I remember as if it were yesterday, hearing the following words at the home of two Russian immigrants in Chicago. The husband was now an emergency room surgeon while his wife was a successful travel professional. Their home was modest, yet beautifully furnished. The good doctor said after passing the rolls at the dinner table, “If you can’t make it in America, you can’t make it.” Those words stuck with me over the years. That was more than 25 years ago, and I think of that sentence every time I present to a room full of travel professionals Read the rest of this entry »

On Memorial Day a few weeks ago, I was sitting on my couch browsing through some old articles and came across this one. It was first written back in 2016, but I feel the message is just as prudent today. With the understanding that I have shared this before, I would like to offer this “do-over.” The travel bug is alive and well, and once it gets a hold of you it is very difficult to shake. There are a number of ways the bug takes hold, but that is another story for another day. Today, I want to focus on the five mistakes you must avoid if you have an interest in sustaining a healthy (spelled profitable) home-based travel business. Read the rest of this entry »

I remember as if it were yesterday, hearing the following words at the home of two Russian immigrants in Chicago. The husband was an emergency room surgeon, while his wife was a successful travel agent. Their home was modest, yet beautifully furnished. When they first arrived in the states as youngsters, neither one could speak a word of English.

The good doctor’s words at the dinner table will stick with me forever. After passing the rolls, he said, “If you can’t make it in America, you can’t make it.” Those words stuck with me ever since.

That was more than 25 years ago, and I think of that sentence every time I present to a room full of travel professionals. With a little poetic license, I now put a different spin on the same belief.

“If you can’t make it in the travel business, you can’t make it.”

How can I say this with the competition being what it is?

I say the following with all due respect: Whether home-based or not, travel agents grow on trees—a dime a dozen—they are everywhere. And, the internet makes it easy to book trips on one’s own.

Suppliers are contacting travelers directly and doing end-runs. The Big Box Stores are cutting prices. Clients to not want to pay fees and supplier commissions are being sliced and diced. “Mike, and you’re telling me if I can’t make it in this business there is something wrong with “me?” Explain, please!  Read the rest of this entry »