Rosie:

I suggest you take a look here first: www.maxsteingart.com/ebook

Take a look and then share with me your impression.

Rosie,

You may want to read "The E Myth Revisited" by Michael Gerber.

The travel industry is depressed right now for obvious reasons and this may work to your advantage. By the time you ramp up your business, the economy (and travel) should have turned around.

Tom

I'm a student of Max's. Been away from 'that' scene a while, but thinking about getting back into it again.

You might check with your local SBA (Small Business Administration) office. They often times put on free workshops on how to start a business. Sometimes local Chamber of Commerce offices do the same

No business is that easy. You need to learn about businesses as the other folks have suggested long before you go into one. If you think you just sit down, push the "on" button and rake in the money, you have a lot to learn.

The travel business is a complex one. You have to know so much unless you fall for one of those internet scams in which you try to sell travel businesses to others to make your money back - that is called a pyramid scheme and unless you are the first one in, you do not make money.

Unless you know the industry and the needs of customers, you are simply trying to make money at someone else's expense rather than providing a legitimate service which includes not only the bookings but the comfort level you are selling. Do you know the Ritz from the Roach Motel in Buena Vista? I tends to doubt it. Ask yourself: If you were going on your own dream vacation, would you be able to plan it all by yourself?

I am planning a trip to Jerusalem and Cairo. Could you book it for me and assure me I would be in facilities that were both affordable and safe? Could you distinguish among the various airlines that fly there which would be the best for me? Could you arrange currency in both countries in the amount I would need? Could you direct me to restaurants that I would enjoy? That is a travel agent! Anybody with hair or buttons could book a trip to Snohomish, Washington. They probably have only one hotel and one air flight a week. But complex foreign travel? Could you tell me what the visa requirements are? Do you know where the nearest American embassy is located?

When I went into the leather furniture business, I could tell you the difference between sauvaged leather and pella nuda. I knew what eight-way hand tied springs were. I cou8ld discuss the differenc ebetween kiln dried and air dried frames. When I talked to the customer about quality, I knew exactly what I was selling and who I was selling it to. I took a year to learn before I jumped in. And, I learend where to get impossible requests and how to deal with impossible people so they became customers. Yeah, I made a lotta money but more important, when my customers referred their friends it was becasue they knew I would steer them into the right choices becasue I took the time to learn them.

Stop and learn before you jump!

I add my voice to the chorus:

If you are not an expert travel agent already, become one before you even think of going "on-line".

It is very difficult for someone engaged in personal service to convince existing customers to do business with one over the Internet. It is practically impossible to get new customers to do so.

It took me seven years to convince long-standing clients to download large data and report files via FTP. They wanted me to ship DVDs as lately as early 2007.

The travel business, as MiltT pointed out, is 100% service and 100% expertise. Yes, I know that's 200%. That's what you face.

Milt T thank you so very much for your insight. I have considered taking a course in certified nurses aide so i can have the money to go to college and take business courses and travel and tourism. I wont jump quite yet I would be crazy to. I will take your advice to heart thank you so very much!