Comments on: travel agency? http://www.vireiapagina.com/blog/2011/10/31/travel-agency-2/ Travel and Travel Ideas Mon, 31 Oct 2011 10:29:35 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: The Shadow http://www.vireiapagina.com/blog/2011/10/31/travel-agency-2/comment-page-1/#comment-23 The Shadow Mon, 31 Oct 2011 08:01:05 +0000 http://vireiapagina.com/blog/2011/10/31/travel-agency-2/#comment-23 Cleopatra's answer is absolutely right. People who start businesses that they don't understand rarely succeed. It's a surprisingly complex business and the best way to learn it is to go to work for a conventional agency. Once you learn how the business works, you can go into business for yourself if you still wish to. Plus, you'll already have established a regular clientele that will help support your new business. Building a client base without a retail presence and without experience is going to be very difficult. You will need a good working knowledge of airlines and fares, tour and cruise companies, and destinations. I'm guessing that you have little or none of this based on your question. Would you trust your money and vacation with someone who works on their own and has little industry knowledge or experience? Well, few other people will either. Get the knowledge and experience first. If you follow any of the other suggestions about working with "host agencies", then check them out carefully. Some of these are more interested in getting you to pay fees to get started then in seeing you succeed. I don't mean to dash your dreams. It's a great goal to have your own business and I wish you success. I'm just suggesting that you be realistic about how you go about it. There are few shortcuts to genuine success. Good luck! Cleopatra’s answer is absolutely right. People who start businesses that they don’t understand rarely succeed.

It’s a surprisingly complex business and the best way to learn it is to go to work for a conventional agency. Once you learn how the business works, you can go into business for yourself if you still wish to. Plus, you’ll already have established a regular clientele that will help support your new business. Building a client base without a retail presence and without experience is going to be very difficult.

You will need a good working knowledge of airlines and fares, tour and cruise companies, and destinations. I’m guessing that you have little or none of this based on your question. Would you trust your money and vacation with someone who works on their own and has little industry knowledge or experience? Well, few other people will either. Get the knowledge and experience first.

If you follow any of the other suggestions about working with “host agencies”, then check them out carefully. Some of these are more interested in getting you to pay fees to get started then in seeing you succeed.

I don’t mean to dash your dreams. It’s a great goal to have your own business and I wish you success. I’m just suggesting that you be realistic about how you go about it. There are few shortcuts to genuine success.

Good luck!

]]> By: NewsReader http://www.vireiapagina.com/blog/2011/10/31/travel-agency-2/comment-page-1/#comment-22 NewsReader Mon, 31 Oct 2011 07:52:22 +0000 http://vireiapagina.com/blog/2011/10/31/travel-agency-2/#comment-22 You have a few options. Several companies offer the ability to be 'home based travel agents'. Some will train you to book and sell travel - these are typically programs run by established travel agencies, who will set you up with software to run a travel business from home. These typically charge a flat fee and an annual renewal ( usually from $ 300 to $ 500 dollars ). An example is http://www.mtravel.com which is operated by one of the top fifty travel agencies in the countyr. Other 'Home Travel Agent' programs offer what are usually collections of affiliate relationships with online travel sites. They are often considered 'Network Marketing' companies because a considerable part of the income is derived from referring other agents, not from booking travel. These programs offer you a direct commission for referring travel to the site. Fees for this type of program vary, because much of it goes into the Network Marketing commission pool, but you can also get your feet wet with this kind of referral travel program through sites that offer you free access to those same affiliate links like http://www.wfhtravel.com Before investing in any travel agent program, it would be a great idea to first read a little about what it takes to run and succeed in a home travel business. A list of books available on the subject can be found here: http://www.home-based-travel-agent.com/books_and_resources.asp You have a few options. Several companies offer the ability to be ‘home based travel agents’. Some will train you to book and sell travel – these are typically programs run by established travel agencies, who will set you up with software to run a travel business from home. These typically charge a flat fee and an annual renewal ( usually from $ 300 to $ 500 dollars ). An example is http://www.mtravel.com which is operated by one of the top fifty travel agencies in the countyr.

Other ‘Home Travel Agent’ programs offer what are usually collections of affiliate relationships with online travel sites. They are often considered ‘Network Marketing’ companies because a considerable part of the income is derived from referring other agents, not from booking travel.

These programs offer you a direct commission for referring travel to the site. Fees for this type of program vary, because much of it goes into the Network Marketing commission pool, but you can also get your feet wet with this kind of referral travel program through sites that offer you free access to those same affiliate links like http://www.wfhtravel.com

Before investing in any travel agent program, it would be a great idea to first read a little about what it takes to run and succeed in a home travel business. A list of books available on the subject can be found here:

http://www.home-based-travel-agent.com/books_and_resources.asp

]]>