HOW TO Become an Independent Travel Business

HOW TO Become an Independent Travel Business

Be the master of your own destiny: Start an independent travel business. Times are tough and in this economic climate it’s no wonder that more and more people are experiencing sleepless nights, agonising over where their next cash injection is going to come from. While holding down a regular nine to five may offer you the safety of a regular income, your personal time and important commitments are often pushed further down the priority pile. So, how can you earn more money working in your own space, in your own time and at your own pace? Here, FlightSiteAgent Founding Director Rian Bornman shares his top tips on how to start your own travel business today.

Are you?

• A stay at home mom looking to earn an extra income while spending quality time with your child?
• A pensioner or retired member of society wanting to earn a bit of extra money each month?
• A lover of travel, looking to start a career in travel consulting but have no formal training?
• Saving for a big event?
• Paying off a student loan, or any loan for that matter?
• Looking to start your own company, but can’t afford the start-up costs?
• Simply want to take control of your own time and utilise it in a productive and innovative way – a way that will leave you earning money at a pace that suits your needs?

Getting started with an an Independent Travel Business:

It’s very easy to get bogged down by the overwhelming list of criteria traditionally needed to start your own business. But the FlightSiteAgent concept has been designed with the agent in mind.  The online platform eliminates reasons why you can’t start and manage your own brand, and offers tools and training so that you can.

But with all good recipes, you need the right ingredients to create a good end result. To have a successful brand that will grow with time, you will need the following essentials:

• A suitable space to work from: You may choose to conduct your business both telephonically and over email, so make sure you have chosen a space that can accommodate verbal communication
• An active bank account: You will need to monitor when clients make payments and money changes hands so a bank account is vital
• A working computer: Access to the FlightSiteAgent fares, comprehensive reporting technology and 24/7 support will all be made available to you, you just need a computer to access it
• Access to a reliable Internet connection: Regular updates, fare notifications and customer communication will take place online, so get connected and become part of a whole new world of opportunity
• Access to a reliable landline or cellphone: Some clients may request quotes via SMS, you may also need to make follow up phone calls or offer customer service over the phone. A consistent set of digits is a must
• An active email address: You will need one to register with FlightSiteAgent. Any written correspondence between you, your clients and FlightSiteAgent will be safely stored in your email account. Don’t have one? Don’t stress. There are many options to choose from when it comes to signing up for a free email address check out Hotmail, Gmail, Yahoo and others
• The drive and motivation to make your own money: Whatever you put in, you’ll get out. Your level of success depends solely on the goals you set yourself, so the only boss you have to answer to is yourself.

“Starting your own business can be intimidating, not to mention costly,” says Bornman. “But at a time when South Africa needs more entrepreneurs to take flight and start their own venture, this needs to be overcome. FlightSiteAgent makes starting a financially viable business as easy as possible by providing relevant tools and training to part- or full-time professionals interested in travel.”

About FlightSiteAgent:

FlightSiteAgent is a registered online travel provider that gives its independent agents access to competitive net fares to sell onto others under their own brand. Launched in March 2013, FlightSiteAgent is an extension of FlightSite (PTY) Ltd, an online travel supplier. It is part of Club Travel, a subsidiary of Thebe Tourism, and is owner-managed by Rian Bornman. While FlightSiteAgent’s headquarters are in Tygervalley, Cape Town, its network of affiliated agents can work anywhere in South Africa, providing they have an internet connection.

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International travellers outside of South Africa : +27 21 402 0205
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