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Domestic Vs International for Your Incentive Travel Trips

by Tammy Levent
written by Tammy Levent

Magnolia hotel in Sochi cityTrying to figure out where to send your employees for your next incentive travel trip? Here are some ideas that may help sway your decision:

Domestic options:

Just a few options for domestic trips include things like Las Vegas, Hawaii, Lake Tahoe, Florida and California. Domestic airfare can sometimes be cheaper and if your business is in the same state as the incentive trip you choose airfare might not even be an issue.

Imagine an incentive trip to Napa Valley or San Francisco. Arrange for your employees to dip their toes in the beaches of Florida or Hawaii. There’s always fun to be had in Las Vegas and Lake Tahoe offers a serene retreat. There are all inclusive resorts in the states and there are theme parks in several states to choose from. The possibilities of domestic trips are endless!

International Options:

If you insist on sending your employees out of the country, first be sure they have their passport! Sometimes you will get lucky and find that trips out of the country can be cheaper than domestic ones. Pricing and options depend on the season, the location and many other factors.

The most popular option for all-inclusive trips is the Caribbean. Check out our post about the benefits of choosing an all-inclusive resort. The Caribbean feels worlds away from the states even though it’s so close by. There are unique experiences with gorgeous views everywhere from Aruba to the Bahamas, Jamaica to Turks & Caicos.

All-inclusive resorts in Mexico are a popular option because of low cost flights and all-inclusive accommodations.

Another popular option is Europe but how wide you will need to open your wallet depends on the country you choose for the trip.

Remember, whether you decide to stay domestic or go international, Elite Travel will work with you to help you decide on the best option for your budget.

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Incentive Trips and Tax Write-Offs

by Tammy Levent
written by Tammy Levent

Analyzing_Financial_DataAfter deciding to give your employees incentive trips you may be wondering- What is tax deductible and what’s not? Below is just a glimpse of what you need to know about what is tax deductible regarding awarding trips and bonuses to employees.

Bonuses – You can generally deduct a bonus paid to an employee if you intended the bonus as additional pay for services, not as a gift, and the services were performed. However, the total bonuses, salaries, and other pay must be reasonable for the services performed.

 Awards – You can generally deduct amounts you pay to your employees as awards, whether paid in cash or property. If you give property to an employee as an employee achievement award, your deduction may be limited.

Achievement awards – An achievement award is an item of tangible personal property that meets all the following requirements.

  • It is given to an employee for length of service or safety achievement.
  • It is awarded as part of a meaningful presentation.
  • It is awarded under conditions and circumstances that do not create a significant likelihood of disguised pay.

Deduction limit – Your deduction for the cost of employee achievement awards given to any one employee during the tax year is limited to the following.

  • $400 for awards that are not qualified plan awards.
  • $1,600 for all awards, whether or not qualified plan awards.

A qualified plan award is an achievement award given as part of an established written plan or program that does not favor highly compensated employees as to eligibility or benefits.

A highly compensated employee is an employee who meets either of the following tests.

  1. The employee was a 5% owner at any time during the year or the preceding year.
  2. The employee received more than $115,000 in pay for the preceding year.

Deduct achievement awards as a nonwage business expense on your return or business schedule.

Are you more confused now than you were before? When in doubt, ask your accountant!

#TammyLevent #EliteIncentiveTravel #incentivetravel #incentivetripsandtaxwriteoffs

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Affordable Incentive TravelBudgetingCheap Incentive TravelCorporate Incentive TravelElite Incentive TravelElite TravelIncentive TravelTravel AgentsTravel DestinationsTravel InsuranceUncategorized

You Didn’t Earn the Trip- Now What?

by Tammy Levent
written by Tammy Levent

Crying-girlYour numbers are in and you didn’t meet the quota this time for your free incentive trip. Now you’re bummed out and trying to cope. Now what?

– Remember you can try again next time: Odds are you will have another chance to earn a free trip. Most companies that do incentives for trips realize they are so successful they offer more!

– Figure out what went wrong: You had the same chance everyone else did to make this quota. Assess why you didn’t meet your numbers. Did you procrastinate too much? Was your sales-pitch stale and/or in need of an upgrade? What will it take to help you earn the trip next time?

– Ask for help: If you have figured out something that cost you the trip that your coworkers or boss can help you with ASK!

– Don’t be a hater: One of the most important things is to not be jealous of and mean to your coworkers that did earn the trip. Again, you had the same chance they did. You would want them to be happy for you if you earned the trip so you should show them the same courtesy. It’s important to remember that being a hater could also get you on the boss man’s bad side and no one wants to be there.

– Keep in mind you still made money: Sure, it is unfortunate you didn’t earn a trip this time, but the good news is you were still making money. You still have a job. Not everyone can say that so be grateful for that at least.

– Fuming and pouting get you nowhere: Being upset won’t get you on that trip and it honestly won’t make you feel any better. In fact, being overly upset could cost you your job. If your boss doesn’t think you can roll with the punches you could end up with a pink slip instead of another chance to earn a trip. Just accept you missed out, let it go and gear up for round two!

#incentivetravel #TammyLevent #EliteTravelGroup #EliteIncentiveTravel

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Budget Your Incentives This Year to Get Ready for Next Year!

by Tammy
written by Tammy

Calculator_casio

It’s not too early to start planning your incentives for the following year. With tax season and the second quarter at our doorstep, now may be the perfect time to prepare your plans for 2015.

All of your plans that are already in place for 2014 may be getting your employees amped up now, but letting them know you have plans to continue travel incentives in 2015 can help that momentum continue.

Now that you know how much money you could potentially bring in with increased sales, it’s important to set aside some of that money to pay for the incentives you have already promised to your employees. You can also look forward to how much money you need to bring in next year to offer the same or better incentives.

Ask employees how they feel this year’s incentives are going? Get input on what kind of travel incentives they would like to see in the future. For example, if you chose Jamaica this year, see if they would prefer Mexico next year. If you didn’t include excursions this year, see if that is a possibility for the next time around.

Getting the input of your employees allows them to feel like they have a say about the rewards they could potentially receive. Find out what’s working and what isn’t and see what they need from you to meet their sales quotas. Would extra training push them to the next level to bring in more sales?

Perhaps your incentives are going so well you need to expand your sales team. This is a great problem to have! Do you need to budget for new employees and additional trips now? It’s time to start thinking ahead and preparing for the future. Here’s hoping you will have an even more prosperous 2015!

#EliteIncetiveTravel #TammyLevent #EliteTravelGroup #Honeymoongiveaway

 

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5 Things You Should Know About Incentive Travel

by Tammy
written by Tammy

800px-Brussels118

Picture this. You walk into your office break room and it’s buzzing with …

First year: Your sales staff strategizing to win an incredible vacation.

Second year: Your MVPs laughing at in-jokes and hijinks from last year’s unforgettable trip.

Third year: Your up-and-coming MVPs plotting to overtake last year’s winners and drive your numbers even higher. They’ll be the ones sipping margaritas on that beach next year!

Sales teams don’t wake up motivated (no matter how strong your office coffee). Just like any job, sales gets stale unless you work to keep it fresh. And nothing renews energy like healthy competition. Cash bonuses are nice, but we all know they

5 Things You Should Know About Incentive Travelgo straight to groceries – boring! Ask any employee, client or colleague what they would do if they could do anything and chances are you’ll hear the same answer: “I’d travel the world.”

Your incentive program won’t take up your valuable time when you hire a full service agency.

You can choose to have individual incentives where the winners choose their own individual dream vacations, or…

You can organize a group trip of the office MVPs and use the time together to form stronger bonds and more powerful partnerships.

Watch your sales people partner together to strategize how to increase their numbers. See momentum build every year. Reap the benefits of a sales staff that feels appreciated, supported, and motivated. And, most importantly, reach your goals for boosting your bottom line. According to a 2009 study by the U.S. Travel Association, the ROI for incentive travel is four to one. With more than 20 years of experience as specialists in incentive travel, we can attest to its success – and so can our clients.

What does an incentive trip look like? Anything you want! Anything you’ve dreamed. Whether it’s traipsing off to a new tropical paradise every year to bask in the sun with bottomless daiquiris, spending a week wine-tasting through Tuscany, or speeding over sand dunes in Cabo in the morning and catching dinner off of a private fishing boat in the afternoon.

What if the trip doesn’t go as planned?

Have you been burned by a bad trip? Even the best laid plans can be disrupted or delayed. That’s why we offer 24-7 availability at all times and full-service coordination with our top level packages. If you’re stranded in a foreign airport at 3 a.m., we will always pick up the phone to help you reach your destination.

At Elite Travel, we understand the impact travel incentives can have on a company’s bottom line. Let us be your partners in designing the incentive program that will inspire your business.

Contact us today at  www.EliteIncentiveTravel.com.

 

#EliteIncentiveTravel #TammyLevent #Honeymoongiveaway #EliteDestinationWeddings

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Where Should You Send Employees For an Incentive Travel Trip?

by Tammy Levent
written by Tammy Levent

girls traveling

Now that you have made the decision to offer a travel incentive to your employees, how do you decide where to send them?

The best choices are all-inclusive resorts in the Caribbean or Mexico. Here, all their meals, drinks and water sports are included. You don’t have to worry about going over budget because you know exactly how much the trip will cost ahead of time.

At Elite Travel our top three resort choices for your incentive travel trip are SecretsRoyalBeach in Punta Cana, Secrets Wild Orchid Montego Bay and Excellence Playa Mujeres Luxury Suites Resort.

 

Secrets Royal Beach in Punta Cana

Located in the Dominican Republic, SecretsRoyalBeach is a short 30 minutes from the Punta Cana International airport and offers a modern Caribbean style.

This adult only resort sits on 700 yards of picturesque palm-studded, white sandy beach. Each of the rooms feature a Jacuzzi on the terrace and are designed in a subtle contemporary style that blends smoothly with the vivid Caribbean colors. Guests have access to a variety of daytime and evening activities including land and water sports, daily special events such as movies on the beach and dance classes, and nightly shows and entertainment. The resort features three restaurants and bars. Additionally, guests can enjoy reciprocal dining privileges at Now Larimar Punta Cana, expanding their dining options to include nine restaurants and 10 bars.

Secrets Wild Orchid Montego Bay

Located in Montego Bay Jamaica, Secrets Wild Orchid exudes a playfully cool Jamaican vibe.

This adult only resort is completely encompassed by the crystal-clear Caribbean and sits on more than a half mile of private beach on the Montego Bay peninsula.

Secrets Wild Orchid is inspired by the islands surroundings, features 24-hour room service, breathtaking ocean views and superb amenities. The world-class spa showcases lush gardens and fountains to refresh, relax and rejuvenate with pampering treatments and massages.

Excellence Playa Mujeres Luxury Suites Resort

Located in Cancun, Mexico 30 minutes from CancunInternationalAirport, Excellence Playa Mujeres Luxury Suites Resort is an all inclusive oasis situated on an untouched peninsula between the Caribbean and wetlands preserve.

Playa Mujeres brings contemporary luxury to the wilds of the region. This adult only resort features a private community that boasts an inland marina and a spectacular Greg Norman signature golf course right on the Caribbean.

With a world-class spa, nine international restaurants and all-inclusive list of activities on land and sea, odds are you won’t have time to get bored.

#EliteIncentiveTravel #EliteCorporateTravel #TammyLevent #EliteTravelGroup #EliteDestinationWeddings #honeymoongiveaway

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Incentive Travel Makes a World of Difference

by Tammy Levent
written by Tammy Levent

 

NiagraFalls

 

If you increased your current sales profits by 14.8 percent, how much more money would you make this year? How would 5.9 percent more returning customers impact your revenue? A February 2013 study by Aberdeen Group on how “Best In Class” firms achieved their high sales and customer retention rates found that they averaged 14.8 percent more team quota attainment and a 5.9 percent higher customer renewal rate than average businesses. The common factor among all of them was using Incentive Travel to motivate their sales force.

 

Marketers know that dreams sell – and who doesn’t dream of lounging on a warm beach, cold drink in-hand? When you motivate your team with incentive travel, you’ll see your revenues rise as quotas are met and exceeded. Instead of spending thousands on advertising, why not try investing in your employees?

 

My tip to get the most out of your incentive travel program is to not only reward your top 20 percent of high performers. While you’ll keep your best salespeople happy with rewards, the quota numbers you really need to move are your midrange people. They need to feel like they have a shot at winning something. (Why bother working harder if those top employees are sure to take all the benefits?). Reach them, while motivating your top performers to outdo themselves, and you’ve got a great year ahead.

 

Among our specialties at Elite Travel Group is developing travel incentive programs that help businesses succeed.

If you’d like more tips on how to incentivize your sales team, contact Tammy Levent at Tammy@EliteTravelGroup.net

#EliteIncentiveTravel #EliteTravelGroup #TammyLevent #Honeymoongiveaway #incentivetravel

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Everyone Can Do Incentive Travel in Their Business!

by Tammy Levent
written by Tammy Levent

eckert4

 

If you own a business where sales need to be made, then you need to motivate your employees to make those sales. A destination trip will yield more returns than any cash incentive you could give and everyone can do incentive travel in their business!

Let’s face it. Giving a monetary incentive is boring. If an employee is given cash, they will most likely use the money to pay bills and then forget about it. A dream trip is much more memorable. The trip will live on in pictures on facebook, memories in the minds of the employees who went on the trip and all of the employees will keep talking about it for months to come.

When you decide to offer a travel incentive in your business you don’t pay in advance. You are only offering a promise and a promise doesn’t cost you a thing until you have to deliver. You wouldn’t send a cable company a check before you begin receiving services from them would you? No, you wouldn’t!

The beauty of a travel incentive is you only pay when it’s time to make good on your promise. The employee is not going to receive anything if they don’t fulfill the requirements you set up, so there is really no excuse to not offer a travel incentive.

Regardless of whether or not they meet their goal, the employee is bringing in extra money for you. You could start making extra money from the second they attempt to earn the free trip. If the employee does fail, not only did it not cost you anything, your company’s numbers still go up! If the employee succeeds, you will have plenty of extra capital to pay for the trip. There is no downside.

In fact, you should do multiple travel incentives! The hope of a dream trip will not only motivate the employees who missed out on the first travel incentive to achieve one the next time, but will also motivate the employees who already earned one to try and get another one.

#EliteTravelGroup #EliteIncentiveTravel #Honeymoongiveaway #TammyLevent #EliteDestinationWeddings #BusinessTravel

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How to Propose a Travel Incentive to Your Boss

by Tammy Levent
written by Tammy Levent

#EliteTravelGroup #TammyLevent #Honeymoongiveaway #EliteDestinationWeddings

business woman begging for one more chance

By now, you have heard about companies giving travel incentives to their employees and you want your boss to offer the same thing to your team. Here’s how to make it happen: Rush to your boss’s office, interrupt her immediately and beg while on your hands and knees for a free trip somewhere awesome! Just kidding! Obviously, this is a faster way to get fired than it is to get a travel incentive.

Now, here is the proper way to propose a travel incentive:

First, write your proposal up for your boss. You want to have this ready before you approach her because if she wants to discuss it right away, you want to be able to answer her questions.

In your proposal you should include all the reasons a travel incentive would benefit the company. The last thing you want is for your boss to think you are just trying to score a free vacation. Be sure to include an example that is relevant to your company. For instance, let’s say you work for a gym and your boss wants to increase the number of memberships sold. Give her an example including the costs of the gym memberships and how many should be sold to allow an employee to get a gym membership.

Give your boss statistics on how much this could increase revenue and show her that if the goals aren’t met, it won’t cost the company a penny because only employees that meet their quota will qualify.

Don’t make the proposal too long. Your boss is busy, and this shouldn’t take too much of her time.

After your proposal is completely ready to give to your boss, e-mail her or let her know that you have something you would like to discuss when it is a convenient time.

Once a meeting is set, be on time and bring all of your proposal materials with you. Then, present your proposal and conclude by suggesting a trial run. Let your boss know that you are willing to look into more details if needed and that your number one goal is helping the company grow.

#travel-proposal #travelincentive #travelincentiveproposal

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A Few Reasons to Consider Quarterly Incentives

by Tammy Levent
written by Tammy Levent

#EliteIncentiveTravel #TammyLevent #EliteTravelGroup #EliteDestinationWeddings

Runner

Odds are you have heard the phrase, “Life is not a sprint; it’s a marathon.” For a 500-meter-dashes, running as fast as you can is fine, but for a marathon runner, going fast in the first mile causes a burnout that could take you out of the race completely. With incentives for your employees, offering multiple 500-meter-dashes could potentially be more beneficial to your bottom line than a marathon. It might be time to consider a quarterly travel incentive in place of a one time annual incentive.

Breaking up travel incentives to last all year can do a few things for you:

1. A quarterly incentive feels easier to achieve. Working hard all year makes the end reward feel far away and thus harder to get to. Knowing you are going to be rewarded in a matter weeks for your hard work, puts some pep in your step.

2. Employees who slip in one quarter won’t feel left out completely. They will know that if they work harder in the next quarter they can still get a travel voucher. Sure, they won’t be able to take a vacation as big as someone who hit their quota every quarter, but at least they are still being rewarded which boosts morale enough to keep them aiming high.

3. Most companies report their income in their quarterly reports. Therefore, offering quarterly incentives will in turn boost your quarterly numbers. There is nothing better than being able to frequently report good news which subsequently makes you look better to upper management and/or shareholders… Keeping everyone happy all year can lead to bigger and better things for you and your company.

You can give a travel voucher for minimal amounts of $300, $500, or some other amount each quarter when your team hits their goals. Your team members can accumulate certificates and then at the end of the year lump them together for one great vacation with their family.

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