What if making small, 1-minute changes in your corporate travel routine could save hours in the long run?
Sounds too good to be true, right? But small, consistent habits can create a massive impact over time.
This is the core idea behind the 1% Rule, popularized by James Clear, author of Atomic Habits.
The principle is simple: If you improve just 1% each day, those small improvements compound over time, leading to significant growth.
Now, imagine applying this rule to corporate travel. Just a few strategic, 1-minute travel habits could:
- Save hours of frustration
- Ensure smoother trips for employees
- Cut down on unnecessary travel expenses
And as an HR professional, you’re already managing multiple responsibilities—from handling approvals and policies to ensuring employee well-being. By helping your employees adopt tiny, efficient travel habits, you can make business travel simpler, faster, and stress-free.
Let’s dive into some practical ways you can implement the 1% Rule in corporate travel.
What is the 1% Rule & How Does It Work?
The 1% Rule is based on the idea that small, consistent changes lead to remarkable results. It was made famous by James Clear, an author and speaker who specializes in habits, decision-making, and continuous improvement.
Think of it like compound interest in banking—small investments grow significantly over time. In the same way, small tweaks in your travel routine can add up to massive time and cost savings.
For corporate travel, this could mean:
- Automating your approvals – Saves minutes every time, leading to hours saved over a year.
- Pre-setting preferences – Avoids repetitive selections, making bookings faster.
- Using smart packing techniques – Ensures smoother check-ins and less last-minute stress.
These micro-habits don’t require drastic changes but, over time, they create huge efficiency gains. And as an HR professional, you have the power to introduce these small shifts that make a big difference in how employees travel.
Let’s explore some 1-minute travel habits that can help streamline business trips and eliminate unnecessary stress.
1. Pre-Set Travel Preferences
Because No One Likes Repeating Themselves
How many times have employees manually selected their favorite airline, seat preference, or meal choice every single time they book a trip? Now, multiply that across hundreds of trips. That’s a lot of wasted time!
What You Can Do in 1 Minute:
Encourage employees to set their travel preferences once—including seat choices, meal options, hotel categories, and airline preferences.
Why It Works:
- Future bookings automatically reflect these choices, reducing the need for repetitive selections.
- Employees spend less time booking and more time preparing for their business trips.
HR Takeaway: Employees appreciate personalized travel experiences—and this simple habit ensures every trip is tailored to their comfort without extra effort.
2. Automate Approvals
Because Delays Cost Money
We’ve all seen it—an employee needs urgent travel approval, but their manager is unavailable. The request sits pending, flight prices rise, and hotel options disappear.
As an HR professional, you shouldn’t have to chase approvals or deal with last-minute booking chaos.
What You Can Do in 1 Minute:
Set up pre-approved budgets for frequent trips or enable one-click approval workflows for routine travel requests.
Why It Works:
- No more approval delays, ensuring bookings happen at the best possible rates.
- Employees travel stress-free, knowing their trips won’t be disrupted.
HR Takeaway: Fast approvals save money for both the company and employees.
3. Pack Smart, Save Time
Because Last-Minute Packing is Stressful
We’ve all seen employees scramble to pack the night before a flight, only to forget essentials like chargers, travel adapters, or ID copies.
What You Can Do in 1 Minute:
Advise employees to keep a pre-packed essentials kit with toiletries, chargers, travel-size items, and important documents.
Why It Works:
- No more last-minute panic or buying overpriced items at the airport.
- Employees save time and travel stress-free.
HR Takeaway: A simple “go-bag” strategy makes corporate travel more efficient and hassle-free.
4. Use a Dedicated Travel Support Team for Faster Reservations
Because Manual Searching is Time-Consuming
Ever seen employees spend 30+ minutes comparing flights, checking different airline websites, or waiting for travel confirmations? That’s wasted time. Delays in bookings can lead to higher travel costs and unnecessary stress.
What You Can Do in 1 Minute:
Encourage employees to rely on a dedicated travel support team that handles all their booking needs—flights, hotels, and transportation—without the hassle of manual searching.
Why It Works:
- Expert Assistance: Travel specialists find the best options based on company policies, budgets, and employee preferences.
- Quick & Stress-Free Bookings: Employees get confirmed reservations without spending time comparing multiple platforms.
- 24/7 Support : Whether it’s a flight reschedule, hotel modification, or urgent booking request, the team ensures smooth adjustments.
HR Takeaway: A dedicated support team means faster, stress-free bookings for employees and fewer travel management headaches for HR. Less time on bookings = more focus on business goals!
5. Digitalize & Organize Travel Docs
Because Searching Through Emails is a Waste of Time
One of the biggest time-wasters in corporate travel is finding travel documents—flight tickets, hotel details, invoices, and approval emails.
How often do employees ask things like:
- Can you resend my itinerary?
- Where’s my hotel confirmation?
- I lost my invoice. Can you find it for me?
What You Can Do in 1 Minute:
Encourage employees to store all travel-related documents in one centralized place whether it’s a travel app, a company portal, or a dedicated email folder.
Why It Works:
- No more digging through emails for essential documents.
- Everything is accessible in one click whenever needed.
HR Takeaway: This simple habit reduces unnecessary back-and-forth emails and makes travel planning much more efficient.
How CoTrav Helps You Implement the 1-Minute Rule
While these 1-minute travel habits sound simple, manually implementing them across a company can still be a challenge.
This is where CoTrav makes it effortless:
- Pre-set Preferences: Employees’ travel choices are saved automatically, ensuring every trip matches their needs without repetitive selections.
- One-Click Approvals: Managers can approve trips instantly, eliminating delays and last-minute price hikes.
- Our Dedicated Team: From booking assistance to last-minute changes, our experts ensure that every trip runs smoothly and hassle-free.
- Centralized Travel Documents: All itineraries, tickets, and invoices are stored in one dashboard, reducing the hassle of searching through emails.
By making these small, strategic changes, you save time, reduce costs, and ensure a smooth travel experience for your employees.
And with CoTrav, these habits become seamless and automated helping you implement the 1-Minute Rule effortlessly!
Conclusion: Small Habits, Big Impact
Business travel doesn’t have to be stressful or time-consuming. By making tiny, 1-minute improvements, you can create a smoother, more efficient travel experience for your employees.
These small changes like setting travel preferences, automating approvals, and organizing documents help you save time, reduce costs, and eliminate unnecessary hassles.
And the best part? You don’t have to do it all manually. With CoTrav, these habits become effortless and automated, so you and your employees can focus on what truly matters: productive and stress-free travel.
Ready to transform your corporate travel experience? Let’s make business travel smarter, not harder!
