providing tailored programs that address distinct challenges such as digital transformation, leadership and management development, or soft skills and interpersonal communication. Meanwhile, online platforms offer accessibility and flexibility, allowing employees to engage in diverse, interactive courses at their own pace. Employees can customise their learning from here to align with both personal growth and organisational objectives. Any combination of resources can provide the knowledge that makes a workforce ready to thrive in the face of inevitable transformation, when smartly and compassionately integrated. Moreover, guidance from industry associations, mentorship programs, and collaboration with educational institutions offers the potential elevate the effectiveness of training initiatives. The key is to tailor the approach to the unique needs and objectives of your business, and enable everyone’s confidence and ease in adapting to new regulations and industry developments. The significance in educating your employees extends further still, beyond the immediate benefits of skill enhancement. It empowers employees to contribute ideas, experiment with new methodologies, and actively engage in problem-solving. Such a boost to employee morale is only going to help propel the business forward while employees are motivated by shared belonging and accountability. The introduction of new talent through apprenticeships extends powerful skill acquisition to the next generation, and is a great way to promote diversity of work culture, perspectives and ideas. It’s been studied and proven that creativity, problem-solving, and widespread success flourish within a business when there’s greater diversity of input, while inevitably resonating positively with clients and stakeholders as a signifier of forward growth Perpetual The saying goes that if we’re not learning, we’re not growing. The same can be said of a business and its decisions on providing training to employees, or apprenticeships to up-and-coming talent. © stock.adobe.com/JanNiklaswww.blmforum.net Business Link 29 APPRENTICESHIPS AND TRAINING thinking. Apprenticeships can therefore be a strategic tool for businesses looking to create teams that are not just effective, but reflective of the communities and custom they hope to serve. Apprenticeships provide a unique and tailored approach to talent acquisition that refreshes your adaptability and approach to prospective successes, through attracting people naturally drawn to and curious about your business. As apprentices immerse themselves in the company’s operations, values, and objectives, they gain a deep understanding of each one through education. Unlike traditional recruitment, where alignment may take time, 30 Á © stock.adobe.com/F8 \ Suport UkraineNext >