Travel Agent Chatter | Starting And Growing Your Travel Agency

Welcome to Friday 15! In episode 132 Steph chats with Lori Speers, CEO and Owner of Levarte Travel about previous Friday15 questions, Disney & charge fees, and new agent “Must Haves”.Here's a list of helpful resources for today’s episode:https://hostagencyreviews.com/hostweek (Register for HAR’s Host Week event!)https://hostagencyreviews.com/friday15 (Submit questions, sign up for reminders for the F15, along with that week's questions we'll be covering!)https://hostagencyreviews.com/friday15 (Complete list of F15s: Sort Friday 15 episodes by tags)https://hostagencyreviews.com/page/travel-advisor-research-reports/ (HAR’s research reports with data on fees, who charges, how much, what for, and lots of other good stuff!)https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/travel-agency-websites (A list and comparison of the travel agency websites options)https://www.happiestthingstravel.com/ (Disney Travel Advisor Planner – digital and hard copy available)https://www.practicallymagic.co/ (Theme Park Itinerary Software f

Welcome to Friday 15! In episode 131 Steph chats with April Swales, Director of Marketing & Sales from Uniglobe Travel Center about what a FIT is and how to specialize in it, getting an IATA & CLIA number as a new independent agent, and helping clients get a US Passports.Here's a list of helpful resources for today’s episode: (Submit questions, sign up for reminders for the F15, along with that week's questions we'll be covering!) (Register for HAR’s Host Week event!) (Submit questions, sign up for reminders for the F15, along with that week's questions we'll be covering!) (Indie report is out!) (Sign up for survey reminders for 2024) (Get the free download for HAR’s abbreviated travel industry glossary) (Get the full travel industry glossary by signing on for our 7 Day Setup Accelerator course) (Travel Agent Chatter podcast episode with advisor who does FIT vacations) (Travel Agent Chatter podcast episode with advisor who does FIT vacations) (Learn more about travel agent commissions) (HAR’

Welcome to Friday 15! In episode 130 Steph chats with Chad Burt, co-owner of Outside Agents about leads through online marketing, honing in on a niche, and setting income goals.Here's a list of helpful resources for today’s episode: (Submit questions, sign up for reminders for the F15, along with that week's questions we'll be covering!) (Register for HAR’s Host Week event!) (Sign up for Google My Business) (A great exercise on how to find your niche!) (TAC episode with an advisor who has an amazing website that creates great leads) (TAC episode with a Japan specialist agency that uses content marketing to find clients) (TAC episode with an Italy expert that uses content marketing to find clients) (Learn more about travel agent commissions)  (HAR’s research reports with data on income by niche, year, and lots of other good stuff!) (Outside Agents’ profile on HAR)(866) 208-5604 x210 (Chad), x312 (Steve) (OA’s contact us page)[email protected] (email to reach OA team)Nov 3rd (uniglobe), Nov 10 (Levart

Welcome to Friday 15! In episode 129 Steph chats with Jenn Lee, VP Industry Engagement and Support for Travel Planners International about travel certification, hosting outside of the US, and developing your brand.A list of helpful resources for today’s episode: (Submit questions, sign up for reminders for the F15, along with that week's questions we'll be covering!) (Register for HAR’s Host Week event!) (Travel agent certification options, including Travel Institute, ASTA, CLIA) (Traveller Made, a European based consortium, changed its name to the much harder to remember and pronounce: Serandipians!) (Departure Lounge takes advisors that are not US citizens that live in the following countries: USA, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Holy See, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Türkiye, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ire

Welcome to Friday 15! In episode 128 Steph chats with Chad Burt, co-owner of Outside Agents about linking a landing page, host agency website, and our host week event.Here's a list of helpful resources for today’s episode: (Submit questions, sign up for reminders for the F15, along with that week's questions we'll be covering!) (Register for HAR’s Host Week event!) (Virtually attend Adventure Together and tune in to Steph’s sessions!) (Discover the options for your travel agency website) (Create a subdomain of your main domain) (Chad’s bookshelf. Pw: oastrong) (Register for HAR’s Host Week event – Jan 29 - Feb 2!) (Outside Agents’ profile on HAR)(866) 208-5604x210 (Chad), x312 (Steve) (OA’s contact us page)[email protected] (email to reach OA team)Oct 20th Travel Planners International, October 27th, Outside Agents, Nov 3rd (uniglobe) (Register for Host Week! It’s free. It’s fun. It’s full of info to grow your agency!)We do this every week! If you have travel industry questions, HAR likely has

Welcome to Friday 15! in episode 127 Steph chats with Connie Miller, Chief Relationship Officer/Business Development forYour Travel Center/Montecito Village Travel about hotel views on takeover bookings, competing with discounts, and 7 Day Setup Accelerator Course.Here's a list of helpful resources for today’s episode: (Submit questions, sign up for reminders for the F15, along with that week's questions we'll be covering!) (Register for HAR’s Host Week event!) Hosted advisor report (HAR’s 7 Day Setup Accelerator Course curriculum) (MVT’s profile on HAR)[email protected] (Connie’s email)805-456-2545 (Connie’s phone) (Register for Host Week! It’s free. It’s fun. It’s full of info to grow your agency!)We do this every week! If you have travel industry questions, HAR likely has an answer :) Submit your burning question here Har.News/Friday15 and join us this Friday (and every Friday!) at 12CT for travel agent tips!

Welcome to Friday 15! In episode 126 Steph chats about qualifying customers booking air, sub agency contract, and payment gateway.A list of helpful resources for today’s episode: (Submit questions, sign up for reminders for the F15, along with that week's questions we'll be covering!) (Register for HAR’s Host Week event!) Hosted advisor report (Stats on air traffic control) (What to look for in a host agency contract – Red flags and more) (Host agency list where you can find host-franchise hybrids) (Travel attorney Mark Pestronk’s law office – Travel Law Office) (Travel attorney Tom Carpenter’s law office) (What E&O insurance covers, and what it doesn’t) (Register for Host Week! It’s free. It’s fun. It’s full of info to grow your agency!)Submit your burning question here Har.News/Friday15 and join us this Friday (and every Friday!) at 12CT for travel agent tips!Join 30,000+ agents and subscribe to our newsletter: http://www.hostagencyreviews.com/newsletter

Welcome to Friday 15! In episode 125 Steph chats with Carolyn Sekerak, Director of Marketing Strategy and Community Engagement about finding a host with one-on-one relationships, business structures, and pinpointing a niche.A list of helpful resources for today’s episode: (Submit questions, sign up for reminders for the F15, along with that week's questions we'll be covering!) (Register for HAR’s Host Week event!)https://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/tips-on-how-to-find-the-best-travel-host-agency (Info on the seller of travel licensing in US) (Info on seller of travel registrations in Canada) (More ideas on finding a niche (2023 Hosted Advisor Research Report with info on income by niche.) (Travel Agent Chatter episode with destination wedding, honeymoon specialist) (Travel Agent Chatter episode with destination wedding, honeymoon specialist) (Travel Agent Chatter episode with destination wedding, honeymoon specialist) (KHM’s profile on HAR)[email protected] (Carolyn’s email)(Register for Host Week! It’s

Welcome to Friday 15! In episode 124 Steph chats with Jackie Friedman, President of Nexion Travel Group about the advantages of joining a host, the best travel agent education, and going from salary to being an IC.A list of helpful resources for today’s episode: (Submit questions, sign up for reminders for the F15, along with that week's questions we'll be covering!) (Register for HAR’s Host Week event!) (Benefits of using a host agency.) (HAR’s 2023 Hosted Travel Advisor Research Report.) (List of training/educational opportunities for advisors.) (How to ask questions to your travel industry peers on social media.) (Wanderlust program) (Travel Leaders of Tomorrow) (HAR’s 2023 Hosted Travel Advisor Research Report.) (Nexion’s profile on HAR) (Nexion’s website, click on getting started) (Register for Host Week! It’s free. It’s fun. It’s full of info to grow your agency!) (Sign up for e-reminders for the Friday 15 and submit your questions!)Submit your burning question here Har.News/Friday15 and

Welcome to Friday 15! In episode 123 Steph chats with April Swales, Director of Marketing and Sales for Uniglobe Travel Center about Travel MLMs, choosing a Host, and multiple company names.A list of helpful resources for today’s episode: (Submit questions, sign up for reminders for the F15, along with that week's questions we'll be covering!) (Call for Host Week event speakers is open! Submit your Eduspot idea!) (Register for HAR’s Host Week event!) (Who are the travel MLMs and what you need to know before joining one. Muy importante!) (List of host agencies where you can filter our MLM hybrids (Use the spreadsheet to narrow down your host agency options) (PATH website) (HAR’s annual research report on hosted travel advisors is out!) (What is the GDS?) (Uniglobe Travel Center’s profile on HAR) (Schedule a call with April) (April’s email) (Register for Host Week! It’s free. It’s fun. It’s full of info to grow your agency!) (Sign up for e-reminders for the Friday 15 and submit your questions!)Su

Welcome to Friday 15! In episode 122 Steph chats with Keith Waldon, owner of Departure Lounge about travel business hierarchy, help with vision impaired IC, and travel agent testing.A list of helpful resources for today’s episode: (Submit questions, sign up for reminders for the F15, along with that week's questions we'll be covering!) (Call for Host Week event speakers is open! Submit your Eduspot idea!) (Register for HAR’s Host Week event!) (HAR’s Accelerator course to get your agency set up faster!) (What is a host agency?) (What are Travel consortia/coops?) (What is a travel preferred supplier?) (Mind’s Eye Travel) (Travel Eyes) (Travel advisor education options) (Travel advisor certification options) (ASTA’s verified travel advisor (VTA) course) (The 1000 travel advisor club) (Departure Lounge’s profile on HAR) (Keith’s email address) (Sign up for e-reminders for the Friday 15 and submit your questions!)Submit your burning question here Har.News/Friday15 and join us this Friday (and every

Welcome to Friday 15! In episode 121 Steph chats with Lindsay Taylor Lauer, Director of Luxury & Hosting for Travel Leaders 365 about booking groups, payments done in installments, and ticketing vs. non-ticketing.A list of helpful resources for today’s episode: (Submit questions, sign up for reminders for the F15, along with that week's questions we'll be covering!) (Call for Host Week speakers is open! Submit your Eduspot idea!) (HAR’s free event calendar w/ over 100 industry events!) (10 Insider Group Booking Tips from Travel Advisors [+Infographic]) (5 Steps to Finding Groups) (What Suppliers Want you to Know About Booking Groups) (Listen to advisors who specialize in booking groups! Use tag dropdown and select ‘groups’) (Ja’Vonne Harley’s educational trips with ~100 people around the world) (Ashley Morris’ destination wedding groups) (Valerie Gossett’s cruise groups) (Will Medina destination wedding groups and processes) (Deb Fogarty affinity group cruises and how she finds them) (Travel agency a

Welcome to Friday 15! In episode 120 Steph chats with Jenn Lee, VP of Industry Engagement and Support for Travel Leaders International about how to go about finding a travel advisor mentor, leveraging your Facebook marketing (page vs. group?), and choosing between Sole Proprietorship and LCC!A list of helpful resources for today’s episode: (TAC episode where advisor uses a FB group for her clients) (Jenn’s webinar: How to Create a FB Community That Converts) (Jenn’s webinar: Facebook Content That Converts) (ASTA’s mentoring program) (Find a travel industry event) (Read this before a travel industry event to help you make the most of it!) (The tourism industry’s award-winning business accelerator program for women and non-binary early-stage entrepreneurs.) (TPI’s profile on HAR)[email protected] (Jenn’s contact) (Jenn’s Fiercely Forward FB Group) (TPI’s email address)Submit your burning question here Har.News/Friday15 and join us this Friday (and every Friday!) at 12CT for travel agent tips!

Welcome to Friday 15! In episode 119 Step chats with Lori Spears, Owner of Levarte Travel about gaining trust as a new advisor, reducing IC Misclassification w/Planning Fees, and FAM trip qualifications.Here's a list of helpful resources for today’s episode: (Submit questions, sign up for reminders for the F15, along with that week's questions we'll be covering!) (Call for Host Week speakers is open! Submit your Eduspot idea!) (HAR’s free event calendar w/ over 100 industry events!) (Find your senator) (More on Airport Trading Cards) (Episode 115 discussing more on the dangers of misclassification (More on the ramifications of a host misclassifying you as an IC when you’re more like an employee) (Travel attorney) (IC contracts: What to look for) (Episode 118 with answer to first part of questions with Mary and co-host Chad Burt, Outside Agents) (HAR’s list of 200+ Travel Agent Rates) (What’s a FAM Trip and Where to Find Them)  (Levarte’s profile on HAR) (Levarte’s website) (Sign

Welcome to Friday 15! In episode 118 Mary chats with Chad Burt, Co-Owner of Outside Agents about startup investment decisions, startup investment on tech, and sales minimums for FAMs.Here's a list of helpful resources for today’s episode: (Submit questions, sign up for reminders for the F15, along with that week's questions we'll be covering!) (Call for Host Week speakers is open! Submit your Eduspot idea!)har.news/survey Sign up for survey report updates to get notified when we publish our 2023 reportshttps://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/travel-agent-fam-trip - FAM Tripshttps://hostagencyreviews.com/blog/travel-agent-rates - Resource on travel agent rates  (Industry events) Travel Agent Training and Education will drop you into the rabbit hole for host education, certifications, business coaching and more. har.news/7DShar.news/survey - for notification when we publish our reportTechnology is personal keynote with David Chait of Travefy from Host Week 2022 HAR’s favorite free marketing tools.&n

Welcome to Friday 15! In episode 117 Steph chats with Lindsay Taylor Lauer, Director of Luxury & Hosting for Travel Leaders 365 about how travel agents deal with visas, website links, and how to break up with your host agency.Here's a list of helpful resources for today’s episode: (Submit questions, sign up for reminders for the F15, along with that week's questions we'll be covering!) (Call for Host Week speakers is open! Submit your Eduspot idea!) (Sherpa provides visas for travelers and a wealth of info! Best fit for agencies with a significant % of travelers needing visas) (CIBT visa services) (G3 visa services) (Tips for choosing your agency’s name) (Trademark/servicemark process with trademark attorney on Friday 15 #58) (What to do if host isn’t paying out commissions) (Info on what to look for in contracts with host agencies) (Lindsay’s email address) (TL 365’s profile on HAR) (Sign up for e-reminders for the Friday 15 and submit your questions!)We do this every week! If you hav

Welcome to Friday 15! In episode 116 Steph chats with Jenn Lee, VP of Industry Engagement and Support for Travel Planners International about business cards and what should be on them, if you should get to know the business before specializing, and what guides are out there on how to set up your own agency.A list of helpful resources for today’s episode: (Submit questions, sign up for reminders for the F15, along with that week's questions we'll be covering!) (Travel Agent Career Outlook article: Full of great stats and facts for people that ask you about career as an advisor!) (Call for Host Week speakers is open! Submit your Eduspot idea!) (Info on CA SOT disclosures) (Info on if you need a SOT registration in the 4 US states that have registrations) (Info on if you need a SOT registration in Canadian provinces that have registrations) (Host Week presentation on accessible travel) (TAC episode with Amy Garner, who specializes in accessible travel) (TAC episode with Becky Kirby, who specializes in

****** Transcript + Show Notes: https://har.news/vol27 ******When it comes to booking cruises, Karen Devine doesn’t just book a ton of rooms. She and her team of 8 literally charter entire ships for some of their corporate clients! Your immediate reaction may be that her agency sales of $30-40M are way out of your league. But fear not! The head of 3D Cruise Partners has tips for agencies of all sizes and experience levels that are looking to level up their business. With a combined total of 40 years of experience spanning the cruise side, the hotel side, the supplier side, and the customer side, Karen brings a deep perspective that’s rare to find in the industry. She shares how she’s mastered converting clients who haven’t cruised before to considering cruising as an option by using a travel comparison everyone can relate to.Most leisure cruise advisors are familiar with the cruise line’s leisure groups department, but take some time to get to know about their corporate groups from the leading agency in the

Welcome to Friday 15! In episode 115 Steph chats with Chad Burt, Co-Founder of Outside Agents about host contracts that only allow you to book through them and travel advisor-related podcast options.Here's a list of helpful resources for today’s episode: (Submit questions, sign up for reminders for the F15, along with that week's questions we'll be covering!) (New article on FAM trips: What they are and how to find them!) (Call for Host Week speakers is open! Submit your Eduspot idea!) (What happens if an independent contractor is reclassified as an employee? All about IC misclassification.) (What to look for in your contract with host agencies.) (Travel Weekly’s Trade Secrets with Emma Weissman and Jamie Biesada — ask questions about the industry) (TIN Lounge with Theresa Chu-Bermudez and Korrine Johnson – TAs sharing their experiences and best practices) (Travefy’s The Lounge) (Host Week presentation of travel advisors who have started their own podcasts) (Travel Pulse’s podcast) (Outside Age

Welcome to Friday 15! In episode 114 Steph chats with Henley Vasquez, Co-Founder of Fora on how to narrow down and choose a host agency and the best travel software package that handles CRM, group management, and invoicingHere's a list of helpful resources for today’s episode: (Submit questions, sign up for reminders for the F15, along with that week's questions we'll be covering!) (How to research and qualify suppliers) (Tips on choosing a host agency) (Tern, new travel tech looking to unify all the agency tech) (TripSuite, new travel tech looking to unify all the agency tech) (TravelJoy: CRM, groups management, invoicing) (VacationCRM: CRM, groups management, invoicing) (Travefy: Itinerary builder, CRM. *** Visit link and enter promo code HAR15 to receive 15% off your first 6 months or first annual subscription with Travefy.) (Zendesk CRM: not travel agency specific but free and you can customize! (SION commission tracking software for agencies) (To get more information, go to ‘Apply’. Add ‘HostAgencyR