Q: How much money do I need to get started A: There are firms who may charge as high as a few thousand dollars, but you can always chuck them out. With proper agencies the entire thing should not cost you more than a few hundred dollars.

Q: How can I find travel agencies who would hire outside sales representatives A: Just go with your search the same way as you would for any other job search, get hold of job newspapers, travel magazines, check for opportunities on the internet. You can even check the website of some good travel agencies. You can even get in touch with the local offices of the travel agencies. There are also some help books available which carry details about where all you can apply.

Q: What is the earning potential for the small home based travel business A: your earnings cannot be standardized and would vary with several factors affecting it. Firstly you must try and get a good commission rate, don’t accept anything less than 50 percent. There are even agencies known to be paying as high as 70 to 80 percent. So do a bit of research to get the agencies which pay you higher. The second determinant of your income would be what kind of product are you dealing in. selling on domestic flights may get you less and international flights, packages and cruises are definitely more lucrative. The rest will all depend on the time and effort you put in and of course your selling skills.

Q: What about the other benefits one could enjoy A: There is a galore of benefits for the people in this business; you may get to travel on familiarization trips for almost free. Apart from this you will be eligible to take advantage of great discounts on air tickets, hotel stay and travel packages. There are tax benefits and deductions too, for people in the trade. One more thing is that you will be earning whenever you are traveling too.

Q: How do I choose a reliable agency as there must be a lot of scam in the industry A: yes, indeed there is a lot of scam in the industry at the moment but the industry is working hard to device methods to combat such scams and frauds. Such people will generally approach you and ask you for some amount of money and they will get you a proper id card as a travel agent. Till the industry finds out ways to tackle these people it is entirely onto you to how you would proceed. When joining some agency get more details about its existence and reputation.

Q: Can I directly deal with hotels and airlines, and avoid the agencies A: It is not advisable because in the first place the big companies would not give you that opportunity. They look for accredited travel agencies only, so you would need a lot of money and other resources to get there. Secondly, it would be much easier and more convenient for you to deal with a single or may be two agencies, as compared to dealing with the service providers individually. This option you can keep it for later when you master the trade and have enough money to invest in the same.

Q: What type of people is required in this small home based travel business A: this can be done by almost anyone who is willing to make an effort and has a liking for this kind of business. You could be a housewife, a fresher out of college or any other professional wanting to work and earn part time. But your success will matter on your market skills.

Q: Any other advice for people getting into the trade A: when looking for the agencies do as much research as possible to get the best ones, and, even once in the trade, be on a look out for better deals you could shift too. Don’t make the investment too big, till you are sure the business is for you and you are for the business. Keep on learning through out, trying to develop you skills further so that you can get better sales performance and increased business.

Having been through the entire text here, would put you in a better position before you venture out to have your own small home based travel business.

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