By Kelly Monaghan
I got a question from someone via the HomeTravelAgency.com Facebook page asking if I could be hired to help this person choose a host agency and “set up my IATA number.”
Well, yes, actually. I suppose I could do that, but my fee would wind up being much more than the cost of the Home-Based Travel Agent Success Course, so what’s the point? And even though I think I could provide solid advice and guidance, I’m not sure that hiring me would be the best course of action for this person, especially since the way the question was asked reveals some basic misunderstandings about the business.
First of all, a good basic grounding in the way the home-based travel agent business works can be found, absolutely free, right here on this site, in the articles section.
But there are deeper, more important issues at play here.
Let’s pick just one: choosing a host agency. That is one of the most important decisions a new home-based travel agent can make, right up there with designing the shape and scope of their business from the beginning. It is also a very personal decision. I won’t go so far as to say it’s as important as choosing a life partner, but it bears some similarities.
You and your host agency, after all, are entering into a relationship — a business relationship, but a relationship nonetheless. It is important that you enter this relationship knowing that the host agency will be right for you. Far too many beginners make the crucial mistake of thinking that all host agencies are pretty much the same. Nothing could be farther from the truth. A small number of people who take the Home-Based Travel Agent Success Course find this site only after making a wrong decision when choosing a host. Hundreds or thousands of dollars later, they decide that maybe learning how the business really operates before making another hasty decision is a good idea.
If I were to help my questioner choose a host agency, I would have to spend a great deal of time asking question after question about what sort of business he wants, what his goals are, what his strengths (and weaknesses) are, how much money he wants to make, how much support he feels he will need, and on and on and on. I know from experience that basic questions will raise new questions which must be explored. It can be a lengthy, even tedious process.
But it is necessary for the simple reason that the host agency that is right for me may be precisely the wrong choice for my questioner. And no matter how conscientious I am in learning about this person, I still might get it wrong because no one can ever fully enter into someone else’s head.
The best person to help you choose the right host agency, I am convinced, is YOU! That’s why the Home-Based Travel Agent Success Course has an entire module, How To Choose A Host Agency, that walks you through the process of choosing a host. It contains all the questions I would have to ask if I was hired as a consultant. Like I say, it can be time-consuming, even tedious but there is no substitute for doing your own due diligence.
This is a business decision and no one (well maybe your Mom) is going to feel sorry for you if you goof up because you didn’t want to take the time to do your homework.
So if you are thinking of entering this exciting and fun field and you have the money to hire someone to “do it for you,” you have more than enough to invest in the modest cost of the course. And you do so with no risk whatsoever, because I will give you your money back. At any time. For any reason.
Once you give your hard earned money to most host agencies, it’s gone forever, no matter how dissatisfied you become later. (Some hosts do give you up to 72 hours to change your mind.)
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Leave A Reply (4 comments so far)
Jason
311 days ago
Yet another sobering post. I too am finding it extremely difficult to find a host agency. I went about half-way through module 6 trying to keep in mind module 5 and address my personal goals. I highlighted each listing as to how they ranked just off the information you provided. Red was definitely out, blue would be looked at again if I didn’t find great, and green for ones that looked really good. I found about a quarter of the ones I made it through fell into the Really Good category. That was more than enough for me to stop highlighting and start contacting.
Then I started going through websites and trying to narrow it down further. This was an important step for me because I plan to do most of my business online and the whole reason I started this quest was because I was unable to find a suitable agent that could/would work with me via the internet on my last vacation.
I found most of the agencies to have a very limited online presence. While that was a pain for me when I was trying to find a travel agent as a customer, it was helpful at this point in ruling out those who would not be capable of handling my needs.
So I emailed a few that seemed like good fits; strong online resources, open to beginners, open enough to adopt my niche, reliable history, etc… Almost 2 weeks later, no responses. Not even a “we received your email” response. Is auto-reply really that difficult in 2012?
I can certainly see why someone would consider hiring someone with your experience to help with this process. At this point I’m half ready to start sending blanket email and accept the least costly one just to get some failure under my belt so I’ve got something to work with.
What really gets me worked up sometimes is knowing that as I was searching for my own agent as a customer, I had far more travel experience than any of the agents whose profiles I read. But I will persevere and weasel my way into this business or reinvent it trying!
Thanks again for your hard work!
admin
311 days ago
Jason, one lesson learned here is that you don’t want to deal with an agency that is not responsive. Another lesson I teach in the course: that host agencies can be maddeningly slow to respond (if they do at all). The simple solution: strike them off your list.
In the defense of host agencies, I would note that many of them have business models that involve not getting involved with outside reps whom they believe will need a lot of “hand holding.” You mention choosing “the least costly one” so I wonder if the ones you were considering were ones that charge no sign up fee. There are many like that listed in the Host Agency Directory (Module 6). But those agencies are looking for “trouble-free” agents who will simply send them a steady stream of bookings with a minimum of hassle. The course will teach you how to become one of those agents.
Just as you would have to pay me (or any other “consultant”) a fee, if you want a host agency to spend time with you (as opposed to merely performing the “back office” tasks of servicing your bookings) you will have to pay for that.
You need to prioritize what’s important to you and then determine what you are willing to pay for that. If what you want and what you are willing to pay are in conflict, then you need to either dig deeper in your pocket or amend your requirements.
Jason
303 days ago
Thanks for the response. I was not searching for the cheapest option. That was more of joking comment about allowing myself to learn through failure and I totally understand where you’re coming from. My current search criteria has not revolved around cost; mostly their online presence and willingness to work with newcomers.
Bette Kinney
105 days ago
There is definately a great deal to learn about this
topic. I really like all the points you have made.