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Pros and Cons of Partnering with a Host Agency (To Be Independent Or Not To Be)?

Nov 19, 2020 | Aspiring travel agents, Grow a travel business, Launch a travel business, Operations

If you’ve been 👀 watching my videos, you probably know my thoughts on independence as a travel agent.  Specifically, being an independent agent (as in, not one who works for a big travel company in a call center or at a “mom-and-pop” agency with a brick and mortar location) is the only way to really have the kind of abundance 🏖️ we all are looking for.  

It’s hard enough to market yourself, acquire clients, book vacations, and all the other things that go along with being a travel agent.  But when you do all that and a large chunk of your pay winds up 💸 going to a company that isn’t yours, that’s disheartening. 😧 When you’re independent, you do all the work, but you also reap all the benefits.  

This week, I want to talk about a sort of middle ground between working for yourself and working for a travel company:  host agencies.  As you might expect, there are pros and cons of partnering with a host agency.  

And I say partnering because, with a host agency, you’re not an employee of the company.  Rather, you’re a contractor working with a company that sets up credentials and log-ons for you to use on the travel websites, lets you use their name and location in marketing, and other sorts of “shortcuts” to selling travel packages.  

Those shortcuts are the 👍 upside of working with a host agency.  On the 👎 downside, as a contractor, you’re not going to have training, benefits, vacation days, or anything else that would come with being a traditional employee.  And at the end of the day, for the use of their shortcuts, you will be giving the host agency a portion of all of the commissions you earn.   

So, whether trading some money for time-saving shortcuts appeals to you as a travel agent is up to you.  But let me warn you, if you do want to work with a host agency, there are stumbling blocks out there in picking the right one.  I break all the pros and cons down for you right here in this video: Pros and Cons of Partnering with a Host Agency.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cdGePfn0Bv0&feature=youtu.be

The main thing I want is to help you make an informed decision on whether to work with a host agency, and how to pick the right one if you choose to go that route.  As long as you go into the process with your eyes open, armed with knowledge of the pros and cons of partnering with a host agency, I’m sure you’ll make the right decision that will put you on the road to abundance in a fun, exciting, rewarding career in travel.  

By the way, if you’re ready to take your travel business to the next level, you may be ready for the Careers on Vacation Mastermind!  It’s the ultimate tool for travel professionals and travel agency owners. 

Apply using the link below, and let’s get on a discovery call to see what we can do together! 

careersonvacation.com/readynow

 

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Pros and Cons of Partnering with a Host Agency

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