Where do I start?

Jessy

I am looking to start a home based business as a travel agent and i dont know where to start. Although I have my travel degree and travel agent license I feel stuck because I dont know where to begin. Does anyone have experience in this area and how did you get started? Any advice would be great!!

castillodee

Hi !




You will need decide if you want to join a  host agency (low cost)  or go totally independent, which can be costly. You can start with a host agency, then gradually go independent as you make money and build your own client list.
Most host agencies will  provide most of all the tools you`ll need to start, then pay you commission at the end of a sale.
There  are  various ways to go about being a travel agent. These are  just a couple of ways I`m familiar with. Will you specialize in a destination? Will you only cater to leisure or corporate travel?
Decide on what market you  want to work in. Then, this can  determine the path you should take on opening  a home based travel agency.



 
You can find great resources at www.ossn.com.
 
-Dee
 
 

sagetrout

Successful small businesses become successful because they find a market "niche" they can serve better than most.   You need to find your niche in the market. 
 
One of the questions to ask is what are the markets in travel that are growing, and which ones are declining.   I`ve seen successful travel businesses based on catering to a very specific audience.   For instance, I knew of one travel agent who catered to people who liked to go fishing at exotic locations all over the world.   He did it partly because he loved fishing so much and he could travel to all of these places because of his travel business.  He discovered his "niche" in the marketplace.
 
You need to find your niche to be successful.   Otherwise you become another "me too" service that has to compete with websites who can do it as cheap as possible.  However, websites can`t do everything.  
 
People who travel a lot and pay fees are generally affluent.  They like special services or to be taken to special places.   What can you offer them that`s really special?  
 
The other market is the business market.   What can you offer them?
 
I think you need to look at your self and what you want, and then look at the marketplace and what it wants, and find a happy marriage at a point where those desires coincide.  
 

layla17

Good thoughts Doug.  I agree completely.  I would also say that starting with a host agency would be bad to get some experience and build up some clients.  It would be a great way to generate sales faster, which would give you sometime to build up some capital to start up your own business.