Do you want to start a very valuable conversation? The next time you are at a travel networking event or trade show, try this out as you swill that glass of bourbon. Bring up the subject of competition in the local market and ask one simple question. “Who is the competition for your agency?” I can guarantee they will give you the wrong answer. Read on! Read the rest of this entry »

Despite what we may think, we do not know it all. But despite what some of our kids think, we do know a little. So, let’s meet in the middle.  How many times have you been working with a client, and they were interested in some specifics of a destination that were just beyond your pay grade?  You know the destination well, but sometimes the minutiae flies under your radar. What do you do? Read on; I may have a solution. Read the rest of this entry »

Many times, as business owners, we feel we know it all. We have heard every possible client issue, from the mundane and boring to the most bizarre. We have made our share of mistakes and recovered (and hopefully learned) from them. Sometimes it seems as if my travel practice is running on auto-pilot with the phones ringing, email inbox humming, and the cash registers going cha-ching (OK, I know they don’t exist anymore, but stay with me)! It feels good!  But it also scares the heck out of me. I know a train will jump the track when the engineer nods off. Read the rest of this entry »

Owning and managing a business is no easy feat. It’s tough! And when push comes to shove, it all falls back on your shoulders. It is easy to become overwhelmed, but there is help. Whether you are a large storefront agency with multiple locations or a small one-man show in the middle of nowhere, these five tips are guaranteed to help streamline your business and let you breathe a little easier! Read the rest of this entry »

Are you conveying the right message to your clients? Are you sure? Communication is so key in so many areas of our lives. I was picking my girlfriend up at the airport yesterday and said I’d meet her at baggage claim (at least, I’m pretty sure that’s what I said). After the luggage belt was emptied, I got a text that she was waiting for me upstairs curbside. A classic case of miscommunication, and we laughed it off. But when it happens to your business and your clients, it can have very real consequences.  Take this email message I recently received from a new Business Development Manager from a well-known travel supplier. Read the rest of this entry »

I usually do not get terribly excited about software updates. For the most part, they are mundane and usually are just tweaks under the hood.  But this time, it is different. Last week, Apple released their new iOS 16 for the iPhones (iPhone 8 and later), and it has some great features like editing text messages and even un-sending them. But one feature added to photos can be a game changer in terms of saving time. Read the rest of this entry »

Last week, I suggested that after Labor Day, you need to bet on the ball and develop your marketing and business plans for 2023. And hopefully, you have started that or are planning to shortly. Today, I have another task for you once that is done. Time to clean house! Read the rest of this entry »

Today is Labor Day. It is a national holiday that is to “celebrate the works and contributions of laborers to the development and achievements of the United States.” And while we are not considered “laborers” in one sense, the travel industry has been laboring for the past two and a half years, and quite frankly, we deserve a break. But only for a bit! Read the rest of this entry »

Is your number one hobby travel?  Or is running a travel agency your number one hobby?  There is a difference, and if the latter, listen up. Stop it! The days of a hobby agency are long gone, along with the lengthy IATAN lists that looked more like a neighborhood directory. As we move through 2022 and beyond, it is imperative that we run our businesses professionally. And yes, that sometimes means that we need to spend a buck or two.

Stop being so cheap! Remember, to make money, you need to spend some! Read the rest of this entry »

The old axiom is true…time is money. And it is SO true in the travel industry. If you have not analyzed your cost per transaction, shame on you; and go do it soon. You will be surprised at how many sales you handle that earn a pittance, or worse, a loss. Clients have a way of wasting your time and costing you money if you let them. Here are four of the worst offenders! Read the rest of this entry »

With mixed emotions, I read story after story about all the cruise lines that are dropping the COVID-19 vaccination requirements as the Centers for Disease Control relaxes their advice concerning the disease.  One half of me says, “fantastic; finally, we can get back to normal!” And the other half says, “we are still very far from normal.” Read the rest of this entry »

Isn’t it amazing how one little thing that happens at the wrong time can torpedo what was once a very solid relationship?  There are three businesses in town that I will need to think long and hard before I choose to support them once again.  No business is immune. It can strike anyone at any time. Each of the businesses failed at three very basic tasks, and none of them made a move to make it better. And it lost them my business. As I thought about it, I realized that this can (and likely does) happen to travel professionals across the nation. So here’s a cautionary tale for you to consider. Read the rest of this entry »

This month, back in 1997, I was negotiating the purchase of my first agency. I had never bought a business before and learned a lot in the process. Domestic airline fares had recently been cut and capped, but international was still viable. Since then (in no particular order) – recessions, wars, SARS, more caps and cuts, 911, Mad Cow Disease, Swine Flu, Zika, Ebola, and of course, COVID. Did the Bubonic Plague make an appearance too?  Toss in employee issues, rising insurance costs, and increased competition from the Internet and even suppliers; is it any wonder when I was out to dinner the other night, someone asked, “So now, do you think it is time to quit?” And after some thought, my answer… Read the rest of this entry »

At the risk of jinxing it, I think I can safely say that the travel agency is finally emerging from the grips of the COVID-19 pandemic that shut off our livelihoods in March of 2020.  It’s been a brutal two years, but here we are with the fantastic news that just screams… TRAVEL IS BACK! Read the rest of this entry »

You may think I am nuts. Tell my client about travel booking apps?? First, I am not talking about booking apps; if you think they haven’t discovered and checked them out, you are underestimating today’s client.  We all know and use apps on our smartphones, and there are some great ones that you should be recommending to your clients to add more value to the transaction.

Read the rest of this entry »

Running a small to a medium-sized travel agency is tough. With the economy, political strife, COVID, violence at home and abroad, and a myriad of other factors, it is becoming more and more difficult to run an agency of any size. Toss in some of the bigger online competitors with gigantic marketing budgets, and what’s a small agency to do?  How do you compete with them? Read the rest of this entry »

Independence Day is here, and now we are looking down the barrel of the second half of 2022. It’s halftime if you will; and a perfect time to take a few minutes to look at where we’ve been and where we’re headed!

In a college football game, the coaches take the 15 minutes at halftime to formulate the next 30 minutes of play and so should you. Read the rest of this entry »

In my mind, there is nothing worse than running out of milk in the refrigerator. It is a staple for so many dishes and let’s be honest, nothing quenches that 3:00 am thirst quite like a swig from the carton of milk. Am I right?  But in the business world, there is an equivalency. In my mind, there is nothing worse than running out of this business staple. No, not toner. Not staples. Not cell phone battery life. Much more important. Read the rest of this entry »

On this Father’s Day weekend, I kind of felt like a kid again having discovered my father’s stash of Playboy magazines. A friend of mine had dug up some vintage issues and we spent some time laughing about the articles (that’s why we all read them…right?), the photos and how the definition of “risqué” has changed, and notably the advertisements—chock full of booze and cigarettes, and one notable ad for the Jamaica Playboy Club Hotel. Read the rest of this entry »

It happens to us all. Writer’s block. It hit me hard this week. But that changed last night after a conversation (read argument) with my girlfriend. We were at dinner talking about something and needed to Google it. Out came her phone and some frustrations about not being able to find something. I suggested putting a minus sign and an excluded word would help. She had no idea. And then it hit me. Read the rest of this entry »

As the Internet has evolved and with it, online marketing, I have often changed my tune as to what I think works and what I think doesn’t.  Forever, including today, I cringe at an email, Facebook post, Tweet, or text message loaded with emojis. You know what I mean right? Read the rest of this entry »