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Home Healthcare Mileage Tracking Explained | What Is the Best Mileage Tracker For Healthcare?

Triplog Personal Mileage Tracking in Healthcare

Mobile healthcare is on the rise and healthcare organizations are no strangers to the pains of having staff out on the road. The rise in ambulatory service is being driven by an aging population.

According to a study of mileage tracking across various industries, “The demand for mobile healthcare will continue to increase as the number of Americans 65 and older double in the coming decades”.  The SAP study also clearly states that their healthcare customers have the highest spend on personal car mileage, 5x the spend of a similar-sized organization.

Related: Home Care Mileage Reimbursement – Why Companies Should Care

It also mentions that tracking transportation is the second-highest expense incurred, after airfare, in most healthcare organizations. So, it becomes imperative for companies to bring more transparency and governance in controlling and monitoring this rising cost of transportation expense that is the trend in the healthcare industry.  

Best Practices for Healthcare Mileage Tracking

As healthcare organizations prepare to put more of their staff, like nurses and hospice workers, out on the road to various locations, it becomes a costly and complicated operational challenge to track mileage for those workers. It can become quickly frustrating, especially when dealing with large amounts of data and people as your organization grows.

So today, we’ll explore the best practices regarding mileage tracking for growing healthcare organizations, to facilitate both the operational and cost aspects of this trending transition. Even though there are practically hundreds of solutions for Healthcare organizations, we’ve decided to keep it simple and functional.

Related: The Healthcare Apps You Need To Know About

The four best practices for healthcare mileage tracking include better-defined policies and agendas, setting higher expectations, evolving your operation on a mobile basis, and working on accurate data collection and transmission. Without further ado, let’s get straight to it.

Set Clear Guidelines

Having a mileage reimbursement policy helps both the employer and employee understand what needs to be done and when. This not only avoids errors but optimizes the resources at hand. Employees are glad to have a clear guideline to follow that will only facilitate reimbursement for them.

On the other hand, employers can have a good foundation for an error-free and efficient process for tracking organization mileage tracking. Some of the main components of a mileage reimbursement policy should include the following:

  • Mileage expense reports submission guidelines
  • Use of personal car versus a car rental
  • The applicable mileage rates
  • Eligibility criterion for reimbursements

Gain Back Control

Every mistake almost by default leads to a chain, a series of additional mistakes. Inflated miles, inaccurate mileage tracking, and outright wrong methods of collecting and submitting data – these are just some of the mishaps that occur to most healthcare organizations on a regular basis.

Gain back control by creating accountabilities – expect your employees to do their job in good faith, but also make sure that you empower them with tools that create enable them to be more accountable.

Related: Reducing Work Burnout in the Home Healthcare Industry

Accurately capture and reimburse personal mileage by:

  • Requiring documentation for distance traveled
  • Utilizing the mile tracking data to gain more visibility into mileage spend patterns
  • Checking for travelers that have excessive personal car mileage
traveling healthcare worker mileage tracking

Improve Accuracy

If there’s one thing that’s worse than poor communication, it’s inaccurate data collection. For example, if your employees fail to submit their mileage within the deadline, you can cover up for them and even things out within a couple of days.

However, on the other hand, lies the scenario where your employees submit inflated miles. If they outright lie in order to save a couple of dollars. Of course, you have already interviewed your work staff and know what they are and what they are not capable of.

Providing and encouraging the use of tools like GPS tracking can help with accuracy, as well as:

  • Enable employees to effortlessly capture distance traveled
  • Increase accuracy of distances reported and reimbursed
  • Collect the information you need for compliance and tax reporting
  • Increase employee compliance and minimize the temptation of fraud

Benefits and Drawbacks of Self-Reported Mileage

Healthcare employees are required to keep track of their personal and ‘business’ mileage (healthcare), and they can either “self-report” it or use an app that will automate the process in its entirety.

The most obvious benefits of self-reported mileage are:

  1. No additional costs
  2. The routine task of keeping track of the mileage gets easier with practice and experience
  3. It’s easy to compare the mileage of employees operating within a certain area

The most notable challenges that self-reported mileage presents are:

  1. Inflated miles – employees can “lie” so as to cut some expenses
  2. Mistakes happen more commonly in comparison to the digital method of mileage tracking

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Automated mileage tracking (Smartphone Apps)

Each healthcare worker has plenty of tasks ahead of them, especially when lives are at stake. It’s only logical to assume that piling those tasks up even more with the obligation to manually keep tabs on personal and business mileage is not something a healthcare organization would want to do.

Related: Electronic Visit Verification For Home Care Explained (2023)

By using smartphone apps for company mileage tracking, you empower your staff to focus on adding value with better quality care. Also, training is not complicated since most of your workers are probably familiar with using apps on their smartphones, they might even prefer it over other methods.  

Automatic mileage tracker apps like TripLog can help you and your employees by saving time, and increasing accuracy, enabling better delivery of healthcare. In addition, by integrations to Concur, QuickBooks, Xero, and ADP,

TripLog also empowers healthcare organizations with the financial foresight and intelligence needed to make the right business decisions to support growth and success well into the future.

To learn more, schedule a complimentary live web demo, or visit our pricing page to get started today. Talk to us about staying EVV compliant in your state as well!

GET STARTED TODAY WITH TRIPLOG

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Medical Mileage Deduction Explained | What Is the 2023 Medical Mileage Rate?

medical mileage reimbursement qualify irs triplog

What is a mileage deduction? This term essentially relates to mileage reimbursement – the money you are legally entitled to scratch off from your total mileage.

Now, there are three main categories of mileage deductions: business, medical and moving, and charitable. In this article, we’re going to cover everything you need to know about IRS medical mileage deductions.

Related: Home Care Mileage Reimbursement – Why Companies Should Care

Medical Mileage Deduction 101

Medical mileage deductions are most often related to your trips to the doctor, medical or dental. Since this category is very broad, the IRS made sure to make a list of deductible medical mileage (which basically means that not every visit to your doctor allows you to scratch off some mileage at the end of the year).

Beginning on Jan. 1, 2023, the standard IRS mileage rates for cars (also vans, pickups, or panel trucks) are as follows:

  • 65.5 cents per mile driven for business use.
  • 22 cents per mile driven for medical or moving purposes.
  • 14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable organizations.

GET STARTED TRACKING MILEAGE TODAY WITH TRIPLOG

Deductible medical expenses revolve around health insurance that is usually not covered by the employer, including both uncovered premiums and unreimbursed premiums. These costs include diagnosis, treatments, prevention, cure, or mitigation according to IRS standards.

Taking all this into account, the amount you would be able to save from medical mileage deduction is still pretty vast. That is the reason why the IRS subjected this category to adjusted gross income limitation (AGI).

Adjusted Income Limitation Rates

In essence, the expenses covered by the medical mileage deduction can’t exceed a certain point. This “point” is basically the percentage of your adjusted gross income.

Depending on age as the most relevant factor, there are two rates and two categories of adjusted income limitations.

The first category relates to employed people who are not older than 65 years, and the threshold stands at 7.5%. The other category includes those older than 65, where the threshold stands at 10%.

How To Count Your Qualified Miles

To count your qualified miles (miles qualified for the medical mileage deduction), you only need to subtract them from the ones accumulated on the entire trip.

The total miles you accumulate over a year’s period of time represent your total mileage. Even if you subtract the “medical” or “qualified” miles from the overall trip, the total mileage still accumulates over time, which basically means that one doesn’t cross off the other.

Related: The Healthcare Apps You Need To Know About

There’s another very important thing you need to be aware of. Your medical mileage accumulates via other means as well – it “stacks up” as you visit diagnostic centers, when you go to therapy sessions, and whenever you go to get (or even renew) your prescription.

track medical mileage reimbursement triplog

Exceptions to What Count as Qualified Miles

There are several exceptions to these rules. For instance, you are not allowed to get a medical mileage deduction for general health improvement trips.

For example, if you are feeling totally fine and wish to make a trip to your doctor in order to get some vitamin shots, this does not add to your deductible medical mileage. You are also not allowed to include the cost of miles you’ve accumulated with the intention of arranging a therapy or a regular check-up unless you’ve previously scheduled it in any way (vocally, via e-mail or phone).

The logic behind such a rule is rather simple – it’s very hard to prove the intention, so the law forbids it. On the other hand, you are in fact allowed to include the expense you have paid for yourself, or for your spouse.

However, in the latter case, another string of rules applies. You can only include and benefit from the deductible medical mileage of the expenses you’ve paid for your spouse if the person in question was your spouse during the time such services took place.

Most people nowadays multitask. Taking a trip to the doctor, to the workplace, and to the store is usually executed in a single run. That’s the first mistake you’ll be making if you want to count your qualified miles manually (without using an application).

In essence, the calculation is relatively simple – every trip to the doctor adds up to your medical mileage. Every trip in which you conduct business adds up to your business mileage. Every other kind of trip adds to your total mileage, but not to your deductible mileage.

In order to keep your records as clean as possible (and to reduce the amount of work you need to put into the process), you have two options at your disposal. Either start taking public transportation for your casual trips, or start using a mileage tracker app.

Related: Reducing Work Burnout In The Home Healthcare Industry

There are numerous mileage trackers, each offering a different set of benefits at a different cost. TripLog is, according to many professionals from various industries (lawyers, construction workers, realtors, and such), one of the cheapest and most cost-effective full-featured mileage tracking applications on the market.

GET STARTED TODAY WITH TRIPLOG’S MILEAGE TRACKER

Transportation Costs and Medical Mileage Deduction

There are numerous other things you can add to the list of your deductible medical mileage, most of which revolve around personal transport to the medical facility. Keep in mind that the following list does not even remotely apply to your medical mileage if the medical care you were receiving wasn’t of vital importance (life-threatening risks and beyond):

  • Taxi, plane, bus, and train tickets
  • Ambulance transportation services
  • Vehicle tickets and expenses for a parent who is obligated to go with a child
  • Vehicle tickets and expenses for a nurse and/or any other medical personnel that is legally allowed to give treatments

Medical Driving and Medical Mileage Deduction

We’ve mentioned the AGI rate, but the medical mileage deduction rate is something completely different. You are entitled to 22 cents/mile for medical or moving purposes.

Final Words

Medical mileage deductions are not to be ignored. These do stack up and you could make significant savings annually.

The only real problem is figuring out what you can and can’t do, and which miles you can and can’t deduct since the list is huge. Keep track of every mile you’ve driven, and keep a watchful eye for any updates from the IRS, and you should be good to go.

The best way to track your company mileage and expenses is with a modern mileage tracker app like TripLog. Download the app on iOS or Android, or schedule a complimentary web demo today.

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What To Do if You Forget to Track Your Mileage

what to do if you forget to track your mileage gig economy worker exiting car

If you drive for Uber, Lyft, Instacart, DoorDash, or another gig economy app that requires you to use your personal car for work, you can deduct some of your mileage on your taxes at the end of the year.

With that said, this isn’t something all delivery and rideshare drivers are aware of. Come tax season, many find themselves panicking when they realize how much they could’ve saved as deductibles, had they kept proper records.

Related: How To Calculate Your Mileage For Reimbursement

By now, you should be getting your information ready for your taxes. However, if you needed an extension because you forgot to track your mileage, this is the guide for you.

Forgot to Track Your Mileage: What the IRS Says

The IRS provides some information on what they need if you forgot to track your miles. They state that:

“If you don’t have complete records to prove an element of an expense, then you must prove the element with:

  • Your own written or oral statement containing specific information about the element, and
  • Other supporting evidence that is sufficient to establish the element.”

The second bullet point is your friend if you have not been keeping proper mileage records for the tax year. This simply means that the supporting evidence could be “documentary evidence”, in the case where direct evidence is not available.

This simply means that even though you may have incomplete mileage records, you are still allowed to provide an estimate, as long as you have the evidence to back it up. However, finding evidence is the difficult part. The following are some methods to help you make up for an incomplete mileage log.

Rideshare App Trip Logs

Rideshare companies typically have the records needed to estimate your business mileage, especially reputable companies like Uber and Lyft. If you’re getting data from a rideshare company app, the catch is that these platforms keep tabs on your trip mileage, but only for miles driven when there’s a passenger on board.

They will not include situations when you’re driving between trips or going to customers to pick them up. These trips are valid business miles, but you cannot get deductibles on them because there is no evidence.

Related: 10 Most Common Tax Deductions For Small Business

This on-trip log of your mileage may be valuable to you, but keep in mind that it is the minimum of your deductible mileage. You’re leaving money on the table since some of your actual deductible miles are not recorded.

If you’re using other apps like Instacart and DoorDash, you can usually find records in those apps as well.

Track your average business-driving activity and extrapolate

Another way to calculate an estimate of your deductible mileage is to use the normal distance that you cover in a week or a month as your estimate for the entire tax year. Again, you can’t deduct mileage you cannot prove, so make sure you have credible proof of the estimates you provide.

If this seems like the only option for you, then there are two things you should do. First, calculate the average mileage for a given month, then find ways to prove that you drove a similar number of miles in the other 11 months.

That proof could be in the form of your Uber/Lyft income and your trip logs. In case you remember certain months were busier or “slower”, exclude them and report it as such.

If you’re an Android user, you can also use Google Maps Timeline to find some of your lost mileage. Read our blog on mileage tracking with Google Maps for more information as well.

The two points illustrated above will give you a basic outline of your major business miles that are deductible. But what about miles you’re not capturing using these methods, such as the miles driven between trips or your commute to your passengers?

The following are a few methods that can help you establish those miles as deductibles.

Find the Lost Mileage Between Trips

Another way to calculate the total mileage between your trips is to calculate the lost mileage between when a trip ended with a passenger, and where the next trip began with another. You can use the “gap” to calculate the mileage you incur between trips, which are deductible business miles.

Find the Lost Mileage for Your Commute to and From Your First & Last Trip

Beginning with leaving and returning home, you’ll need to figure out the lost mileage for your commute. From picking up your first passenger to dropping off your last passenger and returning home for the day, you need to accurately determine the usual distance covered for both of these trips.

Related: Why Small Businesses Should Track Their Mileage

For instance, if you remember where you picked up your first passenger and where you dropped off your last passenger, you can use those two locations to figure out the commute to and from your first and last passengers, which are deductible miles, according to IRS.

triplog best mileage tracker to never lose irs tax deductible mile

Don’t Forget: You Will Need To Calculate Your Total Mileage

Calculating your total mileage is required when claiming your mileage deduction for the year. It can also help you check for the accuracy of your estimates.

Your total mileage includes business-related miles, commuting miles, and any form of personal miles. Primarily, the easiest way to calculate your total mileage is by using odometer readings.

If you forgot to take down those readings, you can often find them in, for example, old maintenance receipts. Once you calculate your total mileage, you can start to estimate what your total deductible mileage is by finding the number that is between your total miles, and your rideshare miles (given to your by rideshare companies).

Forgot to Track Your Mileage: Words of Caution

These techniques will sure to prove useful when you try and track down your mileage for this year. But be warned that these techniques are not foolproof.

If you’re not accurately tracking your mileage and expenses, you can still be hit with an audit. In addition, you will not guarantee the maximum deductible for your business miles. No matter what, you will not be able to establish your complete business miles and hence lose out on substantial tax deductions.

A better way to go about tax deductions is to be prepared and keep proper tabs on all your business miles no matter how tedious it may sound. This way you can ensure that you maximize your mileage deductions for the year.

Forgot to Track Your Mileage: Easy Solutions

It’s better to prevent a mistake rather than trying to pick up the pieces afterward. So, how do you avoid forgetting to keep your logs again?

The answer is simple – you should track your mileage! With that said, we all know how tedious keeping individual records can be. In addition, pen-and-paper mileage logs can be time-consuming and highly inaccurate.

Related: 6 Common IRS Tax Penalties For Small Businesses

Also, it’s important to store the record for at least the next five years, in case of future audits. The IRS is actually very easy on how you keep track of your mileage if your reports are timely. Keeping daily tabs or even weekly tabs can be difficult.

TripLog: The #1 Way to Never Lose a Deductible Mile

Luckily, technology comes to the rescue. Many automatic and reliable mileage tracker apps like TripLog allow rideshare drivers to easily keep tabs on trips.

TripLog has six different automatic mileage tracking options and integrates with accounting software like QuickBooks and Xero for easy tax filing. Logging in trips and maintaining tax-compliant reports makes your tax prep completely hassle-free!

Get started with TripLog for free by downloading the app on iOS or Android. You can also schedule a live web demo with one of our mileage experts! Thanks for reading.

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Rideshare Tax Guide: What You Need To Know For 2023

uber lyft rideshare drivers tax tips

In a previous blog, we highlighted ways you can maximize your tax deductions for this year, even without taking the steps needed to document your business income/expense and mileage tracking as a rideshare driver.

But, as we discussed, that leaves a lot of money on the table. Today, we’re going to several tax tips that rideshare drivers can use to save thousands of dollars when tax season rolls around.

Rideshare Tax Tip #1: Learn How Self-Employment Taxes Work

It’s important to know that as a rideshare driver, you are not an employee but an independent contractor of that company. When you receive a payment from your rideshare company, it is not a salary payment net of withholding tax.

This means that you are solely responsible for filing all your tax forms and paying taxes on income. Unfortunately, this responsibility can be challenging for many rideshare drivers. Below, we share ways to get ahead of the rideshare game by maximizing your tax deductions.

Remember: self-employed taxes work differently than employee taxes.

In addition to your income taxes, you may have to pay self-employment taxes. The Social Security and Medicare taxes are combined to make up the self-employment tax rate, and it is your responsibility to take care of these taxes. Now, you do not have to become an expert in filing taxes, but it is good to know some of the basics for your personal filing.

Related: Top 5 Tax Tips For Gig Economy Workers In 2023

For instance, you may be required to file quarterly estimated taxes on Form 1040-ES if you have been ridesharing on a frequent basis. When tax season comes around, you will have to report your self-employment income and expenses on your Schedule C, and if your net income from ridesharing was over $400 for the year, you will also have to fill out Schedule SE (Form 1040) for self-employment tax.

Keep up with your tax deductions

As a self-employed individual, business expenses can add up quickly. It’s important that you take advantage of deductions to reduce your tax burden, and tracking your expenses are going to be key. For example, the most important area you will look at for deductions is your car. There are two different ways to deduct your vehicle expenses:

IRS standard mileage deduction

If you decide to take the IRS standard mileage deduction, the 2023 standard mileage rate is 65.5 cents per mile driven for business use. The easiest way to track your mileage is with a mileage tracking app. Mileage apps like TripLog will help you create a detailed mileage log while automatically tracking your mileage for you.

Related: IRS Mileage Rate Explained | How Is The Standard Mileage Rate Determined?

Deduct vehicle operating expenses

Suppose you find that you can get a better overall deduction by deducting your actual vehicle expenses, assuming you have all of your receipts and documentation on file. In that case, you may deduct your expenses for:

  • Regular maintenance
  • Depreciation
  • Registration Fees
  • Gas
  • Insurance

Regardless of the deduction you choose to claim, you must properly track and keep detailed records of your driving activity. For example, if you are claiming mileage deduction, it is crucial that you track your mileage with detailed mileage logs. If you are claiming actual driving expenses, you need to keep track of your supporting receipts, invoices, etc. to prove those expenses.

Other deductible expenses besides mileage include: 

  • Part of your cell phone expenses from rideshare work
  • The technology used to perform your job
  • Car insurance premiums
  • Commissions paid to the rideshare company
  • Snacks and refreshments for passengers
  • Parking Fees
  • Tolls
  • Car washes
  • AAA membership
  • Oil changes, tune-ups, windshield wiper fluid, and other miscellaneous car expenses

Rideshare Tax Tip #2: Implement Automatic Mileage Tracking

When it comes to taxes, tracking your mileage is an important part of being a rideshare driver. If you are not tracking your miles, you are leaving money on the road.

For example, you can easily put over 500 miles on your car for the week. Using the 2023 IRS mileage rate, that could translate to a $327.50 deduction each week, which adds up to over $15,000 throughout the year. That is massive!

The cheapest way to keep track is manually; however, cheap does not equate to easy. You can buy a book or notebook and write down your mileage by the day in an IRS-compliant fashion. You must be disciplined to remember to do this every day.

Related: Why Small Businesses Are Vulnerable If Not Properly Tracking Mileage

But, by doing this, you are only adding another task to your list. What if you are in a bad mood or running late? The last thing on your mind will be logging miles.

Fortunately, there are mileage tracking apps that can help you automatically and manually track and log your rideshare miles. For a small annual fee, you can save a lot of time and hassle, as well as save thousands of dollars. You can also get all of your mileage information in a handy document that you can email to yourself or to your Certified Public Accountant.

Rideshare Tax Tip #3: Hire a Rideshare CPA

If you find it difficult to manage your own taxes, consider talking to a tax professional. There are dedicated tax professionals for rideshare drivers and small businesses.

They’re also usually knowledgeable about technology improvements you should make to achieve an efficient, manageable, and easy tax process. They will be able to assist you with filing your tax forms, selecting the right mileage tracking apps and accounting software, etc., to help answer your specific questions and maximize your deductions.

Related: 3 Reasons Why Your Small Business Needs An Accountant

Ditch Manual Mileage Logs and Start Saving Thousands Every Year

Overall, the biggest component of filing taxes as a rideshare driver is mileage tracking. The benefits are significant if you can track your mileage effectively.

TripLog has automatic and manual mileage tracking features that generate IRS-compliant mileage logs. In addition, our software integrates with accounting software like QuickBooks and ADP to help streamline your tax filing.

With the right mileage tracking app, you won’t have to worry about tax calculations. Instead of constantly logging miles in your journal every day, with a mileage app, you can focus more on your business needs while efficiently saving money.

To get started with TripLog’s company mileage features, download our app on iOS or Android, or feel free to schedule a complimentary live web demo. Thanks for reading!

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How Technology Can Help Real Estate Agents

Triplog mileage tracking app real estate agents

The approach to real estate selling has changed drastically over the years. From going door to door to sitting on the telephone for hours, technological advancements have really changed the way agents connect with their clients.

Ultimately, these advancements also changed the amount of effort it took the get the job done properly and on time. Now, the real question is – do real estate agents need new technology and how can it benefit them?

When is technology a hindrance?

There are situations when agents simply need to do things the old-fashioned way. There are numerous examples of such – for instance, what good would the new tech bring to you if you implement it in your work, but your client doesn’t? Alternatively, even your clients might come around, but would they still be able to tackle the specific tech’s method of operation?

On another hand, it goes without saying that certain aspects of modern technology, better said certain apps and platforms are nothing more than a waste of money.

We can all agree that whenever a trend springs out, opportunists emerge as well, which only means that a portion of such apps and platforms aren’t exactly beneficial to anyone but their makers.

How can technology help real estate agents?

The primary goal of technology is to aid people in every possible way. Technology is there to boost the quantity and quality of performance, be it growing organic food or operating as a real estate mediator.

Tech stacks used by real estate agents bring many benefits to the work of real estate agents. Let’s go over some of the benefits of a tech upgrade at work for real estate agents.

Increased productivity

‘Time is money’ may sound like a cliché, but it’s precisely the biggest benefit of using advanced applications and platforms. Physically going from place to place burns a great deal of time, but the same can be said for crunching numbers with a calculator and double-checking every word on your paper files.

You will improve your efficiency and earn more money by simply having more time. You will save yourself the displeasure of doing everything the old-fashioned way, thus having more time to acquire new leads and clients.

Scaled operations

We’ve just briefly mentioned that you could gain more leads by having the time to do so. Expanding your business could be the most important thing for you, especially in such a competitive world we live in. By implementing new technologies, it’s easier than ever to scale up your business without a large capital investment.

Most real estate apps allow you to easily access your logs and clients, and that’s a two-way street – your clients will also be able to access you in case anything goes awry.

Having more clients and the way to monitor your business growth via simple, affordable scalable technological solutions is a benefit which is equally great and important as the time-saver benefit, we just mentioned.

Improved efficiency

Believe it or not, using real estate apps will cut down your expenses substantially. Calling your clients pumps up your cell phone bill, physically meeting them costs gas, and most importantly, organizing an entire network where all of this is done on a daily basis simply costs a lot.

Real estate apps barely cost $50 on average annually, which basically means that what you would initially pay for them will easily save you several times more, not to mention the other various benefits that different platforms offer.

TripLog was built with these benefits in mind

TripLog’s best-in-class mileage tracker app is one of the few apps that you can easily integrate into your business life without having to adapt too much. It’s very easy to use, boasts an intuitive design, and if you’re even the least bit tech-savvy, you’ll be able to utilize its many functions straight out of the box.

Related: Mileage Reimbursement Explained

Its primary function is mileage tracking, a particular job that is otherwise pretty messy and requires a lot of diligence. TripLog is accurate and allows you to customize the tracking mechanism to further suit your needs (standard, Bluetooth, iBeacon, Plug-n-go, Manual).

TripLog’s company mileage suite is such a versatile application that it’s meant for other professions as well, most notably bookkeepers. TripLog also allows you to test out a trial version for a month, completely free of charge. Check it out and see how well it fits your particular business needs.

Conclusion

It’s time to answer our initial question – do real estate agents need new technology and how can it benefit them? From an objective point of view, the answer is yes.

Adapting new technology and tools to your work life can only benefit you, and the bottom line is – it’s there to give you the upper hand on the market. Working smart, making the right choices, and economizing your work are now easier than ever, so yes – embrace the technology and reap its benefits.

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The 11 Best Tools for Your Sales Stack

choose sales stack apps tools technology

In the information age, buyers are savvier and more knowledgeable than ever. Many sales tactics of the past are simply no longer effective. You must be ready to meet your client’s needs when they demand them and be present where they are looking for a solution.

In today’s market, whether you’re a small business trying to scale up your sales success or an established enterprise looking to keep the ball rolling, it’s imperative that you incorporate a combination of old techniques such as in-person visits and conversations over the phone, text, and email, as well as newer online buyer journey awareness.

Planning for a technology stack that can help you get more organized around your buyer’s needs both offline and online might seem overwhelming. Today, we will be discussing the 11 best tools and apps for your sales technology stack to help you achieve both personalization and scale.

the 11 best tools for your sales stack slack

11 Best Sales Stack Tools #1: Slack

With Slack, you can boost your productivity and communicate efficiently with your team. Slack is undeniably the leading company communications tool when it comes to reliability. 

With its best-in-class messaging app, you can connect remotely with your team while also centralizing your communications. As businesses continue to adapt to the post-COVID era and remote work is becoming more common, services like Slack are becoming ubiquitous.

Related: 10 Most Common Tax Deductions For Small Business

Slack makes it easy to discuss projects, share essential files, and maintain transparency within your organization. The Slack app makes it easy to incorporate itself with your CRM in order to process deals more effectively and efficiently.

11 best tools for your sales stack linkedin

11 Best Sales Stack Tools #2: LinkedIn

Are you prepared to meet prospects? LinkedIn is a perfect tool. As a sales rep, LinkedIn is a modern tool that makes it possible for you to check the backgrounds and career history of your prospects. Do you share some things in common? Do you share the same city?

Checking out your prospects on LinkedIn can help you find a great icebreaker or a perfect talking point. The more you are able to personalize your interactions with your prospects, the more they will be interested in viewing your pitch favorably.

11 best tools for your sales stack salesforce

11 Best Sales Stack Tools #3: SalesForce

When it comes to the top apps for sales reps, Salesforce is an absolute must. The two-way Salesforce app makes it easy and hassle-free to nurture, capture, and convert leads with Intercom without needing to break your existing workflows.

With the Salesforce app, there is an avenue to send your best leads and automatically create tasks from Intercom conversions. Salesforce gives you a complete view of every lead you have with your company.

Apart from that, you also enjoy the benefits of a sale right from where you stopped. The Salesforce app also offers you the opportunity to stay on top of the performance of your team while at the same time, gaining visibility into the critical revenue metrics.

Related: Common Tax Deductions To Plan For in 2022

Indeed, the app improves the performance of your sales team while also displaying the revenue of your reports. Salesforce also integrates with other apps, including TripLog.

11 best tools for your sales stack hunter email hunter

11 Best Sales Stack Tools #4: Hunter (Email Hunter)

Are you in search of the best method to find the email addresses of your prospective clients or customers? With the help of Hunter, there is no doubt you will be connected with professionals that will have a significant impact on your business.

You only need to type the first or last names of your clients. You can also access these emails with the link to their company’s website.

With Hunter, there is an excellent opportunity to have full access to verified email addresses of each business owner, coupled with their public domains available on the internet. For sales prospecting, the Hunter app is undeniably an incredible tool to achieve this purpose.

11 best tools for your sales stack zoom

11 Best Sales Stack Tools #5: Zoom

Zoom makes cutting down your travel expenses easy. With its sophisticated video communication network, Zoom also offers sales representatives an opportunity to hold meetings, conferences, and online webinars.

In the COVID-era, it has become the perfect solution to conduct distance meetings. With Zoom, you can engage in a wide range of online activities.

Related: 6 Common IRS Tax Penalties For Small Businesses

For instance, you can easily share your screen with your prospective clients and customers. With Zoom, delivering an effective and efficient sales presentation is easy and hassle-free anytime, anywhere.

11 best tools for your sales stack mailchimp

11 Best Sales Stack Tools #6: Mailchimp

As a sales representative, you need to cut costs when creating successful email campaigns. While there is a wide range of expensive tools, there are also a wide variety of cost-effective ways of creating success-driven email campaigns.

One of the best examples is Mailchimp. Designed and configured to reach a wide range of users, Mailchimp is the perfect tool for modern-day email marketing.

With its well-designed and well-structured templates coupled with valuable analytics, Mailchimp gives you everything you need to measure the effectiveness of your outbound emails. It also enables you to scale up and personalize your email campaigns by incorporating automation.

You can segment your leads and create automated campaigns to increase engagement by sending email responses based on pre-determined triggers such as specific lead behavior. You can learn more about email marketing automation here.

11 best tools for your sales stack docusign

11 Best Sales Stack Tools #7: DocuSign

Even after you close a deal with a client, there is still a lot of paperwork to get through along the way. Whenever a prospective client or customer is ready to commit to a particular contract, it is your duty as a sales representative to get them to sign, come hell or high water.

Related: Top 5 Must-Know Tips For Independent Contractors

If you are working in an organization that utilizes eSignature systems, you should look into a solution like DocuSign. With DocuSign, signing contracts with your prospective customers is made incredibly easy whenever, wherever, and however.

11 best tools for your sales stack badger maps

11 Best Sales Stack Tools #8: Badger Maps

If you travel to meet with prospects, it’s never good to leave them waiting. Sales route planner tools such as Badger Maps make reaching your clients effortless.

Badger Maps, a highly sophisticated daily sales app, is a route mapping app designed explicitly for sales representatives. The company claims that “sales teams sell 20-25% more with Badger Maps”, which can be huge for any company at any scale.

Badger Maps provides a great avenue to utilize more time nurturing deals rather than wasting your valuable time on the road. Badger Maps provide you with the opportunity to find new leads, visualize your territories, and plan your schedules efficiently and effectively.

11 best tools for your sales stack triplog

11 Best Sales Stack Tools #9: TripLog

If you run a small business, it’s important to remember that travel for work is tax-deductible. For larger businesses with mobile sales employees, mileage reimbursement is a great way to give your team their hard-earned money.

Related: Why Small Businesses Should Track Their Mileage

TripLog is the market’s best mileage tracker app that businesses of any size and complexity can benefit from. Whether you’re a small business tracking your mileage for taxes or an enterprise-scale company needing a robust company mileage solution, TripLog will be a boon to your sales stack.

Did you know that if you travel more than 10,000 miles annually, you’re eligible to claim $5,850 as a tax deduction? To learn more, download TripLog on iOS or Android and get started for free!

GET STARTED TODAY WITH TRIPLOG

11 best tools for your sales stack feedly

11 Best Sales Stack Tools #10: Feedly

With Feedly, you can rest easy knowing you’ll never miss any essential news concerning your industry. As a sales rep, there is a great need to stay focused and updated with the latest trends, news, inventories, and discoveries relating to your field of business.

With Feedly, you won’t need to visit a website before you can have full access to factual information. On a single platform such as Feedly, appropriate news articles and their contents will find their way to your fingertips.

Apart from that, you can also make use of Feedly to track your previously read articles by clicking “Feedly’s history”. Feedly also offers suggestions for new articles that might interest you.

11 best tools for your sales stack calendly

11 Best Sales Stack Tools #11: Calendly

Whether you are scheduling a meeting with one prospective client or setting up a time to conduct a webinar for 30 potential clients, you can simplify the process by using a scheduling tool like Calendly.

Related: Manual Expense Reports: The Hidden Costs

Calendly is a powerful yet simple automated scheduling tool that takes the work out of connecting with others. It helps you avoid conflicting bookings and provides a hassle-free experience for your clients.

Final Thoughts

Apps and software will not replace face-to-face communication and the trust and credibility that comes with in-person pursuits. However, in combination with your existing sales techniques, they will enable you to be more efficient, gain more insights, engage more leads and provide unexpected value add that will be the differentiating factor that makes you and your business more successful.

A mileage tracker like TripLog can be an invaluable tool to help your sales efforts. To learn more, schedule a complimentary live web demo today. Thanks for reading!

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Why Small Businesses Should Track Their Mileage

why small business drivers should track their mileage blog

Expense tracking is an important key to success for any business. Business expenses can easily get out of hand and eat into valuable profits.

A major expense for businesses with mobile employees is mileage. If you want to take a tax deduction on your mileage or receive reimbursement from your employer, tracking all of your mileage is an absolute must.

The most common – and most efficient – method of tracking mileage is with a modern mileage tracker app. To see how much your business could be saving, check out our mileage reimbursement savings calculator.

Here are a few reasons why your small business needs to be tracking its mileage.

Why Small Businesses Should Track Their Mileage: Lost Revenue

According to a recent survey conducted by Chrome River, U.S. businesses lose more than $2.8 billion due to expense fraud each year.

Related: 10 Most Common Tax Deductions For Small Business

The research indicates that more than 6% of employees submit incorrect expense claims. For those who admit to not being completely honest, there is as much as $2,448, on average, in fraudulent expenses submitted each year.

It’s easy for staff to fudge the numbers when submitting expense reports for certain things, including their mileage. For instance, if your team uses pen-and-paper mileage logs, they can easily inflate their mileage and it can be very difficult to tell.

In fact, TripLog found that drivers overinflate their mileage by 27%. Thankfully, the TripLog app cross-references your team’s mileage with Google Maps, ensuring accurate reports.

Regardless of whether these errors are intentional or not, those costs add up. Getting a better hold of your mileage expenses can mean the difference between a healthy balance sheet and edging closer to financial calamity.

With that said, just tracking your team’s mileage isn’t enough. Your business will also need a reliable and efficient method of submission and approval.

Why Small Businesses Should Track Their Mileage: Lost Productivity

Not only is fraud an enemy of small businesses, but also losses in productivity. Many employees who use their personal vehicles for work keep track of their mileage by hand.

TripLog found that each manual entry takes around 2 minutes to complete. Over the hundreds or even thousands of trips many drivers take over the course of a year, these minutes add up to countless hours of lost productivity.

small business owner tracking their team's mileage expenses

Far too many hours are spent every year manually checking distance and odometer readings. While companies want employees to be honest and accurate, it can be very time-consuming to get right.

Automatic modern mileage tracker apps like TripLog cut down those minutes and hours to just seconds. With several different set-and-forget mileage tracking options, the TripLog app automatically tracks your team’s mileage when they start driving and stops tracking after they park.

Why Small Businesses Should Track Their Mileage: Missing Out On IRS Deductions

Besides losing money due to fraud and inefficiency, many small businesses are not taking advantage of IRS deductions designed to reduce a business’s tax exposure. To set up a mileage reimbursement plan for your team, businesses should incorporate an accountable plan.

Related: Common Tax Deductions To Plan For in 2022

You will need an accountable plan if you want to use the IRS standard mileage rate. Without a mileage reimbursement system in place, businesses could be leaving significant amounts of revenue on the table.

Either the money you give to your employees will be viewed as compensation, which is subject to being taxed, or as reimbursement, which is typically not taxable.

In Conclusion…

Small businesses can track their mileage expenses to take advantage of key tax deductions. They can do so more efficiently by using software that makes the process accurate and automatic.

There are several benefits to using software designed to track mileage expenses. First, the right kind of mileage software will track mileage down to the last mile. No more fudging on numbers to inflate the expense report. A good mileage tracking solution, such as TripLog, provides OCR-enabled mileage tracking.

Let TripLog Assist With Your Small Business Mileage Tracking

TripLog’s OCR receipt capture technology also helps with company expense tracking. Furthermore, solutions like TripLog can suggest trip mapping for the shortest route as well as help businesses track where the employee is during their business journey.

Expenses are an inevitability of any business, regardless of size. Companies should provide tools to help employees track and submit mileage-related expenses. Doing this will help the company save money and use its resources more efficiently.

By using the right tools, companies can curtail the occurrences of fraud and contribute more to their bottom line. To get started saving money and time, schedule a complimentary live web demo with TripLog, or visit our pricing page to get started today.