Five Steps to Your Own Internet Travel Agency
By Barb Nefer
5/5
()
About this ebook
Are you looking for a home-based business with flexible hours and low start-up costs and expenses? Are you a stay-at-home mom who needs some extra income? Do you need more money to supplement your paycheck from your regular job? Are you unemployed and looking for some income to tide you over? Do you have a passion for travel? Starting your own online travel agency might just be the right move for you.
This 16,000 word book isn't about multilevel marketing programs or worthless cookie-cutter travel sites. It gives you five solid steps to starting your own online travel agency. If you implement these steps, you'll have your very own travel business. It also discusses the realities of the business, without false get-rich-quick promises.
Topics in this comprehensive guide to starting your own home-based business include:
-Is an Internet travel agency right for you?
-How to calculate your earning potential
-Making a business plan
-Making a marketing plan
-Choosing a specialty and differentiating yourself
-Start-up costs and expenses
-Finding a legitimate host agency (and avoiding scams)
-How to handle failure
This career guide contains exercises to help you see you're cut out to be online travel agent and to help you set up your business. It's also loaded with helpful links to free and cheap resources and vital information. It's written by Barb Nefer, a successful online travel agent since 2004 who books Disney Cruise Line and Walt Disney World trips. She's also author of another career guide, "So You Want to be a Counselor." Barb brings her experience to this book and offers her advice throughout, based on her own extensive experience as a home-based travel agent.
Barb Nefer
Barb Nefer is a long-time writer, starting with newspapers and magazines in the 1980s and expanding her horizons to the online world in recent times. She's the About.com Guide to Pet Supplies and Product Reviews and the Orlando Theme Parks Examiner for Examiner.com, where she also writes about Disney Cruise Line, relationships, and personal finance. Barb lives in the Orlando area and has annual passes to all the major Central Florida theme parks, including the four Walt Disney World parks, Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure, SeaWorld Orlando, and Busch Gardens Tampa. Her frequent visits to the parks give her a rich expertise that she shares with her readers in her online articles and ebooks. She also has a small menagerie consisting of cats, guinea pigs, a Quaker parrot, and a horse that she tends to when she isn't busy playing at the theme parks or writing. Barb also has a doctorate in psychology and is the author of the print book, "So You Want to be a Counselor." She's a regular contributor to "Animal Wellness" and has written for such magazines as "Bird Talk," "Horse Illustrated," "Grit," "The Writer," "Twins," and "Going Bonkers."
Read more from Barb Nefer
Fact or Fiction? 20 Urban Legends, Ghost Stories, Rumors & Secrets of Walt Disney World Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/510 Most Popular Myths About Guinea Pigs: Avoid These Common Cavy Care Mistakes Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsA Complete Guide to the Disney Dream Cruise Ship: Everything You Need to Know For a Magical Sailing Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Disney World Treasure Hunt: Hidden Gems in the Disney Parks and Resorts...And How to Find Them Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings15 Tips for Saving Money on Your Disney Cruise Line Vacation Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMickey Mouse is My Neighbor: Living Next Door to Disney World in Celebration, Florida Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5
Related to Five Steps to Your Own Internet Travel Agency
Related ebooks
Travel Business and More: Step-by-Step Startup Guide Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTravel Agent Secrets - How to Plan Your Vacation Like a Pro Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Digital Nomads For Dummies Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHow to Sell Cruises Step-by-Step: A Beginner's Guide to Becoming a "Cruise-Selling" Travel Agent, 2nd Edition Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTop Tips for Travel by Air: Over 300 Targeted Travel Tips Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHow to Book Your Own Travel and Save Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5How to Travel Practically Anywhere: The Ultimate Planning Guide Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Selling Destinations: Geography for the Travel Professional Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCheap Travel Series (4 in 1) Box Set Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5International Travel Secrets: Take Shorter Trips, More Often, for Less Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTravel Tips Safer Cheaper Happier Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The CLIA Guide to the Cruise Industry Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings14 Ways To Make Money With Mobile Apps Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Travel Ninja: How to See the World on a Tiny Budget Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSpend Less, Travel More: The Guide to Financing Your Travel Plans Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5How To Travel on a Budget Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFreight Brokerage Business: Step-by-Step Startup Guide Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Access: Introduction to Travel & Tourism Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Visa Secrets Revealed: How to Get a Visa to America, Canada, Europe, Australia and Other Foreign Countries: Guide to Life Overseas Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHow To Start A Housekeeping Service Business: A Complete Housekeeping/ Cleaning/ Maid Business Plan Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBusiness Plans Handbook: Travel Businesses Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsStart Your Own Wholesale Distribution Business: Your Step-By-Step Guide to Success Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHow To Travel On A Budget Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHow to Open a Financially Successful Bed & Breakfast or Small Hotel Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHow to Obtain Funding For Your Start-Up and Loans for Your Business Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How to Open & Operate a Financially Successful Vending Business Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPersonal Concierge Service: Step-by-Step Startup Guide Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsStart Your Own Bed and Breakfast: Your Step-By-Step Guide to Success Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Small Business & Entrepreneurs For You
The Ultimate Side Hustle Book: 450 Moneymaking Ideas for the Gig Economy Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Overcoming Impossible: Learn to Lead, Build a Team, and Catapult Your Business to Success Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Your Next Five Moves: Master the Art of Business Strategy Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Company Rules: Or Everything I Know About Business I Learned from the CIA Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Capital Gaines: Smart Things I Learned Doing Stupid Stuff Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Robert's Rules of Order: The Original Manual for Assembly Rules, Business Etiquette, and Conduct Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Real Artists Don't Starve: Timeless Strategies for Thriving in the New Creative Age Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Summary of Timothy Ferriss' book: The 4-Hour Workweek: More time, more money, more life: Summary Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Starting a Business All-In-One For Dummies Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Small Business For Dummies Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Yes!: 50 Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Persuasive Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5What Your CPA Isn't Telling You: Life-Changing Tax Strategies Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Side Hustle: How to Turn Your Spare Time into $1000 a Month or More Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Bookkeeping: An Essential Guide to Bookkeeping for Beginners along with Basic Accounting Principles Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Everything Nonprofit Toolkit: The all-in-one resource for establishing a nonprofit that will grow, thrive, and succeed Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsProfit First (Review and Analysis of Michalowicz's Book) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Millionaire Fastlane: Crack the Code to Wealth and Live Rich for a Lifetime Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The LLC and Corporation Start-Up Guide: Your Complete Guide to Launching the Right Business Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Without a Doubt: How to Go from Underrated to Unbeatable Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Start Your Own Business Bible: 501 New Ventures You Can Launch Today Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Don't Start a Side Hustle!: Work Less, Earn More, and Live Free Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5How to Think Bigger: Aim Higher, Get More Motivated, and Accomplish Big Things Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How to Grow Your Small Business: A 6-Step Plan to Help Your Business Take Off Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wealthology: The Science of Smashing Money Blocks Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Whole Body Entrepreneur: A Physical and Emotional Self-Care Bootcamp Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
Reviews for Five Steps to Your Own Internet Travel Agency
2 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
Five Steps to Your Own Internet Travel Agency - Barb Nefer
Five Steps to Your Own Internet Travel Agency
Everything you need to start your own home-based travel business right now, with low start-up costs and flexible hours
by Barbara Nefer
Smashwords Edition
Lifeskills Press LogoCopyright 2013 by LifeSkills Press
All Rights Reserved
Please submit corrections, additions or comments to lifeskills@gmail.com
Disclaimer: This book is for informational purposes only. The author is not a lawyer or accountant, so nothing in this book should be taken as legal or financial advice. It represents the author's personal experience as an online travel agent. The author assumes no liability for any consequences resulting from the use of this information.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Step One: Reality Check
Step Two: Your Business Plan
Step Three: Your Marketing Plan
Step Four: Finding a Host Agency
Step Five: Have Patience
Appendix One: Online Resources
Appendix Two:
Introduction
How to Use This Book
Can you really start your own internet-based travel agency in only five steps? Is booking travel from home really a viable business? Can it provide you with at least supplemental income?
I speak from personal experience when I say yes, yes and yes!
Once upon a time, in the dark days before the Internet, you visited the local travel agency when you wanted to book a vacation. Their office was usually located in a strip mall or shopping center, and it offered limited business hours.
You'd be handed a flurry of brochures to research your trip. If you were lucky, your agent might have some expertise in the destinations that caught your interest. If not, you were pretty much on your own. You had to decide from the printed materials whether a particular place would be the best vacation spot for you.
There wasn't much opportunity for comparison shopping once you settled on your trip. You were quoted a price, and you could take it or leave it. Usually it was better to take it, since you'd waste more time and gas visiting other agents who would probably give you an identical quote. You'd hand over your down payment and make your reservation on the spot. Your agent would usually be available for questions during the agency's business hours, but you'd have to wait for most answers because they required research.
Now, many people simply shop at their keyboard, researching destinations online and finding the best deals. They visit
potential destinations from their homes or offices at any hour of the day or night. They don't have to rely on guesswork to select the best places. Websites like tripadvisor.com give them instant access to reviews from dozens of other travelers. Websites like cruisecritic.com and Ranchweb.com have information on specific vacation types, and sites like Allears.net (which covers Walt Disney World) cover specific destinations in depth. Orbitz, Travelocity, Expedia, Hotwire, and Priceline make getting competing quotes as simple as a few clicks or taps. Once a person finds the best price, she books it online immediately.
With this shift in consumer behavior and the wealth of information available on online, it might seem that running a travel agency isn't a viable business. With all the competition from the dominant websites, travel agents may seem poised to go the way of CDs, landlines, and video cassettes.
In reality, travel agents are far from extinct, although the business has changed. The Internet has actually opened new opportunities for travel professionals. Some people like to do their own research and make their own bookings, while others prefer to work with an expert. This is especially true when they discover that it doesn't cost any additional money (the travel agent's commission is paid by the hotel, resort, cruise line or other vacation company).
As an online travel agent, you offer your clients two distinct advantages:
1) Personalized service. Expedia, Travelocity and the like may have a high volume of business, but that often comes with lowered customer service levels. Many consumers get frustrated with interminable hold times, followed by contact with an impersonal and uniformed agent who spews scripted answers. Sometimes they get connected to a phone agent outside the United States who doesn't even understand the problem. Many of the travel giants are recognizing this and trying to put an emphasis on service, but their sheer size and volume of bookings makes this nearly impossible to do consistently.
An individual travel agent who offers prompt personal contact, and even some coddling and hand-holding when needed, has a huge advantage in the online marketplace. Often such agents can match the prices of the major players or come close enough to woo clients who will pay a bit more for a high level of service.
If you're willing to make yourself available for more than just standard business hours, you can parlay that into successful competition with the big boys.
2) Well-defined niche markets.