British Airlines helps your business Take off- Small Business Contest
- 16 Comment
A recent study done by The Harvard Business Review and British Airlines identified that face to face meetings have the potential to make or break your business. (More Information here)
I can verify this statement through experience. About two years ago i co-founded a collaboration software called GroupTable. What I’ve found through my interactions with GroupTable and other collaborative software applications is that they are best utilized to keep a group cohesive and connected when apart….not as a replacement for physical meetings.
Here’s just a few ways you could take advantage of travel services like those offered by British Airlines to grow your business:
- If your considering a new supplier or distributor…why not fly out and check out their facilities? Seeing their establishment and meeting their team can help you make a more informed decision. This kind of thing could save you thousands of dollars or help you rest easy knowing that your making the correct decision.
- Trying to close a big client? Show your commitment by flying out to meet him. Much of sales in any industry is developing a relationship built on trust, communication and rapport. Of course you have to have a good product or service, but developing a great relationship will only result in the deal getting closed faster, future sales and lots of referrals.
- Spending time face to face with a potential partner can really help you get a sense of who they are. After handling business go have a drink with them and get to know them more personally. Would you want to be in business with someone you don’t know or don’t get a good vibe with?….I know I don’t
- More productive meetings…if meetings are structured properly and those attending are prepared in person meetings have the potential to be much more productive than virtual meetings. Many times quick meetings can be done effectively through collaborative tools like GroupTable, but for extensive meetings that are more involved having a large whiteboard to diagram and plan things out is very helpful. Though many collaborative tools have whiteboards you don’t get the same effect or end result.
Now we all know that we’re in a economic recession and most businesses are cutting back on nearly all expenses including travel. Once you give it a try I’m sure you’ll see that face to face meetings often pay for themselves.
Still not convinced….How can you find the budget to invest in seeing this for your self?
Well I the great news is that British Airlines has a contest where they are offering a business grant to 100 companies. Each grant consists of a years worth of business class travel anywhere British Airways flies! But….that’s not all!
I can’t help that I sound like an infomercial it’s cool what they are doing 
See for yourself…
The Grant
- British Airways airfare for 10 round-trip Club World business class flights.
- 5 free British Airways World Cargo freight shipments of up to 500 kilos to worldwide destinations
- $1000 toward accommodation at Courtyard by Marriott
- 5 Regus Businessworld Gold Cards providing access to business lounges worldwide
- Canon PIXMA MX860 Wireless Office All-In-One Printer
Applying for the grant is easy all you need to do is answer a few questions about your business objectives in 2010 and how this grant could help.
I strongly encourage all aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners to enter the contest by visiting: Business Opportunity Grant Contest
16 Comments on this post
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my carpurchase said:
keep it up this nice sharing………
October 14th, 2009 at 8:59 am -
hair loss said:
This is really a nice post.Excellent.
November 1st, 2009 at 2:07 am -
diabetes supply said:
I am looking for information on small business grants. I’ve tried grants.gov and a few other well known sites but they aren’t very specific. Does anyone know a resource that is helpful and reliable? Or of any small business contest?
November 1st, 2009 at 3:33 pm -
nintendo r4ds said:
There are currently no restrictions imposed, other than what has been the norm for several years, on flights from India to the UK.
December 4th, 2009 at 4:03 am -
Laptop Briefcases said:
Yes face to face meetings definitely have their advantages. It is easy to misinterpret people when you are only talking to them online. It helps a lot to get to know them personally. Still, most businesses cannot justify arranging face to face meeting with out of town clients. The cost is just too much.
The British Airline grant program sounds cool though. That would help a small business really make some headway.
December 4th, 2009 at 8:26 pm -
Bubba Moe said:
Keep in mind that 20% of sales people make 80% of the money. Really, 5% of the people make nearly all the money. The other 80% of people in sales starve.
December 6th, 2009 at 11:58 pm -
diabetes supply said:
I am sure they will, but only when they know that they will not get shot at. Planning these things takes time so they probanly doing some forward planning.
December 14th, 2009 at 2:11 pm -
Christmas hampers Melbourne said:
what are the restrcitions for british airlines heading to london from india?
December 16th, 2009 at 12:04 pm -
Car hire Brisbane said:
It is a symptom of society as a whole. And it is strange because I do not know one person who agrees with the way media, whats the word I am looking for………mutates i guess, the news and what the public perceives as news. They are constantly looking to expose a scandal so when they see comedy, they do not take it at face value, they try to expose a hidden injustice behind it when it is really just entertainment.
December 21st, 2009 at 2:23 am -
Car hire Brisbane said:
I am opening a day care center and need help with start-up capital. I have heard of organizations that give money to women or individuals that have home based businesses but it is hard trying to locate this type of grants.
December 21st, 2009 at 2:24 am -
UK Promotional Items said:
It helps a lot to get to know them personally. Still, most businesses cannot justify arranging face to face meeting with out of town clients. The cost is just too much.
January 11th, 2010 at 4:35 am -
Bubba Moe said:
I am unsure why you would think that these resources; probably because you are be looking for grants to help a for-profit small business start or expand a business and can’t find any. Unfortunately, hardly any grants exist for those purpose. Most grants are available to non-profits, intermediary lending institutions, and state and local governments.
January 20th, 2010 at 3:00 am -
Car hire Brisbane said:
Your best bet is to check with your local small business development center, local non government organizations and local government if they have some assistance to small businesses. To cite an example, a Washington DC area nonprofit called Community Business Partnership recently entered into an agreement with the Association for Enterprise Opportunity to promote the DHL Advancing Micro-Entrepreneurs Program and the DHL Cares Project.
January 20th, 2010 at 4:53 am -
valentines gift online said:
I am unsure why you would think that these resources; probably because you are be looking for grants to help a for-profit small business start or expand a business and can’t find any. Unfortunately, hardly any grants exist for those purpose. Most grants are available to non-profits, intermediary lending institutions, and state and local governments.
January 21st, 2010 at 2:23 am -
Car hire Brisbane said:
I am unsure why you would think that these resources; probably because you are be looking for grants to help a for-profit small business start or expand a business and can’t find any. Unfortunately, hardly any grants exist for those purpose. Most grants are available to non-profits, intermediary lending institutions, and state and local governments.
January 22nd, 2010 at 4:46 am -
valentines gift online said:
I think that British Airways is great, to be honest. They have an amazing safety record, and are very comfortable and accomodating
January 29th, 2010 at 1:56 am
