n a special section in this issue,
we've taken a closer look at the rapidly rising number of agents
working from their homes. No one knows the precise number, but
there's no doubt that the at-home agent population has soared in
recent years.
There are many reasons for the sharp upturn in the at-home agent
universe. For one thing, at-home businesses in general have been on
the rise as people grapple with balancing work and family. And
technology has improved to the point where people can work at home
just as efficiently -- if not more efficiently -- than they once
did in offices.
Interviewed for this issue, Janie Bullard of Distinctive
Journeys, an at-home agency in Georgia, recounts how she has been
able to gain greater control over the kind of business she does by
working at home.
She worked in traditional agencies for many years and often was
faced with having to handle whatever business walked in the door.
Now, operating from her home, she works largely by referral and is
able to focus on the special-interest travel she wants to sell.
At-home agents have gained greater credibility among suppliers
in recent years. Unfortunately, many top at-home professionals are
given short shrift because suppliers still confuse them with the
dilettantes who function on the periphery of the industry.
Although the card-mill craze of a few years back has faded,
lingering echoes of that questionable trend remain. For newcomers
who may not recognize the term "card mill," it was applied to
fast-talking promoters who sold low-cost entry into travel to all
comers.
These promoters charged a few hundred dollars for a "turnkey"
package that included ID cards designed to confer allegedly
professional credentials on anyone who paid the price.
Few of the thousands who bought the card-mill pitch became
serious travel agents; most of the buyers were content to get
occasional travel discounts.
The card mills were harmful to many legitimate agents who lost
good customers to the "pie-in-the-sky" promotions.
But the fad burned itself out in a few years, and there's no
reason to continue to cite the fiasco as evidence against the
reputation of the serious, professional at-home agents.
For suppliers, it's now important to do a better job of
identifying the most productive at-home agents and of understanding
how to market to them more effectively.
They're not all the "dentist's spouse" looking to book friends
and family once a year. In fact, thousands of at-home agents are
just as serious and determined to be year-round professionals as
those agents commuting to offices each day.
The retail travel business no longer can be defined in
brick-and-mortar terms. Agents working from their homes are making
a major contribution and deserve greater recognition.
Get More!
Look for additional details on this article in the May 19 issue
of Travel Weekly.