How to Run a Successful Home Based Travel Business

 

Why is this such a great option for a home-based business?

Looking for a way to work from home? Look no further, at least until you've finished reading this article. We believe that learning here will extend your outlook significantly.

Are you looking for the best home business opportunity? According to recent polls, almost 70% of us are looking for such an opportunity. Is something like this, however, real? The problem is that if you asked ten people what the "best" home business was, you'd likely get ten different replies. The truth is that picking the best one for YOU is the most important factor.

We all come from different backgrounds. Each of us has various wants and needs, which will determine what is ideal for us. Then there's the fact that we all have varied abilities, and yes, yours DO match up to what's best for YOU. What is best for a friend or neighbor and may work for them may be completely inappropriate for you. This article will supply you with valuable information and direction on what is widely regarded as the "Best" business.

We all have distinct interests and personalities. We all have various strengths and shortcomings. We also come from a diverse range of backgrounds. As a result, it's understandable that not everyone may be interested in the same home-based business opportunity.

Can you image how competitive that industry would be if there was genuinely ONE business that was for everyone? Making any money would be extremely difficult!

You've probably seen adverts for THE #1 money-making opportunity all over the internet. Don't be deceived by all the so-called easy money schemes. There isn't anything like it.

This is when the report comes into play. This is NOT a complete analysis of the thousands of home-based business opportunities available. It's an article that explains some of the characteristics of a solid home-based business before moving on to the travel industry.

We educate you about the advantages and disadvantages of both working and owning a business; we tell you about the history of our industry and why it's so excellent and the place to be right now because it rides two huge trends: travel and the Internet.

Many of those enterprises have been explored and tried (sometimes horribly) both online and in the real world, but I have identified and picked something that is a legitimate method to make a wonderful living from home. This is all about that. It's perfect for me, but because you're not me and possibly have a different personality (thank goodness! ), it might not be right for you... and that's fine. However, if you see things the way I do, and as stated here...

A HOME BASED TRAVEL BUSINESS is the finest home based business for ME. I'm sure it will be for many of you as well.

But, aside from the fact that I'm just a regular guy with no special abilities... and, in fact, I'm probably older than most readers at 69 and have only been doing this for a year... this post isn't about me. It simply emphasizes that almost anyone can get into the home-based travel company. Whether you're a stay-at-home mom, a retiree, or someone else, this is about YOU and what you want out of life and your "working hours."

So, given all of the options, why establish an internet travel business?

We'll start with the "why," then go over some of the other varieties, and finally the "how." This will take some time, so grab a drink and continue reading. In fact, I recommend printing this while your coffee is brewing so you can fully absorb it. Mark it down. Fill in the blanks with questions, and let's get started!

First and foremost, while choosing a home-based business, it's critical to ask yourself, "Why" are you doing this, and are you prepared to approach it as a business? That involves regular hours of time commitment as well as financial commitment, as any firm you own will require some level of investment.

This is arguably the best opportunity to distinguish between a JOB and a BUSINESS...

A job, even a home-based "work," is one in which you will effectively be trading time for money, with the expectation that you will have an employer who will pay you either on a dollar value per hour spent or on a dollar value for specific production. That production could be sales production, manufacturing production, or service production. There are so many envelopes to pack; so many phone calls to make, so many things to do. That individual will compensate you for it, but you know that person or company is merely doing so in order to profit from you.

You are essentially paid what the job is worth, or what the business might replace you with. You are not paid what YOU are worth, but what the job is worth, regardless of your skills. Accepting this gives you some peace of mind, knowing that if you complete "the assignment" or "the work," you will be paid a set, predictable sum. You might possibly be eligible for certain benefits. However, the "security" is a farce because everyone knows there isn't much security.

First and foremost, the employer must continue to operate. Whatever you're doing must have a market, and markets fluctuate. Your worth is also relative! Perhaps that employer's cousin is interested in doing your work, or perhaps someone comes along who is prepared to perform your job for less money. How safe do you feel? "I don't want the hazards of a business," people tell me all the time. Everyone, think again! As an employee, you are surely exposed to RISK! In terms of investment, many businesses have employee-borne expenses, which the IRS acknowledges.

It's just that some "out there" don't demand any CASH investment, but don't kid yourself... you ARE making an investment, only it's buried in the fact that you're paying it in effort and in the sense that you're not being paid as much as you would be if you absorbed certain expenses yourself.

A BUSINESS, even a home-based business, on the other hand, is one in which you determine and manage what your company manufactures or does. It may be anything, but the best business is one in which you have complete control over the product or service. Information products are the most popular on the internet, followed by service products. Then there are the stuff you create or make, and then there are the items controlled by someone else but made available to you for selling.

This is where affiliate programs come in. However, you should be aware that if you run a BUSINESS, you will incur business expenses, even if it is a home-based business. These are the office expenses first, and then you may need to own a product or have used a service to genuinely KNOW what you have and be able to conduct business from a respectable position. The product or service should be valuable enough that you would buy it at retail if you were the buyer.

But tread carefully... you don't want to enter into a business where you have to buy X dollars worth of merchandise every month, whether or not you can utilize it. That is not a genuine enterprise. Whatever your viewpoint, you'll definitely agree that choosing a business that interests you is crucial. Choose something you'll enjoy, preferably something you're passionate about. Consider this: if you're going to start a home-based business, you should do something you like. When things get tough, you'll most likely learn faster and put in more effort if you enjoy it.

However, we'd place a few things ahead of this and consider "enjoyment" a luxury. Market size and market growth are such things. In terms of life cycle, where is your company's product or service? Is your market growing and allowing you to ride the wave, or is it shrinking? What is the size and potential of the market? Will you be able to start a business in 5 years? Ten?

Finally, we'd definitely mention that the company should be ethical and align with your values. Many people who conduct market research, particularly on the Internet, are aware that the pornographic and gambling industries fit the growth and market size criterion. If you are tempted to investigate those locations, please close this report or article and shred up your paper copy. This is not a part of the corporate world with which we want to be associated. We don't place a high value on money or earnings.

We became aware of the prospects in the internet travel industry after examining many, many, many businesses and engaging in numerous since 1969, including an early successful involvement with Amway, then Free Life, and a handful others, including a few that just didn't "click" for us. This is a company concept that has only recently emerged in recent years and is now fully operational.

It's also crucial to keep up with current events. Profits are made by following trends. Travel is currently a $6 trillion-a-year industry! By 2010, that figure is expected to reach $14 trillion!

Consider the number of baby boomers who will retire in the coming years. What do people enjoy doing after they retire? When you retire, what do you want to do? If you're anything like me, travel is likely near the top of your list.

That is why the travel industry is ideal for those looking for a business opportunity. It's simply a case of capitalizing on a trend that's just getting started. When viewed as a home-based business, it follows the second trend: the expansion of the Internet as a commercial medium.

Let's take a look at how and why this has turned into a viable Internet-based travel company.

People who "plan travel" for others may have gone through three stages. We should also evaluate the two primary market segments: business travel and personal or leisure travel, with travel and leisure and recreational activities and housing being closely related in the latter group. We'll concentrate on the personal leisure and recreational travel markets.

STAGE 1: Probably dates back 75-80 years, when trains and ocean liners were the dominant modes of transportation. Condos, motels, and plane trips were all unavailable. However, there were numerous lodges and high-end hotels. The Biltmore and others are well-known. And there was some business travel, but not to the extent that it was a few years ago, before travel (especially sales meetings) became so expensive.

Apart from holidays to areas like Atlantic City, travel was primarily in the hands of the wealthy, and most of those individuals simply did not want to be bothered with making their own arrangements or even checking out places. A small group of "travel agents" was formed, however they likely had many additional responsibilities such as concierge, personal assistant, and so on. Large corporations hired specialists to handle these arrangements... and to hunt out bargains and reductions for their businesses.

STAGE 2: We now have additional cars, the DC-3, and the first airlines are forming. People are becoming aware that they can earn money by booking travel for others. We have reliable telephones; we have some early forms of fax, but the telegram was the primary means of communication on short notice because mail took longer, and people are becoming aware that they can earn money by booking travel for others. Essentially, two services are provided: destination knowledge and administrative chores such as purchasing travel arrangements on behalf of a third party. A firm or an individual could be the third party.

Small partnerships were created at first because two persons would have knowledge and experience of two separate travel destinations, but as a single entity (the travel agency), they would be able to give clients more possibilities. Then, rather than a single person, this one agency might bring more volume to a travel provider, such as an airline, hotel, or other, and thus negotiate better discounts, or, as was more often the case, better commissions, as not all discounts were passed on. Everyone was helped.

Airline traffic was particularly difficult to schedule, and as Stage 2 progressed, computers began to play a larger role, despite the fact that they were both expensive and specialized. The affordable home computer had not yet evolved, and transport networks were restricted. Trips agents could afford these computer systems and obtain access to a variety of vendors, mostly airlines at the time, to book travel quickly and easily. Something was about to happen!

STAGE 3: The transformation happened virtually overnight. As a result of deregulation, competition grew to the point that commissions to the agencies were essentially non-existent. The Internet and access to travel databases within the airline and hospitality industries practically skyrocketed, and now EVERYONE had at least almost equal administrative access to the services, allowing them to skip the agencies that were rapidly going out of business. Certain agencies did keep a group of people who had gone and had personal knowledge with various providers, like as resorts and cruise lines. However, when provider earnings began to drop, so did the availability of FAM trips, and fewer agencies emerged.

However, another pattern emerged as a result of this! The population is rising, and there are more passengers available than ever before, especially in the leisure industry. Many of these passengers just do not have the time to conduct thorough research or to shop for the best and lowest prices.

Individuals that are passionate about and enjoy traveling, such as stay-at-home parents in travel, have discovered that they can give the same services as the previous huge agencies!

All they needed was a vendor ready to collaborate, and new merchants began to emerge around this time.

Unlike airlines, who have cut back and in many cases have a SHORTAGE of seats and goods, resorts (and cruise lines) have continued to construct and expand to the point that they now have an excess or surplus of inventory except during very restricted times of the year. The question is, how can we fill these empty spaces? These abandoned staterooms? What are these deserted golf courses? What are these abandoned campsites?

Through You, is the answer!

But you have no idea where they are or how to bargain with them... but a freshly developed list of consolidators does! There are currently three major consolidator groups operating in the United States, one of which stands out above the other two because it has more contacts, more experience, more inventory, and, in essence, a better pay plan that gives the consumer more options. You have a list of connections or the knowledge and time to expose these possibilities to the traveling public. You can pass these discounts on because you are working with SURPLUS inventory providers who are willing to fill these gaps at deeply discounted rates, if only you knew how to get your hands on them.

In fact, almost anyone may get a bargain on any single destination at any time, and many individuals have done so using services like Orbitz, Travelocity, and others. However, these are far more narrowly targeted and specialized, dealing mostly with hotels, auto rentals, and, to a lesser extent, airline travel. You can find condos for rent from owners at a discount in a large magazine or metro newspaper. But, once again, this is extremely limited.

What Are Your First Steps?

First, you learn about the three big consolidator firms that offer travel, and if you just let it be known that you are seeking for a home based travel agency or organization, these individuals will find you immediately. You can also look for them on the Internet using terms like that. The majority of the companies are similar in that they charge a fee for a whole trip package or membership. This gives the buyer first access to heavily discounted travel services.

What do you look for if they're all basically the same? We focus on product first in a legitimate firm, thus we look for product value. We are looking for a company that is flexible and offers a variety of products. Is there a domestic package available for those who do not want to travel internationally?
What is available for you or your customer to do when they get at their destination? Are there any well-known resorts or theme parks? Golfing? Why not offer substantial meal discounts, given that we all "eat out" when we travel? We understand that cruising is "huge," but we also understand that cruise lines range from family-friendly to "swinging singles." Is there a decent combination? What about the vacation package's time constraints?

What kind of assistance tools are available to you as a company? Is the training real and in real time, with real live individuals with whom you can speak and ask questions? A sturdy, dependable website is required. Is one provided by the company you want to work for? No one will build a good site for free, but is this a realistic price?

Will you be able to work with a personal mentor? If you desire, you can even become a certified, card-carrying travel agent.

These are just some of the inquiries.

Three terms best summarize "How Do You Get Started" in the home based travel industry:
"Complete your homework."

So, now that you know a little bit about the past, let's look at a few more things, starting with some of the benefits of this, especially when compared to other possibilities like selling nutritional items, educational products, beauty care, diet products, and so on.

Aside from the financial possibilities of our industry, there are numerous other benefits.

It's simple to get started. This feature never ceases to amaze me. Businesses that have traditionally been brick and mortar entities are now available to all of us thanks to the internet. Everyday individuals like you and me may easily start a small business online thanks to the internet. We can communicate with people all over the world from the comfort of our own homes, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. People can look into your business when you are sleeping, on vacation, or doing anything else. Phone services like Skype allow us to communicate with individuals all across the world (one of us may lose sleep owing to time zone variations, but it's technically doable!)

In comparison to a more traditional travel agency, your firm is relatively affordable to establish.
Businesses no longer require a physical location, insurance, or staff. Many of the costs you have at your existing home are now tax deductible if you set up a legal IRS qualifying home office (consult your accountant, and if you don't have one, get one). Perhaps some travel services can be bartered for HIS services).

Almost everyone is a potential client for you. Who doesn't enjoy or require a vacation?
And even if the economy slows, your company expands! Previous passengers who were content to pay full price are now looking for savings.

You can save a lot of money by traveling independently. What's the point of owning a company if you don't get certain perks? With a home-based travel business, you may take advantage of some fantastic savings. You will have more free time to go on vacation and take advantage of these discounts because you are your own boss.

Is there a disadvantage to working from home in the travel industry?

There is in every business.

The travel sector is fiercely competitive. To gain an advantage, you must set yourself apart from the competition by branding yourself with a superior product. Those who read this post and express an interest in contacting the author will be provided detailed instructions on how to do so and succeed.

Aside from that, I haven't seen any other downsides to running a home-based travel business.

We hope you found this post to be quite useful, and we hope to see a number of you join us in this fascinating business in the near future.