This post is sponsored by Microsoft for National Small Business Week 2016. This series discusses how small businesses use technology to drive their success
Over the last decade, more business people are using online tools to simply book hotel, car and flight reservations themselves. These websites and mobile apps have made it easy for travelers to track all these components. This has forced traditional travel agencies to shift the markets they serve. Now some agencies are prospering by pivoting their targeted consumer to humanitarian and faith based missionary travel.
Sonny Chatrath from Up and Away Travel is one of the pioneers of airline consolidation in the U.S. In fact, they are the only consolidator which is a member of the American Express family. They serve not only corporate travelers, but provide comprehensive international travel solutions for faith-based and humanitarian groups to international destinations. They specialize in a commitment to personalized, long-term caring client relations that makes them an extension of their clients’ mission or humanitarian work.
Sonny explains that an integral part of the operation of their business is using Microsoft Office 365 daily on their desktop as well as android mobile devices. He leverages his two-hour commute (each way) by simply logging on the device with his credentials. The files look the same and all the features are available on desktops, tablets and smartphones. Many times the company stores the documents in the cloud on One Drive to make it simpler to access them from a variety of locations and devices.
Since Up and Away Travel works internationally, all information needs to be via an application that is used worldwide and Office 365 certainly solves this problem of a common interface and file types. Skype for Business is used daily to talk or instant message partners at international travel destinations and their developer in India.
Using technology to leverage your business? Tell me your story!
