5 “strange” (but true) reviews from Certify SpendSmart™

Online reviews and vendor rankings are an invaluable tool for consumers and companies alike. To help business travelers and employers make more informed decisions about airlines, hotels, restaurants, car rental companies and more, we created Certify SpendSmart™—a simple and fully searchable feature with tens of thousands of customer satisfaction reviews from real Certify users.

SpendSmart™ reviews are based on a five-star rating system, and users have the option to provide open-ended comments about their experience. Good, bad or indifferent, most reviews offer a fair and straightforward assessment of just about anything you could imagine. Every now and then we see some reviews that leave us wanting more, and others that just leave us scratching our heads. Like the recently discovered gems below.

Check out these 5 “strange” but true reviews, courtesy of Certify SpendSmart: 1. Would you prefer them alive?

“Okay food. Strange dead stuffed animals everywhere.” —Indecisive in Michigan

2. Time traveler “Possibly the strangest hotel I’ve ever stayed in. It’s like a tiny, compressed future.” —Present-day New York City hotel guest

3. Can’t get enough of a good thing “Strange atmosphere, good food. Too much blue cheese on everything.” —Delighted Iowa diner

4. Perplexing patriotism “Great BBQ. The sides are wonderful. At noon everything stopped and the national anthem was played and sung. I found that odd.” —Muddled in Maryland

5. Practical ridesharing advice “Use Lyft if you’re feeling sociable, use Uber if you don’t feel like talking to strangers.” —Lonesome traveler, San Francisco

So, while beauty—and strangeness—is very much in the eye of the beholder, Certify SpendSmart can offer travelers valuable, unbiased perspective on the hotels, restaurants and services they use the most.

Read More

What Exactly Is an Expense Report Knowing it More

The expense report has a lot of merits if correctly utilized, these include reducing bottom line expenses, reducing bottom line expenses, analyzing spending trends, and analyzing spending trends. An "expense report" is a commonplace accounting term used to define all costs that an employee racks up while doing work outside of the office. The details called for for a good report are as follows: the vendor name, voucher number, cost of items or services, invoice number, and the date of purchase. Depending on the report, more detail may be needed. This may deal with numerous aspects of business such as travel, entertainment, meals, and others. A thorough report lists all expenses by month, and fiscal year-to-date. The accordingly submitted and approved report is required by the company to appraise and plan for the expenses incurred for specific cost objects or for especial employees and is very beneficial if the company is ever audited. When submitting the report, the employee should submit all original receipts along with the report.

Unfortunately, if the actual receipt is damaged the employee needs to give a truthful explanation and will probably must provide alternate proof of payment. In addition, the employee must ensure that when submitting the report all that it is precise and correct. The expense report keeps track of all expenses that have been charged while a traveling employee engages in necessary activities on the road. These could include paying for gas, meals, parking or lodging. Additionally, when employees spend any money in cash they must make sure those expenses are also listed on the report. Again, don't forget the receipt!

If you find yourself constantly making expense reports, never fear; there are many smart phone apps that will help you save time and money as well as build a complete excel expense report. These apps are easy and a nifty idea!

If you find yourself constantly making these types of files, never fear; there are expense reporting apps that will help you save time and money as well as build a complete excel expense report. These apps are easy and a nifty idea!

This article explains exactly what all those forms you're filling out are. We all know how inconvenient and time-consuming they are, but it's important to read this article and know exactly what they are. After all, everyone has to do fill them out and everyone hates doing it. The expense report has a lot of merits if correctly utilized, these include reducing bottom line expenses, reducing bottom line expenses, analyzing spending trends, and analyzing spending trends.

Read More

How to Fit Travel and Expense into Your Business Budget

Business travel is a necessary expense for most people. When you think of travel and expense for business, you probably think of flying off to another state, being put up in a hotel and attending a conference or two. But business travel can also include just heading to the next town over to meet with a client. All of these things cost money and you need to know how to deal with travel expense reports, expense tracking, and budgeting for these needs.

First you need to put aside a reasonable estimate each year from your business' budget. If it's local travel that you are really worried about, it'll be easier to do this. You'll want to include gas prices, car rental (unless your company has its own car) and parking costs. You'll also want to have an idea of how many times a year these trips are made. Do you drive weekly to meet with a certain client, or is it a more varied month by month basis?

When it comes to long distance travel, business expenses can be anything from a couple hundred to thousands of dollars. It depends on where flights are to, the kind of hotels your employee is staying in, any additional transportation costs from the hotel to wherever they need to be, and other small costs like a seat for a convention.

Expense management software is an easy way to keep track of these trips. You can put in all the information of the trip and have it calculate the costs for you, as well as keep track of any extra spending that the employee may have done. Your entire year's expenses can be recorded so that when it comes to filing taxes or just dealing with overall budget, you have every single trip on file ready to be accessed.

If you are unsure of whether you can afford a trip ahead of time, plug it into expense management software long before you book. You'll get an idea of the costs and whether or not it's a feasible investment. The most important thing is that you never book without knowing you have the funds to back it up. Don't pull from other business finances if you don't have to. You have to weigh what is more important to your company. When it comes to business travel and expense, it can be daunting. But if you keep on top of figures and set aside a good amount of money, you won't be in the red at the end of the year.

Read More