Gas Prices Got You Down? Try These Tips

It seems like everyone is feeling the pain at the pump these days, and small businesses are no exception. Trucking companies, delivery services, and moving companies are obvious examples, but increased gas prices also affect the everyday activities of many other small businesses. Normal activities like client meetings, sales calls, site visits, and even conferences or training seminars become more expensive than usual when gas is so expensive. But with a little planning, there are ways you can stretch your budget and get a few more miles to the gallon.

Try these tips:

1. Consider using a video conferencing service or an internet online meeting service such as WebEx to conduct meetings or training sessions online, rather than traveling to off-site locations.

2. Sign up for online training courses and conferences that can be completed at your office. This may also give you some great ideas on holding your own online training sessions that you could then offer to your customers.

3. Before you visit a client site or run errands, visit a web site like Mapquest or Yahoo! Maps to make sure you have the right directions, and call ahead to verify appointments just to make sure you don