How to Get Big Money from A Little Home Based Travel Business
Many people are beginning to realize the benefits of a home-based travel agency. It's easy to run and with just a part-time commitment you can be earning full-time income. These are the insider lessons to make your business a success from day ONE!
Instructions
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Start out by setting up your home based business for tax benefits. You need to select an area of your home dedicated to business only. It could be the dining room that you use only twice a year to eat meals in, but the room will be your home office the rest of the year. Start collecting ALL of your utility bills and keep receipts of any purchase that is business related or needed in your home to run your business. This includes internet access bills, computer purchases, cable bills (as you watch travel shows and educate yourself on news that effects travel, etc.) that can be turned in to your accountant for deductions. Also, get the square footage of that room that you are using for an office so you can deduct a portion of your mortgage.
Start tracking your business related mileage. (See my article link in the Resources Section Below on how to get Gas for $1.00 per Gallon) Any time you travel, review the hotel and hand out your business cards. This will help you write off your vacation as it can be easily converted to a working business trip. These are all key deductions that will come into play at tax time. The better records you keep you will find the better your write offs become and more money is kept in your pocket April 15th. It could be thousands like it was for me. -
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Next, focus on booking travel. And here is the big key - book groups. The really huge money is in booking group travel. You still need to hand out business cards to everyone you contact to get the word out to use your online travel website, - these are easy small commissions that all add up. The bigger money comes by setting up groups. My colleague has set up a cruise for a High School Reunion and is scheduled to make approximately $8000. net commission from that group. It was easy to set up and after she was done, the reunion committee took over to promote the cruise and get people signed up. This can be done with any group - Family Reunions, Church groups, Red Hat Ladies, Alumni groups, Football Fans, High School Students, the list is only limited by your imagination.
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Once you find your group, find the right travel to fit them. Cruises are easy and they are all inclusive for the guests, but it can also be a Ski Week in Colorado, Guided Tour of Italy, Wedding Party in the Caribbean, etc. Once you find the right place, set up the travel plans, get the word out to the group and they book it personally on your website. You don't have to book the travel personally, just tell them where to find it on your website and they book it themselves.
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Duplicate these steps. The more groups you can set up to travel the more money you will make. It really does not take much to set up the travel, once you talk to a group, the group leaders take over the promotion and you collect the commissions. And when the individuals of your groups need to travel, who do you think they will turn to? You, of course, since they have already sampled your incredibly easy Online Travel Agency and have great memories from their latest trip!
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Tips & Warnings
This is the perfect part time job because you can write off home and travel expenses and you do not need to be present or on the phone for people to book travel off your website. That can be done anytime by your clients, even when you sleep!
If a problem with booking ever arises, the vendor - not you - is the one that the client deals with to correct the problem.
Always seek the advice of an accountant for the latest information on what you can and cannot write off your taxes. Keep good records to prove your expenses.
Resources
Comments
View all 10 Comments-
Paul McDaniel
Jan 17, 2009
Thanks for this great information about a home based travel business! -
Ashlee Nixon
Nov 15, 2008
Wow! Thanks! -
Wasatch
Nov 11, 2008
Good article thanks. I have a turn your hobby into a career article if you would like to trade links to it. 5* -
TeryLynne
Nov 10, 2008
Great ideas! 5* -
JoyNmyHeart
Nov 07, 2008
Excellent article. Thanks!