Apple announced sweeping changes to its products on Monday, the first day of its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC).

Notably, the iPhone maker confirmed rumors that it is changing how it names its software updates. Instead of using a version number, Apple will use a system with a number that represents the year after the update is released. Apple’s next update will be iOS 26, arriving in the fall for most Apple users.

The naming change applies to all Apple products. For example, the next iPad update will be named iPadOS 26, and the next MacBook update will be called macOS 26.

Related: This College Student Wanted to Help People During the LA Wildfires. She Built a Practical App in Just 1 Month — and Won Apple’s Annual Competition.

Apple announced other changes, like a new design and AI features. The company has made all of the new features available for testing starting on Monday through the Apple Developer program, with a public beta version to be released next month and a broader update rolling out this fall.

“We continue to advance each of our platforms with more ways to harness the power of Apple Intelligence, as well as a beautiful new design, our product experiences become even more seamless and enjoyable,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said during the event keynote.

Here are some interesting new capabilities Apple debuted on Monday.

1. A new design with Liquid Glass

Apple made its biggest design update ever, with a new design element called Liquid Glass. The translucent element, which Apple used to craft new buttons, switches, tab bars, and notifications across its products, looks like glass on the screen and takes on the color of its environment.

“This is our broadest software design update ever,” Alan Dye, Apple’s vice president of Human Interface Design, stated in a press release. “It combines the optical qualities of glass with a fluidity only Apple can achieve, as it transforms depending on your content or context.”

Apple has integrated Liquid Glass components into its redesign, including translucent menus that respond to a user’s perspective of the screen and a new lock screen with a Liquid Glass time.

^{Liquid Glass time on the lock screen. Credit: Apple}

Apple’s new Liquid Glass design applies to iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS for a unified look.

2. Live Translation will be integrated into the iPhone

Apple is bringing Live Translation to Messages, FaceTime, and Phone to translate text and audio on the spot. The AI-powered feature is backed by Apple-built AI models that run entirely locally, so personal conversations are never uploaded to the cloud.

Live Translation means that users can talk to each other in different languages, and have the translation appear on the screen in real-time. For example, when a user receives an iMessage in another language, they can opt for that message to be translated into their preferred language. On FaceTime, a user can hear someone talking in another language while following along with translated live captions.

^{Live Translation on FaceTime. Credit: Apple}

Live Translation could help overcome language barriers for business calls and personal calls alike.

Related: Own a Pair of AirPods? Listen to This — New Apple Tech Will Translate Languages During Conversations in Real Time

3. Visual intelligence gets sharper

Apple is bringing more AI capabilities to the forefront with visual intelligence. Users can tap into their iPhone cameras and use what they see to ask ChatGPT questions. They can also search Google or Etsy to find products similar to what they are looking at.

Visual intelligence also recognizes when a user is looking at a poster of an event, and can extract the data to add as an event on their calendar.

Related: Apple Is Reportedly Developing AI Smart Glasses to Compete with Meta and Google

4. Workout Buddy on Apple Watch

Apple is adding an AI workout companion to the Apple Watch called Workout Buddy.

Workout Buddy considers metrics tracked by the Apple Watch, like heart rate, pace, distance, and previous workouts, and leverages this knowledge to motivate users during their workouts with verbal encouragement.

For example, when a user starts their run, Workout Buddy could say, “Great job starting your run. This is your second run this week.”

Workout Buddy will be available for workout types like indoor run and outdoor cycle.

Men’s mental health is in crisis worldwide. Statistics show that men account for 70% of suicides worldwide, as described in an article by Rob Whitley, a professor in psychiatry from McGill University in Canada. Despite this alarming fact, men are less likely than women to seek help when experiencing poor mental health. This is due to the fact that there is still a social stigma that makes many men believe that being perceived as vulnerable or seeking help goes against the norms of societal constructions of masculinity.

Interestingly, research by Mind, a UK mental health charity, found that work life is the main source of men’s mental health issues. The charity found that one in three men attribute work stress to the ill effects on their mental wellbeing, which is twice as many as women who report this. According to another study conducted by CV Library in 2019, 61% of men surveyed wanted to quit their work as it affected their mental health, compared to only 48.5% of women who said so.

Moreover, the pressure to perform well in business has meant that CEOs and entrepreneurs are disproportionately affected by mental health issues, too, compared to the wider public, according to an article published in Small Business Economics.

Related: Taking Care of Mental Health Is Powerful, Not Weak

When the Priory Group, a mental healthcare facilities provider in the UK, interviewed 1,000 men for a survey on men’s mental health, they discovered that although 60% of men have talked about their mental health with someone at some point in their lives, 40% of men still haven’t discussed their mental health issues with close friends, family or even a medical professional. Among these men who have never opened up about their mental health, the majority reported that the underlying reason for it is that they’d learned to deal with it themselves, with the second and third most popular reasons being, “I don’t wish to be a burden to anyone” and “I’m too embarrassed.”

These findings tell me that there is a way forward, but it requires out-of-the-box thinking. To tackle men’s mental health in business, we need to craft solutions that will make men more likely to seek help in their workspaces, without feeling embarrassed about it. Here are five ways we can do this:

1. Bringing awareness to the workplace

One of the first steps to destigmatizing the shame many men face with regard to mental health issues is to normalize the discourse around mental health issues. According to an independent workplace mental health review by Lord Dennis Stevenson and Paul Farmer conducted in 2017, “the correct way to view mental health is that we all have it and we fluctuate between thriving, struggling and being ill and possibly off work.” Bringing the realization that even a seemingly healthy and productive employee or business leader can have underlying mental health issues will lessen the pressures many men face around seeking help.

Through normalizing these discussions via newsletters, group projects and even casual training sessions, a workplace can be an easier space for men to discuss their mental health challenges if the subject matter is actively framed as something that everyone collectively could go through.

Related: 6 Common Barriers to Happiness and Productivity for Men

2. Reduce the usage of the term “mental health”

To ensure that mental health services in the workplace are utilized by men, it is vital that we change the language we use to describe the problem in the first place. Using the term “mental health” can be distressing or off-putting for men, according to research, and instead, more specific terms such as “stress” or “burnout” should be used to describe mental health problems.

Men prefer focusing on and talking about problems that are more solvable, so avoiding broader terms when discussing mental health issues can make them open up more. Asking men specific questions relating to work performance could be easier for them to tackle instead of asking more general questions like, “Are you okay?”

3. Encourage lifestyle-based solutions

Men can often feel isolated if they are identified as having a personal problem in their workplace. Instead, greater benefits could be achieved in men’s mental health when mental health solutions are tied to wider lifestyle solutions, creating workplace activities that carry out themes such as sportsmanship, camaraderie and teamwork. Making mental health something that a company can work together to improve will make men’s participation more likely, since the focus is not entirely on them as individuals.

Well-being outings, group mentorships and friendly sporting events could be promoted as activities that could improve the collective well-being of a workplace and help colleagues work together collaboratively. According to the mental health charity Mind’s “Get It Off Your Chest” study, men have a high preference for physical activities when it comes to tackling their mental health.

4. Provide access to online therapy

Research has found that men are more likely to seek help when they can consult a mental health professional, especially when this can be done online, where anonymity can be guaranteed. This approach would also ensure that men would be confident to discuss their mental health struggles without feeling like they’re putting their job or position at the company at risk.

Related: We Need a Real Commitment to Mental Health at Work. Here’s How (and Why).

5. Create good senior role models

Men are more likely to be empowered to take care of themselves and others when other men in leadership positions are seen to be doing the same. It can be very powerful, for instance, for a male CEO or senior executive to talk to their employees about their own mental health struggles and explain how they work towards their mental well-being. The same could be said about the CEO and entrepreneurial communities, where businesses can work together to ensure that their leaders can work collaboratively and share personal experiences to improve their mental health and well-being together.

Image Credit: Veronica Sams

Most entrepreneurs build a product, then find an audience.

But what if you could do it in reverse — build an audience first, and then create a product to serve them?

That’s what Lauryn Bosstick advocates to new founders. She’s run this playbook to great success: She first built a fanbase of millions through blogging (The Skinny Confidential) and podcasting (The Skinny Confidential Him & Her Show), then spun out a top-tier podcast network (Dear Media) and a thriving beauty brand (also called The Skinny Confidential).

“My audience is invested in the development of the product,” Bosstick tells me on the Entrepreneur podcast Problem Solvers. “So by the time that it’s launched, they feel like they’ve been a part of every step of the way.”

People often misunderstand this strategy, she says: It’s not about just being an “influencer” who spins off products. It’s about mitigating your risk. When you launch a product without an audience, you have no idea who (if anyone) truly wants what you have. But when you develop your audience first, you can learn exactly what they want — and then serve them.

“ I really focused on the audience and the community for, gosh, like eight years,” she says. “And then I launched products.”

Want to try it? Listen to our conversation, or read her step-by-step playbook below.

1. Find Your Point of View

Founders are often afraid to say what they think. They want their products do the talking.

Bosstick understands that — to a point.

“A point of view can get you in big trouble,” she says. “But I think the pendulum is swinging. If you don’t have a point of view, you’re going to get eaten alive.”

Why? Two reasons. First, the world is full of noise, and only strong points of view break through. Also, consumers today are looking for brands they identify with, not just brands that make good products.

Everyone has a point of view, Bosstick says, but not everyone knows how to articulate it in a consumer-focused way. If you’re struggling, go back to basics — and find the root of what you’re passionate about.

“Ask your parents, and think about what you really liked when you were little,” she says. “What are the things you were gravitating towards, whether or not they made you money? Ask your childhood friends: What do they remember about you?”

She also recommends reading Donald Miller’s book Building a StoryBrand, which explains how to take complex ideas and make them simple and resonant.

2. Pick your medium

Once you know what you want to say, you need to figure out how to say it. Bosstick emphasizes being “incredibly self-aware of what medium works for you.”

For her, the medium was clear: “I was born to talk on a mic. I came out with a mic in my hand,” she jokes. That led naturally to podcasting. (Her show has been downloaded more than 500 million times.)

But maybe you’re better behind the scenes. Bosstick points to successful creators on Substack who are “creating huge community” through writing. “If I’m that girl on Substack, I already have a book planned two years down the road,” she says. “From the book, I already have a podcast planned. From the podcast, I already have a brand planned.”

The key is matching your natural strengths to the right platform, then thinking several moves ahead.

Don’t get overwhelmed, she says: You don’t need to be on every platform. “ If you can delete something off your plate that you really don’t need, delete it,” she says. “I mean, I can’t keep up with my inbox on LinkedIn. That’s not realistic. Choose the one that’s going to be the most impactful. For me, that’s Instagram.”

3. Gather insights that convert

Once you have an audience, start listening closely to them.

“I crowdsourced my audience — not for money, but for their opinion,” she explains.

For nine years, she watched her analytics, answered hundreds of DMs daily, and responded to tweets. She was “in the field” with her community, understanding their pain points and desires in real time.

This helped her understand, for example, the kind of beauty challenges her audience was frustrated with — and the specific pain points they have with existing products. That’s why she ultimately launched a beauty brand, and then focused on specific products inside the category.

The Skinny Confidential ice roller is a good example, she says. Her audience spent years complaining about existing ice rollers on the market. All she needed to do was listen. “I found a problem, I disrupted it. I made it better. I made it more beautiful,” she says. “When they got it in the mail, it exceeded their expectations.”

4. Provide value before you sell

Bosstick follows what she calls the “give, give, ask” model:

1. Give your audience tons of value through content.
2. Give more value by focusing on each community member.
3. Ask them to buy your product.

For that to work, however, you need to spend a long time engaging with and being valuable to your audience. Get to know them personally and become their champion — not just a salesperson.

It’s human nature: People want to feel seen, heard, and valued. When you give them that through consistent, valuable content, they’ll reward you with their attention, their trust, and eventually, their money.

“It’s slow, it’s meticulous, it’s really watering the community,” she says. “From there, you can have the sale and the product later down the road.”

We’ve all heard the saying “Love what you do and you’ll never work a day in your life.” There is a lot of truth packed into this statement. Passion typically lies at the foundation of every successful business. For many business owners, choosing entrepreneurship meant escaping the dull, soulless corporate jobs that simply didn’t make them happy. Instead, they wanted to get up every morning and engage in work that was exciting, challenging and meaningful.

Building a business from the ground up requires a ton of blood, sweat and tears. The entrepreneurial journey isn’t for the faint of heart. Despite the headwinds of starting a new business, passion can be a powerful driving force that propels early growth. There are countless stories of entrepreneurs who created world-class brands by simply chasing what they love.

While passion is a critical ingredient in any successful business, it can present challenges when it’s the founder’s sole focus. At the end of the day, a business must be profitable to survive. This doesn’t mean that passion should be cast to the wayside. Instead, entrepreneurs need to be aware that too much passion can create blind spots that hold the business back from achieving strategic growth and maximizing their personal well-being.

Related: Passion Alone Is Not Enough to Open a Business

1. Identify your passion traps

As humans, we’ve evolved to desire the pursuit of things that bring us joy and pleasure at all costs. For this reason, it’s easy for business owners to selectively focus all of their time, attention and energy toward parts of the business they are most passionate about. The challenge is that not every product or service provides the same amount of value to the business. If your business isn’t as profitable as you think it should be, it may be that you are falling into a passion trap.

To solve this, create a matrix of all your products and services. Next to each item, rate them on a scale of 1 to 5 in two categories — passion and profitability. Your rating in the passion column should be based on how much you enjoy working on this product or service or how much fulfillment it brings to your life. The other rating indicates its profitability, scalability and long-term potential from a financial perspective.

The items on your list with the highest combined score should be where you double your efforts, since they achieve both objectives. However, products or services that are high on passion but low on profitability are likely passion traps. These might be better reserved for a hobby in your free time rather than a part of your business.

2. Change your financial mindset

Unfortunately, too many entrepreneurs fall into the endless cycle of aimlessly trying to capture more and more revenue. While this can be great for the bottom line, it can create a lot of stress and pressure on the business owner. They end up focusing entirely on the financial side of the business and neglect the side of the business that builds excitement and purpose for the entrepreneur, which can lead to stress, burnout and loss of motivation.

Instead of the mindless pursuit of money, reframe your business’s financial goals in terms of supporting your desired lifestyle. This gives you something more tangible and rewarding that’s tied to the financial success and strategic growth of your business.

For example, maybe you started the business with the intention of having a better work-life balance, but the growing business now demands that you work 80 hours a week. An alternative mindset would be to focus on allocating some of your growing revenue to hiring a general manager to take work off your plate so you can spend more time with your family. When you tie your increased profit to your personal lifestyle goals, it makes achieving them more meaningful.

Related: What Part Does Passion Play in Your Success as an Entrepreneur?

3. Strategic delegation and outsourcing

Many businesses are started because they leverage the strength or passion of the founder. This can be a powerful driving force in designing amazing products and building excitement with customers around the brand. The challenge is that this can also be a distraction for the business owner. There are numerous critical tasks that must be completed in order to keep the business in operation, such as accounting, payroll processing, record keeping, legal compliance and inventory management. If the entrepreneur is too focused on only the tasks that bring passion, the business could struggle operationally.

The real test is when the business has grown so much that the entrepreneur no longer has any time left to work on the exciting parts of the business. This can cause the business owner to lose their passion entirely or begin to resent the business. To solve this, it’s a good idea to outsource or delegate non-passion tasks to others. This is a win-win as it ensures the business operates smoothly while also freeing up the founder’s time to do more of what they love to do.

4. Segment your schedule

Passion and profit are two very important sides of the same coin. Focusing too much on the business operations itself can stifle creativity and the passion that allows for the creation of new products, keeping the business owner engaged and driving excitement within the team. On the other hand, leaning too heavily into passion can damage your ability to operate the business effectively and stunt your growth. It’s a catch-22. As a business owner, you have to be mindful to balance your time carefully between the two. A good practice is to schedule intentional blocks of time dedicated to CEO activities and others for more creative outlets.

Related: Why We Balance Passion With Reason

Passion is a must-have attribute for any entrepreneur. However, unchecked passion can be a recipe for disaster. When used correctly, it can be an amazing catalyst for growth. As an entrepreneur, it’s important to strike the right balance to avoid unintended consequences of burnout, financial instability, stress and lack of joy from blindly chasing passion projects.

Remember when learning new skills meant signing up for expensive classes, sitting in freezing (or sweltering) classrooms under fluorescent lights, and wondering if the vending machine would ever accept your crumpled dollar bill? Yeah, StackSkills EDU Unlimited is here to wipe that memory clean.

For just $19.97 (reg. $600)—yes, less than your last food delivery—you can grab lifetime access to 1,000+ online courses. IT, coding, graphic design, business strategy, marketing. You name the topic, and it’s probably already waiting for you. New courses are added monthly, so your library actually grows with you over time, not against you.

This is real-world learning made for real-world schedules. Whether you’re a business leader trying to sharpen your digital strategy, a parent plotting a return to the workforce, a freelancer adding a new service, or a student supplementing a less-than-exciting course catalog, StackSkills gives you the flexibility to learn on your own time, from any device, without having to sacrifice your sanity (or your weekend plans).

And StackSkills isn’t about fluff. Their 350+ elite instructors are people who’ve been there, done that, and are ready to show you how they actually succeeded (and yes, sometimes how they failed, because that’s where the real lessons live). Each course includes progress tracking, certificates, and even quarterly live Q&As to keep you engaged and growing.

Compared to one college course that costs, what, $600, $1,000, or more, $19.97 for lifetime access is almost criminally affordable. Plus, you’ll be able to pivot your learning as new trends pop up, industries shift, and opportunities arise. No need to re-enroll, re-pay, or re-think every time you want to pick up a new skill.

It’s lifetime learningbuilt for people who actually have lives.

Take the leap. Own your growth. And seriously, stop paying $300 just to sit through a PowerPoint for beginners class. StackSkills has you covered for life.

Get lifetime access to StackSkills by EDU for just $19.97 (reg. $600) while inventory is available—don’t wait any longer to invest in your professional or personal growth.

EDU Unlimited by StackSkills: Lifetime Access

See Deal

StackSocial prices subject to change.

More than 66% of U.S.-based entrepreneurs use their personal funds to launch their companies, according to data from North One, a business banking specialist. Since time is money, spending a small amount that will allow you to accomplish more in less time would be an excellent business expense, and that’s exactly what Windows 11 Pro delivers right now for just $14.97.

If you haven’t even thought about upgrading to this Windows version because the free OS does everything you need, you probably aren’t familiar with what Windows 11 Pro can do for you. Start with security, because that is of paramount importance now that you have a business, particularly if you’re risking your own funds. Advanced antivirus protection, BitLocker device encryption, biometric login and more are all built into Windows 11 Pro.

Plus, this is an operating system created specifically for professionals, to boost productivity by making your workflow easier and more convenient. You’ll love the new user-friendly interface, and daily tasks will be a breeze with improved voice typing, a far more effective search system, snap layouts, seamless redocking and so much more.

Windows 11 Pro also has a variety of uniquely specialized programs spread throughout the system. Windows Studio Effects, Azure AD, TPM 2.0, Hyper-V, Windows Sandbox, Smart App Control and more will all help to optimize professional routines. You can even have an authentic computing experience entirely without a mouse or keyboard using the Touchscreen feature.

Microsoft Teams, Widgets and more are built in for increased productivity, but the game-changer in this operating system is the AI-powered assistant Copilot. It can turbocharge your writing process, quickly answer questions, generate images, code suggestions and more. Even better, it can also work within Windows to open programs, change settings and more.

The software engineers didn’t forget that professionals do have downtime, either. The DirectX 12 Ultimate graphics not only offer incredibly stunning, realistic visuals, but also maximize your hardware so you can enjoy even the most recently released games at their fullest potential.

Grab Windows 11 Pro while it’s on sale for only $14.97.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Tech job cuts have impacted over 62,000 workers so far this year, according to tracker Layoffs.fyi. Now Amazon is laying off workers in its books business, per a leaked internal email obtained by Business Insider earlier this week.

“Today, we are taking the very difficult step of eliminating some roles on your team,” a senior Amazon manager stated in the email. “Unfortunately, your role has been eliminated.”

The email informed impacted employees that they would receive full pay and benefits for the next 60 days, or 90 days for employees who reside in New York or New Jersey, plus additional severance.

Related: Amazon CEO Andy Jassy Says the ‘Way to Get Ahead’ at Amazon Isn’t By Overseeing a ‘Giant Team and Fiefdom’

The cuts, which Reuters reported affected fewer than 100 employees, were intended to improve efficiency. The reductions affected employees working on Amazon’s Goodreads review site as well as its Kindle division. Amazon acquired Goodreads in 2013 for $150 million.

“As part of our ongoing work to make our teams and programs operate more efficiently, and to better align with our business roadmap, we’ve made the difficult decision to eliminate a small number of roles within the Books organization,” an Amazon spokesperson stated, per Reuters.

Amazon.com began as an online bookstore in the early 1990s when the company sold its first book online: Douglas Hofstadter’s Fluid Concepts and Creative Analogies: Computer Models of the Fundamental Mechanisms of Thought. Within its first month of launch, Amazon had sold books to customers in all U.S. states and 45 countries.

In the first 10 months of 2022, Amazon sold $16.9 billion worth of books globally.

Related: ‘Difficult Decision’: Amazon Announces a New Round of Layoffs. Here Are the Roles Affected.

Now, Amazon generates about $28 billion annually from global book sales and offers more than 20 million titles in the U.S. alone. Amazon controls half or more of the U.S. market for print book sales and at least 75% of ebook sales.

Amazon has let go of roughly 27,000 employees since the beginning of 2022 to cut costs. The company announced last month that it would cut 100 jobs in its devices and services department, which includes Ring doorbells and the Alexa voice assistant. In January, the retail giant made dozens of job cuts in its communications and sustainability departments.

Many small businesses have only one owner and no employees, which means they have to handle crucial accounting tasks on their own. Fortunately, Intuit QuickBooks® Desktop Pro Plus 2024 offers everything a business owner needs to manage company finances all in one program. Best of all, a lifetime license is on sale for just $249.99, a 64% discount off the regular $699 retail price.

This powerful software was designed specifically to offer a full suite of features that help freelancers, small business owners and more perform financial management tasks accurately and efficiently. That includes processing purchase and sales orders, job costing, time tracking and so much more.

This QuickBooks® version makes it so much easier to manage inventory, vendors and customers. You won’t have to deal with the headaches of tracking the value and depreciation of fixed assets anymore, either.

Not only will generating professional reports be a breeze, but the reports will be infinitely more useful. QuickBooks® Desktop Pro Plus 2024’s reporting tools bring insights to the reports that help you make more informed financial decisions, which can be enormously useful in achieving your goals.

Importing data from Excel or older QuickBooks® versions is seamless. This program integrates with TurboTax, QuickBooks® Online, other Intuit® tools and financial institutions. The enhanced bank feeds make reconciliation a snap.

You’ll also get all the latest features and updates, as well as support for multiple languages. Now you can save time, stay organized and confidently manage your company finances forever.

This is a one-time purchase for a single Windows lifetime license with no hidden costs, so you won’t have to worry about expensive subscription fees. Installation is effortless with step-by-step guidance for an easy, quick setup.

Get your lifetime license for Intuit QuickBooks® Desktop Pro Plus 2024 today while it’s available for only $249.99, a discount of 64% off the regular $699 retail price.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Business travel during summer doesn’t have to mean stretching your budget to the breaking point. Over the years, I’ve learned that with a bit of strategy, you can cut costs and add a touch of enjoyment to those work-related getaways.

Whether you’re sealing deals or prepping presentations, these tips will help you save smart while enjoying a little extra along the way. Here are eight practical ways to make the most of your summer business travel.

1. Score big on hotels with members-only platforms

Hotel costs tend to eat up a large part of any travel budget, especially during summer. That’s why I created Tonia in Vegas. You can save hundreds on top hotel bookings without compromising on comfort or location.

From luxury stays in Las Vegas (and anywhere else in the world) to budget-friendly accommodations near business hubs, members-only discount clubs offer the best of both worlds. Plus, they throw in perks like discounts on dining, entertainment and even experiences to make your business trips more enjoyable.

Related: 8 Easy Ways to Save Money on Your Next Business Trip

2. Book flights early (and stay flexible)

Flight prices often soar in summer, so early booking is a must. Aim to secure tickets at least 6-8 weeks in advance for the best prices. Being flexible with your travel dates can also save you big bucks. Did you know that Tuesdays and Wednesdays are usually the cheapest days to fly? Midweek flights are often less crowded, too.

If you’re not picky about departure times, consider red-eye or early morning flights, which tend to be cheaper. And even if you’re tempted by business class, economy seating can save you a pretty penny.

3. Make the most of credit card rewards

Your business expenses should be earning you something in return. Travel-focused credit cards come with perks like free travel insurance, airport lounge access and points on your purchases. Rack up these points while you book your flights, hotel stays or meals and you might find yourself redeeming a free flight or hotel sooner than you think.

If your company is footing the bill, make sure you’re still using your rewards card for those bookings. Just remember to review your usage policy or reimbursement procedures to stay compliant.

4. Pack light to avoid fees

Nothing stings like a surprise baggage fee at the airport check-in counter. Avoid extra costs by sticking to just a carry-on for your trip. Choose versatile clothing that works for both professional and casual settings, like a light blazer that can transition from client meetings to dinner outings.

If you’re headed somewhere sunny, pack lighter fabrics and neutral basics you can mix and match. Don’t forget to check the airline’s baggage policy beforehand to avoid unexpected fees.

Pro tip: Rolling your clothes instead of folding saves space in your suitcase. Packing organizers can also help keep everything compact and accessible.

Related: Ease Your Summer Business Travel in 5 Steps

5. Combine work and play

Traveling for work doesn’t mean it has to feel monotonous. Blend work with leisure to make your trips more enjoyable. For instance, if you’re heading to Las Vegas, use discount platforms to snag discounts on theme parks, live shows and fine dining. Scheduling a personal day at the end of your business trip can help you relax, recharge, and experience the destination more fully.

Example: Traveling to a city with cultural sites? Visit museums, local attractions or nature parks during your downtime to get the most out of your trip.

Not only will these experiences make your trip feel more balanced, but they’ll also boost your energy when it’s time to get back to work.

6. Skip pricey restaurants

Dining out is often one of the sneakiest ways to drain your travel budget. Avoid high-end restaurants for every meal by finding affordable local gems instead. Try to uncover hidden spots offering great food at reasonable prices.

If your hotel includes a kitchenette or even just a mini-fridge, consider grabbing groceries or pre-made meals to save even more. Breakfast, in particular, can be simplified with store-bought yogurt, granola bars, or fresh fruit.

Budget bonus: Some hotels offer free breakfast, coffee or evening snacks. Take full advantage of these perks!

7. Choose hotels close to attractions

Location matters. Staying near conference venues or your other main destinations can help you save on transportation costs like rental cars or rideshares. Look for accommodations within walking distance of key attractions, restaurants or meeting sites.

Not only will this help your budget, but it can also reduce overall travel stress. No one enjoys being stuck in traffic trying to make it to a critical client pitch. If you have extra time, don’t forget to have some fun and check out some local attractions.

Pro tip: Many central hotels offer special business traveler rates or shuttle services to airports or conference centers.

8. Stay connected with Wi-Fi and free tools

Roaming and data costs add up quickly when traveling, especially internationally. Avoid costly cellular bills by making use of free Wi-Fi spots in cafes, hotels and co-working spaces.

If your business regularly requires calling or video conferencing, use free tools like Zoom, Slack or WhatsApp to stay connected.

Pro tip: Invest in a portable Wi-Fi hotspot if you often find yourself needing reliable connectivity on the go.

Related: I Sold My House to Work Remotely on a Cruise Ship for 3 Years — and I May Stay Aboard Even Longer. Here’s What My Life Will Look Like.

Final sip of advice

Smart saving during summer business travel is all about planning and flexibility. From accessing exclusive hotel rates to using credit card perks and packing light, small changes to your travel routine can make a big difference to your budget. Buy blending work and play, staying mindful of expenses and keeping an eye on perks, you’ll not only save money but also make the most of every trip. Safe summer travels and happy saving!

If you’re running a business, managing a team, or just trying to stay ahead in a demanding field, you know how essential your software stack is. Right now, you can ditch the subscription model (like Microsoft 365) and own a full-featured, professional Office suite for a one-time cost of just $49.97 (reg. $219.99). That’s a significant savings over the 2024 version, which offers only five apps but demands a higher price tag.

Office 2021 Professional still offers everything most professionals need to do their jobs exceptionally well: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams (free version), OneNote, Publisher, and Access. The tools are robust, familiar, and built to handle real business tasks—whether you’re formatting a client proposal, managing spreadsheets, designing print collateral, or coordinating project details via email.

It runs natively on your Windows machine, is optimized for performance, and includes updated features like enhanced Excel functions, visual refreshes in PowerPoint, and improved collaboration tools in Word. It’s stable, streamlined, and doesn’t require constant online syncing or cloud dependence to perform.

For entrepreneurs and small teams who prioritize functionality over flash, Office 2021 Pro strikes the perfect balance. You get the same professional-grade software trusted by Fortune 500s without the recurring fees or unnecessary extras.

This version is ideal for independent professionals, remote workers, and business owners who don’t require Microsoft’s latest innovations but seek proven reliability. It’s especially valuable if you’re outfitting multiple employees and need to keep costs in check without sacrificing quality.

Unlike Microsoft 365, which renews monthly or annually, this is a perpetual license—you buy it once, and it’s yours for life on one Windows PC. That means no surprise charges, no account expiration, and no downgrade in features.

Don’t miss the chance to own Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows for $49.97 (reg. $219.99) for a limited time.

Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows: Lifetime License

See Deal

StackSocial prices subject to change.