subject: Start Your Own Travel Agency from Home [print this page] Start Your Own Travel Agency from Home Start Your Own Travel Agency from Home
The idea of having your own home-based business is a real attractive option and also offers you the opportunity to launch your venture in the comforts and ease of your very home. However, launching a home-based business is not an easy task and like any other venture, it also involves careful planning, research and patience. You must certainly follow the below steps in order to make sure that your travel business kicks off in the right direction.
1) Firstly, you need to identify the state laws for your business and then you can register accordingly. You need to operate two separate bank accounts for your home based travel agency, out of which one is for holding business finances and the other is just to keep the money which you have received from your clients.
2) Also, you need to decide what kind of agency you want to start. You can go in for a travel referral agency or a home travel agency as per your interest and resources. If you are interested in a travel referral agency, you need to get in touch with other existing agencies and can go in for a partnership.
3) By negotiating a fair commission fee with your referral clients, you can go in for a business deal with multiple travel companies.
4) You need to write or create business plan in order to start your travel agency in full swing. You also need to create system so as to handle the financial aspects of your business and you need to also make decision regarding what kind of agency you are willing to open. You can go in for a cruise travel, luxury travel, vacation home, safari or can operate as a regular travel agency.
5) In order to boost your credentials, you can become a member of the travel agent societies such as the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA), National Association of Commissioned Travel Agents (NACTA) or the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
6) Make sure that you have a host travel company in your contacts which will act as a middle supplier between you and the airlines or tour operators. Being in contact with such an agency will aid you in starting off your travel agency and in the course of time you can make your own contacts and network group.
