Corporate travel isn’t just for big enterprises anymore. Today, small and mid-sized teams—from startups to boutique consultancies—are booking more business trips than ever. But managing travel without a dedicated department or travel agent can quickly become chaotic: too many platforms, too many invoices, and not enough visibility into what’s being spent.
The good news? You don’t need a travel agency to stay organized. With the right tools and a clear process, your team can handle every part of corporate travel in-house—saving money, time, and headaches.
This DIY guide to corporate travel for small teams walks you through how to plan, book, and manage business trips smarter, without relying on a middleman.
Before you start booking, set the foundation. Ask: Why are we travelling, and what do we want to achieve?
For small businesses, travel usually supports three main goals:
Once your goals are clear, define a simple travel policy—nothing fancy. Outline acceptable flight classes, preferred hotels, per-diem rates, and reimbursement rules. Setting expectations upfront prevents awkward surprises later.
Then, build a budget framework that fits your size and travel frequency. For example:
💡 Pro Tip: Use historical data from previous trips to refine your travel budget. Even simple tracking in a spreadsheet can highlight where savings are hiding.
One of the biggest mistakes small teams make is booking through multiple platforms. One person uses Expedia, another goes direct to the airline, someone else pays with a personal card—and suddenly, no one knows what’s been spent.
The solution? Centralization.
Using a single platform for all travel—flights, hotels, and cars—keeps every booking visible and manageable in one place. You’ll get unified invoices, real-time updates, and easier reporting at month-end.
Better yet, using a white-label travel platform like ORX Travel means you can manage everything under your own company’s brand. Your team books through a dedicated, branded portal with access to corporate rates, while you maintain full control over pricing, markups, and policies.
Not all travel tools are built for small businesses. Consumer sites are easy to use but lack control. Traditional corporate tools are powerful but overly complex (and expensive).
The sweet spot? A self-service corporate travel platform that blends convenience with control.
Here’s what to look for:
Compared to using multiple OTAs, a white-label travel system like ORX Travel gives you:
In short: the power of a corporate travel agency—without the agency markup.
Once your booking system is in place, it’s time to organize your team’s access.
Each traveller should have their own profile, including:
You can also manage permissions to match company roles. For example:
This ensures everyone has what they need, without compromising control or security.
Manual expense reporting is one of the biggest time drains for small businesses. Receipts get lost, reimbursement requests pile up, and finance teams spend hours matching invoices to credit card statements.
The fix? Automation.
By connecting your travel booking platform to your accounting or expense software, you can:
Your team can focus on travelling productively instead of wrestling with spreadsheets.
Once your DIY travel system is running smoothly, don’t set it and forget it. The most successful small teams review and refine their travel process regularly.
Track key metrics like:
Then, use this data to negotiate better rates, tweak your policy, or identify where automation can save even more time.
💡 Pro Tip: Many ORX Travel clients discover savings of 10–15% in their first three months just by centralizing their bookings and tracking spend in one place.
Here’s why managing corporate travel yourself just makes sense for SMBs:
With the right software partner, DIY travel doesn’t mean doing everything manually—it means having the tools to manage travel smarter.
Yes. Many travel software platforms—including white-label systems like ORX Travel—connect you to GDS and NDC content, giving you access to the same negotiated fares that large companies use. You’ll also be able to set custom markups and service fees that fit your business.
A managed travel program relies on a travel management company (TMC) or agency to handle bookings and policies for you.
A DIY corporate travel setup gives your team direct control—usually through an online booking portal—so you can manage trips internally with full transparency and flexibility.
Start with a clear travel policy, book early, and centralize your bookings on one platform. Tracking spend in real time helps prevent overspending, while automated expense tools reduce administrative waste.
Bonus tip: ORX Travel lets you monitor all travel activity in one dashboard—perfect for small teams watching their bottom line.
Not at all. ORX Travel and similar systems are designed to be plug-and-play. Setup typically involves adding your branding, configuring service fees, and creating user accounts. No coding, no complex integrations—just a clean, branded travel portal that works.
Look for a platform that supports user roles, approval workflows, and flexible markups. As your travel volume increases, you can add team members, assign permissions, and adjust pricing models—all without changing systems.
Corporate travel for small teams doesn’t have to be complicated—or costly. By setting clear policies, centralizing bookings, and using a flexible white-label platform, you can manage business travel in-house with confidence.
ORX Travel was built for companies just like yours—teams that want control, visibility, and simplicity without technical headaches.
👉 Take the next step: Book a free demo with ORX Travel and see how easy it can be to manage your team’s travel on your own terms.
