does anyone know of any direct selling or home business opportunities in the travel industry?

A travel agent business is one of the hottest businesses to start from home these days. If you are planning to set up your own travel business, then here are a few things you need to consider:

* Do you need any special training or education?
* Do you want to pursue this as part-time or full-time?
* Do you have family support?
* Do you have a spare room in your house to set up an office?
* Would you require an extra phone line?
* What sort of office equipment you need?
* Do you love this job?
* How much money you want to make?
* Do you have the contacts or know how to make contacts needed to pursue this business?
* Do you want to put the necessary effort into this business?

The answers to these questions will help you draw up a realistic business plan.

Start Up Costs:
The cost of starting a travel agent business may range from a few cents to several thousand dollars depending on your own goals and needs. You may start by becoming a sales representative of a local travel agency. In this case, you need to sell packages devised by the travel agency and earn a commission on each sale.

The other way to start a travel agent business is to become a franchise. The fee, in this case, may vary from a few hundred dollars to $10,000 or more. But this business plan offers several advantages. The most important of these is that it's quick and easy to set up. You can start your travel agent business in just a few days.

You earn more also because you get handsome commission splits, based on the fees that you have paid. A moderate fee can get you 60/40 commission split while a high fee may fetch you 80/20 split.

Theoretically, the fee depends on what you are getting like training, support, etc. Sometimes, agencies charge high fees to discourage unproductive agents. Other start-up expenses may include: business cards, registration with local or state government.

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