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Cape Town – Small business owners are often their own personal assistant, HR manager and accountant, juggling administrative tasks while trying to remain innovative and ambitious. Tools that help ease this burden are often sought after by jet-setting entrepreneurs.
A personal travel assistant with the apt name of Lia has been developed as such a mobile tool for on-the-go business people in need of relief.
Lia makes bookings on Kulula, Mango, SAA and BA a simple process and also covers a range of hotels, B&Bs and guest houses. Cars and shuttles are included too.
“With a quick three-step booking process, choosing a flight or booking a hotel has never been easier,” said Lia business manager Nick Smit. “Lia simplifies the business travel process, removing the frustration that is often associated with making and reconciling travel arrangements.”
Smit developed the Android and iOS app with his team from 24.com in April 2014 and rolled it out to all Media24 staff by August and now they’re rolling out the app to staff at Multichoice, the company behind DSTV.
“Businesses using Lia are saving in excess of 20% on their travel spend, having more productive business trips, and benefiting from easy access to their travel itinerary and booking information.”
Streamlined travel
One of Lia’s customers, Media24 eCommerce CFO Paul Bertie, said the app had transformed the way he travelled.
“It’s easy to book and we are charged on a transactional basis, which makes the invoicing straight forward,” he said.
“The approval process also gives the approver visibility of cheaper flights in a similar time slot. As a result we are able to manage our travel costs at a very detailed level.
“On top of this, Lia’s Mobile App allows the approvers to finalise the booking on their mobile devices. Lia has streamlined the way we plan, book and approve our business travel.”
Thinks of everything
The app pretty much thinks of everything. Frequent flyer details can be added to flights; you can snap an invoice on your phone camera and upload it to the app to claim on travel expenses; map integration keeps you on track to your hotel; and you can even request an Uber from the app.
Workflow systems allow owners to create a system that enables oversight for approving trips, while the invoicing system enables simple processes for accounting purposes. It can export information to Excel for admin purposes back in the office, with detailed information about the journey.
“We’ve rolled out the app successfully to our corporate clients,” said Smit. “Lia will revolutionise the way small business owners travel and how they co-ordinate the way their team travels.”
“It will remove unnecessary stress in an environment that demands agility and speed,” he said. “Entrepreneurs need tools like this to make their lives easier, so that their businesses can truly flourish.”
See Travel With Lia for more information.
How Lia works in three easy steps:
* Lia is a part of 24.com, which owns Fin24.
