At one of the first Future Leaders in Travel Retreats, hosted by TravelAge West, we presented a workshop on the financial basics of being a travel advisor. It covered billing, accounting, banking, record keeping, sales analysis, goal setting and more. The workshop was such a hit that we have offered different versions of it every year since. Much to our surprise, even though we were talking to highly successful salespeople, most of the attendees had never received any advice about the business aspects of being an advisor. Even the agents who were independent contractors — and essentially running their own businesses — had little financial training.
So, even if business basics do not come naturally to you, or if you become overwhelmed when talking about money, make it a goal to pick just one suggestion presented in the story and start there.
As you can read in our latest cover story, understanding basic business principles is essential to being a successful advisor. Fortunately, there is a full range of steps that you can take to build a better financial foundation — from taking a seminar to enlisting the services of a professional, updating internal processes and keeping detailed spreadsheets. So, even if business basics do not come naturally to you, or if you become overwhelmed when talking about money, make it a goal to pick just one suggestion presented in the story and start there. Once you take that first step, it may become easier to take the next step, and the next. Eventually, good financial habits will become part of your workflow, and set you up for success.
This issue also included a feature on our annual WAVE Awards. Voting for the awards is open until April 30. Visit www.travelagewest.com/wave and cast your vote for your favorite cruise lines, tour operators, hotels, destinations and more. It’s important to recognize those partners who support you and make your job a little easier every day. Winners will be announced at our WAVE Awards gala on June 13.
