Written By: Terri Maldonado, Cruises Inc. Recruitment Specialist

Part A:  Tangible Reasons to Take Advantage of a Travel Business Opportunity

            All Independent Contractor (IC) travel agents need to be hosted by a reputable host agency.  According to new Federal Trade Commission rules and regulations, this relationship is called a Business Opportunity.  Here’s why you shouldn’t try to enter the travel industry alone. 

            A travel business opportunity relationship (also known as a host agency) keeps costs down.   If costs are down, profitability is up.  A travel business opportunity (or host) bears the cost for industry certifications like CLIA, IATAN and ARC.  A host also bears the cost of compliance with state Seller of Travel registrations and assist with the costs of technology like web sites, booking engines and client relation management packages.

            A travel business opportunity relationship like hosting gives ICs many other ways to be smart about expenditures.  Marketing materials and technology applications can often be secured through host contracts at lower costs.  This volume purchasing may extend to long distance services, web hosting and travel insurance.

            The second tangible reason is that a travel business opportunity relationship results in higher supplier volume which means higher commission.  If commission is greater, profitability is too.  Very few ICs, standing alone, have enough volume with a supplier to generate more than base commission.   A host provides collective supplier sales volume.  A hosted IC gets the benefit of this volume, from their first booking, through the host. 

            The next reason is travel business opportunity ICs can expect training and mentoring.  The more you know, the more you can earn.  Most hosts don’t just offer supplier training, which is the primary need of the stand alone IC.  Instead hosts provide training for a broad variety of skills from selling to web design, from business planning to time management, from setting up files to setting up an office and much more.  

            Travel business opportunity ICs may have vacation and training coverage for their business.  A reputable host will provide this coverage so that the IC does not miss sales opportunities and the IC’s clients have seamless service even while the IC is out of the office.

            Host agencies, also known as travel business opportunities, pay attention to the details.  This is both tangible and intangible.  A host keeps up with industry and regulatory changes.  They may have notice of changes months before the knowledge hits the mainstream information loop.   When a host complies with regulatory change, the IC is covered.   ICs can have greater profitability because they can focus on selling rather than rooting out these changes and their significance. 

Part B:  Intangible Reasons to Take Advantage of a Travel Business Opportunity

There are some intangible reasons to have a travel business opportunity (TBO) relationship with a recognized host.  These are not as easy to quantify but are often just as valuable.  A TBO will usually make work easier or more fun.  Hosting through a travel business opportunity relationship keeps isolation at bay.   Most ICs work in a solitary environment.  There is no shared problem solving.  The quiet can become deafening.  A hosted agent is part of a larger network.  Other agents are available to brain storm.  Support is present, by email and phone, for dealing with both client and supplier issues.  The hosted agent is no longer alone.

            A hosted IC benefits from the travel business opportunity’s image and reputation.  An independent contractor told me about approaching a supplier at a conference to try to get a client complaint resolved.  The IC’s name badge listed her personal business name and not that of her host.  After a very brief non-productive conversation, the agent told the supplier who she was hosted with and got immediate resolution.  The host had a reputation and image that the independent could not achieve individually.

            A travel business opportunity company provides friendly support.  “Atta-girls”, sounding boards, helpful hints and shared defense against internet marketing gorillas round out the support you can get from a reputable host.  Whether you’re new to the industry and need tons of help starting and developing your business, or you’re an accomplished travel professional looking for more clout, a reputable host is the way to go.

            The first and most important decision the business owner must make is how to align themselves for increased profitability and quicker success.   Choosing a reputable travel business opportunity to host you will not only increase profitability, it will provide solid success through both tangible and intangible incentives … all without sacrificing individuality.

Written By: Terri Maldonado, Cruises Inc. Recruitment Specialist

The reasons for selecting a particular Travel Agent Business Opportunity fall into five categories for anyone considering the travel industry.  Those categories are:  technology, training, support, the company’s reputation in the industry and financial stability of the parent company.

A travel agent business opportunity in today’s world must provide you with cutting edge technology.  Cruises, Inc. doesn’t farm this vital ingredient out to others.  We have designed and developed our own combined customer relations management (CRM) tool and reservation system called CruiseControl.  It provides our agents with real-time access to cruise line inventory and pricing.   CruiseControl also gives you a single place to track revenue, marketing results and client lists.  Cruises, Inc. will also provide you with a virtual back office called the Business Center, a virtual marketing hub called Cruise Create and a suite of websites that are designed and maintained by us.

When you begin a travel agent business opportunity, training is paramount to success.  In addition to initial training, Cruises, Inc. also provides ongoing training in topics as diverse as:

• Target marketing
• Destinations around the World
• Product knowledge for both land and sea vendors
• Sales Skills
• Social Networking for Profit
• Finding and planning group travel

As your travel agent business opportunity grows, you will have multiple and varied needs for support.  Cruises, Inc. has almost 100 staff members located in our Ft. Lauderdale home-based division who are devoted to assisting you so that you’re never alone in the sale, service and care of your clients.   Available six days a week, this staff provides back office and customer support, technology and marketing consultation and assistance with ideas to build your business.  Their personal attention supports your success.

When you begin a new travel agent business opportunity, you can have instant recognition and reputation within the travel industry because of your affiliation with Cruises, Inc.  Started in 1982, Cruises, Inc. has built a solid reputation of customer service and vendor commitment.   Having a name that is known in those areas will make your start-up much easier.  Having one that is known for quality will make your transition to success hassle-free!  With Cruises, Inc. and our 32 years of excellence, you’ll have both!

If your travel agent business opportunity is with Cruises, Inc., you will have the full financial stability of our parent company, World Travel Holdings (WTH) behind you from the very first day!  We’re proud of our family of brands and invite you to learn more about them at www.wth.com.

By: Terri Maldonado

Recruitment Specialist; Cruises Inc.

Here are four factors you can use as indicators of success and some suggestions for implementing or improving them in your independent travel agent business.

The famous factor.  How well known are you in your neighborhood, community and industry?  If your famous factor is pointing to success, your neighbors know what you’re doing and often introduce you not just by name, but also by company name.  You know this one is working when your child’s friends say, “Aren’t you the travel person?”   When I visit the post office, they no longer say, “Hi, Terri.”  They now say “Hi, CruiseGal.”  You’ll also know you’ve achieved the factor when you’re asked to contribute a column to your local newspaper make a presentation to a local charitable group.

 If your famous factor hasn’t kicked in you can help it along by wearing your independent travel agent status wherever you go.  Have a T-shirt imprinted with the Cruises, Inc. name and wear it anytime you go to school or public events.   Give some away so that others wear your name around too!  Put your business name on everything you write.  Leave your business card every place you stand or sit.   Having the award-winning marketing team of Cruises, Inc. behind your public image will absolutely elevate your famous factor!

 The satisfaction factor.  This isn’t how satisfied your customers are, it’s how satisfied you are.  Do you like the way your office looks?  Are you happy with the response your marketing efforts generate?  Are you proud of the image your business cards, letterhead and website create for those who see them?  To paraphrase the Rolling Stones, if you “can’t get no satisfaction”, you won’t feel very successful.  If you aren’t happy, you can’t display a happy attitude to your customers.

 So, how can you jump-start your satisfaction factor?  Start with a twice yearly self-inventory.   Make a list of the things that need to be changed.  Start small but tackle your list.  Make it your goal to increase your personal satisfaction with your status as an independent travel agent so that it shows in the way you treat your customers.  Check your list frequently so that you can see and celebrate your improvements.  Use your improvements as a way to get famous by sharing them with others.  Ask your Cruises, Inc. representative about all the ways we can help you with your satisfaction factor.

 The wow factor.   This is the era of baby-boomer clients.  One feature of the baby-boomer generation that’s often overlooked is the fact that these potential customers have lived and worked in an age of quality improvement.  They know about, and participate in, surveys asking their opinions and qualifying their contentment with almost every aspect of their lives.  It isn’t enough to simply satisfy them.  The way you keep a “boomer” is to wow them.  Doing things they don’t expect, like arranging a house and pet sitter or bringing them breakfast on their first day home, will make a difference.  So, how do you know your wow factor is positioning you for independent travel agent success?  Ask.  Boomers will tell you anything and everything you want to know about their experience with your service.   Ask your Cruises, Inc. representative how our marketing and public relations staff can help you with increasing your wow factor.

 The future factor.   Alexander Graham Bell said, “When one door closes, another opens, but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.”  Independent travel agents and their clients have been buffeted by forces they cannot control.  Businesses and suppliers all around us are failing.  If you are wasting your time looking at the closed door, you will miss the opportunity to create future triumph and discovery.   For example, if you are waiting for things to get better before you attend a Cruises, Inc. National Conference, you’re looking at the closed door and not opening yourself to the possibility of discovering a new opportunity.  Your future factor isn’t aimed at success.  If you have an idea you’re implementing in the face of opposing pressure, you are using your future factor and the rewards will come.

 Wake up your own forward thinking by getting out there and learning.   Read the Cruises, Inc. blog every month.  Get exposed to the new ideas that our family of Cruises, Inc. independent contractors have and let them activate your own creativity.  Don’t continue your education as an independent travel agent because it’s good for your clients, do it because it’s good for you!  Implement this factor for your own future growth.   Take advantage of all the continuing education Cruises, Inc. has to offer.

 How will you know these factors are making you more successful?  Besides financial growth and business increases, there will be personal rewards.  These rewards will give you a sense of meaning.  You’ll feel more alive and you’ll be engaged in the world of travel you’re selling.  When you do good, you’ll feel good.  When you feel good, you will have succeeded.

Home travel agent

 It’s never been a better time to start a business opportunity in the travel industry. But starting one on your own can be difficult. Beyond just having an idea, being a successful business entails a large degree of marketing to ensure that your message reaches its intended audience.

 If you’ve reached the point where you are seriously considering starting your own business but don’t know where to begin, look no further than becoming a home travel agent with a travel business opportunity through Cruises Inc! Choosing the right business opportunity is no small undertaking and it is important that you perform all necessary research on your end before making a decision. At Cruises Inc. you can begin learning more about whether or not becoming a home travel agent by starting your own travel business is the right choice for you. As a home travel agent with through Cruises Inc. you can sell your clients the travel package of their dreams.

 Cruises are among the most popular types of vacations in the nation and using a home travel agent is one of the smartest ways vacationers can find a great deal on a travel package. Offering a great overall deal and scenic views all day and night, a cruise vacation is choice for couples or individuals looking to get away from it all on the high seas and, since many cruises offer all inclusive deals while on board, they are also ideal for price conscious vacationers on a budget. A home travel agent can provide its customer base with the best possible prices on a number of vacation packages.

 Aside from providing your clients with exciting vacation packages, you’ll also provide yourself with a great work environment-your own home! As a home travel agent you’ll be able to set your own hours and pace. A home travel agent business isn’t for everyone but for those who are willing to put in the effort to be successful, becoming a home travel agent may be one of the best decisions an individual can make.

 With Cruises Inc., becoming a home travel agent is flexible and easy. Cruises Inc. has built an established network that can support entrepreneurs starting out on their first business venture or an established home travel agent looking for additional help. As a home travel agent with the Cruises Inc. business opportunity, you’re never alone. Cruises Inc has training and education programs for individuals interested in becoming a home travel agent but don’t have any prior industry experience or even know where to begin. Cruises Inc. is here to help a new home travel agent become fully versed in the industry and become the best home travel agent they can be. Cruises Inc. also has a dedicated marketing program for the home travel agent. The idea behind the Cruises Inc. business model is that there is strength in numbers-Cruises Inc uses its vast resources to help the home travel agent market themselves as a member of one of the most respected names in travel. From direct mail to cruise line advertising co-ops, Cruises Inc. leads the industry with award winning programs designed for home travel agents. For more information about Cruises Inc., visit www.SellCruises.com

Cruises Inc. independent cruise travel agents work at running their own businesses while being part of a proven, successful business model. They have tremendous industry buying power with a unique, customized experience that offers customers the ability to plan vacations online while at the same time enjoying personalized service from an experienced local cruise specialist. By having independently operating cruise travel agents around the globe, Cruises Inc. can provide customers with the attention to detail and expert advice that every customer will enjoy.

If you decide to become one of the cruise travel agents in the Cruises Inc. family, you will identify excellent values on all major cruise lines, including exclusive programs for honeymoons, member cruises, group travel, and more. Cruises Inc. values embracing change for learning and growth, and building open and honest collaboration through communication. They enjoy fostering positive team and community spirit, and working smarter with passion and determination. Above all, they value doing these things with integrity. Their purpose is to enable their partners to be successful as cruise travel agents working from the comfort and convenience of their own homes.

What does it take to become one of the successful cruise travel agents at Cruises Inc.? You should have a passion for travel as well as an inherent desire to bring those cruise destinations to life. This is a huge responsibility to your clients as well as to the industry. Cruises Inc. takes great pride in training their agents and offering them full support in every aspect of managing a home-based business by providing agents with the opportunity to concentrate on servicing clients and providing each client with a personalized, remarkable experience. Their cruise travel agents have the tools to build successful home businesses if they have the right qualities and the desire to apply them.

When you join the cruise travel agents from Cruises Inc., you will find that the cruise industry is the most exciting vacation category in the travel industry. Cruising is currently a $23 billion industry, with even more potential for growth in the future. Cruise travel agents play a major role in filling cruise vessels to capacity. Three of four cruisers actually book their cruises through a travel agent, which stresses the important of education and guidance to learn the subtle difference between the lines themselves, vessels, and destinations visited. A well-educated, service-minded travel agent can see up to a 60% repeat and referral rate based on his or her skills.

The cruise travel agents that work for Cruises Inc. receive the best training so they have the potential to build a strong business that consists of many repeat customers. At the same time, since Cruises Inc. has cruise travel agents who work out of their own homes, there is a huge advantage to starting your own travel business with them rather than starting on your own or with another company. Go to www.sellcruises.com to learn more about this growing company, and how you can become an important part of it!

A home based travel agent business is the best way to have the type of working life you have always imagined. The cruise industry is currently booming, and has become one of the most popular travel industries in the United States and Canada. Thousands of people want to book a unique getaway every year—your home based travel agent business can be the place to make these dreams come true.

By having your own home based travel agent business, you will have the freedom to set the hours of your choosing and never be chained to a “regular” workday schedule. In addition, by running a home based travel agent business out of your own home, you will cut out any lengthy daily commute that adds hours to your workday.

By working for Cruises Inc. you will have the opportunity to make clients’ dream come true – you will help people get the unique, personalized cruise vacation they are looking for. A home based travel agent business is more than an agent: he or she is a gateway to a great vacation. When you have your own home based travel agent business for Cruises Inc., you will have all the training and support you need to be a part of one of the strongest teams of travel agents in the country.

The cruise industry is expanding, and by having a home based travel agent business of your own, you can be part of that increase in demand. The target population in the United States who take cruises are usually 25 years old or older and come from middle income households. As someone who runs a home based travel agent business selling cruises, you will tap into a large population of individuals who are ready to make their vacation dreams a reality.

Cruise lines will be adding many new ships to their fleets in 2011, as they too realize and anticipate a higher demand from the US population. As someone who has his or her own home based travel agent business, you will be an integral part of the team that brings these two populations together. Those with a home based travel agent business play a major role in filling these vessels to capacity, as a new study shows that cruisers are influenced by travel agents more than any other area of travellers.

As the owner of a home based travel agent business, you can have peace of mind knowing that your customers will be highly satisfied with their vacations as other studies show that the cruise industry has one of the highest satisfaction ratings for travellers. By running your own home based travel agent business, you can help people reach their vacation goals and provide them with unique packages that you will customize to their needs.

Visit www.sellcruises.com to find out how to start your own home based travel agent business. Start interacting with clients and deliver great vacations that people will love.

Cruises Inc. is a part of World Travel Holdings (WTH), making them the world’s largest distributor of cruise vacations with unrivaled buying power. They offer you the opportunity to be a home based travel agent, where you can create your own business in the comfort and convenience of your own home. Combined with their unique, customized experience, they give customers the ability to plan vacations online while also enjoying personalized service from a local cruise specialist. As a home based travel agent, you will provide attention to detail and expert advice to every customer.

When you work as a Cruises Inc. home based travel agent, you will receive many advantages over other types of franchises. For one, they have access to exclusive product that keeps the competition guessing. They are the original host agency and they have already navigated the waters, perfected their business model, and can offer you the comfort of knowing you are associated with the very best in the industry. As a home based travel agent, you will be running your own business with the support of an industry leader behind you. You will have their staff of nearly 100 employees at their Fort Lauderdale, Florida headquarters to support you.

As a home based travel agent, you will join WTH in providing products and services that meet the demands of all kinds of travelers. They have a portfolio of world-class brands that deliver higher levels of sales and service, and they will continue to grow as one company into broader horizons. They work at building strategic partnerships and providing customers with the skill and guidance of the most passionate, trusted experts in the travel industry. When you join them to become a home based travel agent, you will have the advantages of WTH’s expertise and support while you enjoy the travel business you have always wanted to start on your own.

When you become a home based travel agent with Cruises Inc., you will receive training that is second to none. Their expert training team has more than 40 years of experience that they will use to educate you on the core components of the cruise industry. At the same time, there will be a focus on specific business building and operational skills to ensure success. To learn their system that will teach you how to be a home based travel agent that exemplifies their model and dedication, you will have three distinct training options. There is in-person, six-day training at the Fort Lauderdale corporate headquarters, an all-encompassing virtual training program which  takes place Monday through Friday, and a four-part Saturday series Virtual Training program.

The blended learning solutions make it easy for any new home based travel agent to obtain full understanding of the subject matter and gain all the needed knowledge to build a profitable cruise business. To learn more about the training you will receive from Cruises Inc. when you decide to become a home based travel agent, go to www.sellcruises.com.

Being a home travel agent will take your current working life from tiring to exciting. When you start your own business as a home travel agent, you will cut many hours of commuting from your workweek, allowing you to spend valuable time with your family and friends. You will never again have to miss important events in your kids’ lives because of work obligations–by working from home, you can satisfy both your career aspirations and your family life.

Home travel agents are an integral part of the cruise industry. A recent study revealed that cruise travellers are more influenced by travel agents than travellers are with any other travel industry. As a home travel agent, you will have the exciting job of providing clients with their dream vacation by specifically tailoring packages to suit their custom needs. Be part of making couples, families and individuals have an unforgettable experience, and have a rewarding job that you can be proud of.

Another study about the travel industry discovered that people are more satisfied with cruises than they are with any other type of vacation package. By being a home travel agent who provides clients with these amazing experiences, you will have fun while at the same time knowing you are giving your clients something truly enjoyable. With Cruises Inc., you will have all the support you need to start and maintain your home travel agent business.

As a home travel agent, your target population for cruise adventures will be people 25 years old and older, making an average income–this was discovered by yet another recent travel survey. Since the majority of the population of the United States and Canada fits this description, there is a large market out there for a home travel agent to tap. Cruise companies know this population is out there, and are planning to increase their fleet sizes in 2011.

Take advantage of the cruise industry’s success in making clients happy with their choice of vacation, and join a strong team of individuals at Cruises Inc. by becoming a home travel agent. You can have the satisfaction of knowing you are helping clients achieve their dreams of a great vacation while at the same time working out of the comfort of your own home. As a home travel agent, you will have all the support you need in running your business while having all the comfort of being in your own home.

Visit www.sellcruises.com to find out how you can become a home travel agent. Cruises Inc. has all the information you need to start helping clients achieve their vacation goals. Since cruises are such a satisfactory vacation option, and there is such a large potential market of individuals ready to take their first or second cruise vacation, you can have fun with a job such as this. Be your own boss and set your own schedule while being part of the Cruises Inc. team.