The modern travel industry has changed drastically. The internet offers consumers many ways to search for travel destinations and decide on the ideal one for them. They can easily and quickly access information about different destinations, requirements to travel there, and other elements of the trip. And of course, consumers can independently book all aspects of a trip online from their accommodations to airfare and other logistics. In order to compete in this changing landscape, it's important for travel agents to offer personalized attention, time and money savings, insider destination knowledge, and other valuable services.
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What this all means is that a travel agency business has to do more than it initially did to stay relevant and stand out from the crowd. It has to strive to offer value-added services to appeal to consumers. However, many travel agencies are stuck on how to streamline their business and maintain viability in the market as consumers have more access to travel information than ever before. This article provides ten ways to streamline your travel agency business to attain competitiveness and improve your bottom line and efficiency.      

Written by Angie Habiger

So, you’re thinking of joining Travel Quest?  That’s great to hear!  My name is Angie and I’m typically the main point of contact at Travel Quest for agents new to TQ.  I thought it would be helpful to do a little write up on the typical process of signing up with TQ.

Researching and Interviews
Starting way at the beginning, the best piece of advice I can give you is to research and compare host agencies.  That way when you make your decision, you know it is the right one for you!  If you haven’t already, I’d highly recommend reading the Tips on How to Find the Best Host Agency post from HostAgencyReviews.com.  It is full of really great advice and even has a nice Excel spreadsheet of questions to ask a host agency.

We think interviewing host agencies is so important that we actually have an ‘interview’ stage with agents looking to join TQ.  It isn’t nearly as daunting as it sounds - we just want to make sure  that all of your questions are answered on us and, if you’re a newbie, the travel industry in general!
 
Registering Your Business & Getting an EIN #
Registering a business name in the state you reside in is a good place to start setting everything up for your business.  It is also something Travel Quest requires in order to sign up with us!  We often get asked is it best to register as a Sole Proprietorship, DBA, or LLC. Any one of them works for us. To make sure you are doing what’s best for your business, we suggest consulting with a tax professional or accountant. Each state has different costs and processes set in place so be sure to check with your State Agencies for what you need to do!  The Small Business Administration has a great list of filing requirements for each state.

After you register your business, you’ll also need to get an EIN (Employee Identification Number) through the IRS.  This is super easy to do online at IRS.gov.

Travel Quest’s Sign Up Process
Alright, you’ve been researching and interviewing host agencies and have made your final decision.  I know that once you make that decision you want to get started right away so our sign up process is streamlined to get you set up in a jiffy.
We send all of our documents via an online signature program to make things super-fast and easy to track.  Once you let us know you want to sign up there are just 3 stages:

1. TQ Contract and background check
   First up, we’ll send you the TQ Contract and background check. Before it allows you to open either documents, it will ask you some questions to verify your identity.
2. Sign up form
   Once we get those back, you get to choose what plan you want and pay the one-time start-up fee.
3. TQ Manual, W9 and direct deposit form
   After we get the OK from the background check (usually takes 1 business day), we send the last set of documents!  The Independent Agency Owner (IAO) Manual just needs your signature that you’ve read it, the W9 is where you’ll put your registered business name and EIN number, and the direct deposit is for the bank account you want your TQ account to be hooked to.

And that’s it!  Once we have received all of the required paperwork from you we email out your login sheet which opens up TQ to you!  It gives you access to Travel Quest’s Portal, Commission Manager and trainings; Travel Leaders’ intranet & Learning Management System; and some of the most commonly used supplier websites.

The length of time it takes from start to finish depends mostly on how fast we get the documents back.  Typically you receive your log in sheet 3-5 business days after you fill out the TQ Sign Up form!  If you have any questions along the way, everyone at Travel Quest is there to help!  Now that you know the sign up process, I hope we get to chat soon!

Written by Nicole Marson

Networking is a crucial element in the world of small business owners. That’s why I wanted to go over the importance and benefits of networking.Then I’ll go over some networking opportunities, essentials and best practices to get you going! 

Benefits of Networking
Networking with fellow agents, vendors and other business owners can really help you grow your business and expand your reach.  Whether it’s client referrals, partnerships, speaking or writing opportunities; networking can help connect you with people who can help you grow your business.   Looking for more specifics on how networking can benefit you?  Here you go!

• Receive referrals which ultimately increasing your sales
• Receive advice from like-minded people – learning tips and tricks from others can help you save time, money or both!
• Raise your profile – Attending events on a regular basis increase your exposure, ultimately raising your profile and helping you gain new customers
• Increase your confidence - Like anything, practice makes perfect! The more you attend networking events and engage with people, the more confident you’ll become and the better you’ll feel.
• Trade goods and services with other small business owners - it is a win win!
• Networking with vendors can help you learn selling points, product information and if you’re ever in a bind, it is always good to have someone to call
• Make friends!  You never know how those connections will help you in the future.

Finding Networking Events
Attending networking events on a regular basis is important. Not sure where to look for local networking events? Here are a few ideas to get you started!

• Check with your local American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) chapter! Even though you might not have a membership with them, they do allow non-members to attend events for a small fee.
• Participate in online forums. Most host agencies offer some sort of an online community where you can go to meet fellow agents and seek advice. Facebook also offers many private groups that agents can join as well.  Travel Quest has an online forum and private Facebook group for our agents!
• Become a member of MeetUp.com. This is an awesome site where you can start or join local networking and small business groups in your area.
• Attend small business expos and other conferences.  Travel Quest National Meeting is held annually in Minneapolis, MN and we also have Regional events hosted around the country.
• Become a member of your local Chamber of Commerce.

Tips for Successful Networking
The thought of attending your first few networking events may seem daunting but don’t worry - you’re not alone! Many people struggle the first few times out of the gate when walking into a room full of strangers and having to introduce yourself. We’ve put together a list of best practices to help you out!

• Bring plenty of business cards
• Be on time. Better yet, be early!
• Don’t forget to SMILE! Not only will it make you look friendly and approachable, it will also help calm your nerves ☺
• Ask for a card from every person you meet - you never know who you might want to contact later
• Think of open ended questions (see below for ideas!)
• Dress appropriately - if there isn’t a dress code specified, business casual is a good safe bet.
• Turn off your ringer - you don’t want to be the person whose phone goes off in the middle of a speech.
• Don’t automatically add people to your mailing list. Make sure you get their permission.
• Follow up with those you meet. Sending a thank you note within 48 hours of the event is recommended. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy. Let them know you enjoyed meeting them and bring up something you two chatted about. This will show them that you’re both interested and available.

Keeping the Conversation Going
Making conversation and knowing what to ask people can be just as terrifying as walking through that door. I’ve found that having a few questions prepared eases my anxiety and makes my interactions a lot more engaging and meaningful.  The people you chat with will appreciate you taking the time to ask quality questions instead of the usual “Where are you from? What do you do?”.  Here are some example questions to help you get started!

• How did you get started in the _____ industry?
• What made you decided to enter this field?
• What did you do in your previous life?
• What do you enjoy most about your job?
• What is the funniest/strangest request you have received?

Hopefully you were able to pick up some good tidbits on networking to get you started.  The hardest part is going to that first event.  I recommend doing some research, find an event that interests you and commit.  Once you get that first event under your belt, you’ll be more prepared for the next event and can adjust how you do things to your style for the next event.
Happy networking!