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We interrupt your regularly scheduled diary to bring you this important update.

Last year, we launched the TRO Travel Agent Diary series which was an extremely popular column for TRO. If you recall, we followed the paths of Laura Frazier (Bliss Honeymoons), Nia Frieson (LK Cruises & Tours), Chuck Flagg (Cruise Holidays), Pat Saizan (Saizan’s Travel), and Mary Stephan (Allons Travel) as they tried to survive the horrors of 2009. Knowing that the travel industry is a fickle creature, we decided to check in and see how they are doing now that we already have a full quarter of 2010 in the books. And I have good news to report! Read the rest of this entry »

Last year, I was the newbie. I came to the TRO shortly after making the decision to separate myself and my fledgling agency from YTB. When offered the opportunity to write a Diary segment, I felt it would be a great help in getting me on my feet. Looking back over my first year as a real agent I can see where I have made those newbie mistakes and where I have grown. Read the rest of this entry »

Well, it is that time of year. The geese fly south and the bears go into hibernation. And believe it or not, so does TRO—but just for a little bit. As the year winds down, we ease up on our daily publishing, spend some time with our families, and focus on the loose ends that invariably exist in our own travel businesses.  About a month ago, we all celebrated Thanksgiving. Now we are in the midst of the December Holidays—Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and a few others I probably left off; but I want to take this time to offer my personal thanks to some individuals who have made working on TRO a true pleasure. Besides, my thanks can stay up for two weeks! Read the rest of this entry »

Last month told you about my difficulties with a new tour bus vendor. In my frantic juggling act I somehow forgot that terms of a contract can change at the drop of a hat. I let an unwritten deadline slip by and the vendor notified me that they had raised the rate for transporting my cruise group from Baltimore to Norfolk. This lapse on my part had the potential to cost my fledgling agency an additional $500 dollars and reduce my already meager margins. My group was scheduled to sail on October 26th and I had no time to make other arrangements to transfer my group.  Needless to say I was stressed but I wasn’t prepared to give up. This was the inaugural trip for our Norfolk cruise program. We’ve done several cruises out of Baltimore but this was our opportunity to launch LK Cruises – Cruise Norfolk.   Read the rest of this entry »

Have you ever have one of those days when you feel like giving up? Well I’ve been having one of those weeks. It’s just been one thing after another. So many things in fact that I have been unable to find a silver lining in this cloud at all. What had me so discouraged was that I believed everything was way beyond my control. Trip cancellations and postponements are at the root of all my woes since we last talked. I was so discouraged at one point I asked my dad/partner if he thought we should throw in the towel. The silence was deafening. Read the rest of this entry »

In my last diary entry, I outlined my plan to lighten my load and increase my focus in order to guide my agency more effectively. After scarcely a month I can report that my increased focus has produced increased results in several areas. Read the rest of this entry »

With the deadline to get this diary entry written looming, I sat down with my laptop. Staring at the blank screen and the blinking cursor, I realized I had no idea where to begin. The problem wasn’t that I had nothing to say–rather I had so much to say I couldn’t focus. That’s been happening a lot lately. There were just so many things on my plate that they had begun spilling out onto the table. After trying unsuccessfully to decide what to write, I came to the conclusion that the real problem was plate size. If I couldn’t get a bigger plate I would have to remove some of the things that are already on the plate and be more selective about any new things I add in the future. Read the rest of this entry »

I truly believe it is every travel consultant’s responsibility to have first hand knowledge of the products they sell. FAMS are one of the perks and they can be a lot of fun,  but that really shouldn’t be the primary motivation for participating. Opportunities to experience what a destination, supplier or activity has to offer our clients is an invaluable tool for the travel professional; particularly if that professional has a niche. I focus on cruising and the Caribbean so naturally when those opportunities arise, I pack. And when I had the opportunity from Carnival, I jumped at the chance. Read the rest of this entry »

I just got back from Cruise3Sixty and I am more motivated than ever. I am convinced the travel profession is the only place I want to be. While I learned a tremendous amount, the biggest lesson I took away was  that I don’t know nearly as much as I’d like to about the travel industry. Now don’t get me wrong, I knew I was a novice and I recognized my need for additional training, but this really is no industry for posers or pretenders. There really is a lot to keep up with in order to succeed; both as a business person and as a service provider. That is assuming a person has a genuine desire for true success. Read the rest of this entry »

Like most entrepreneurs, I have long term goals and a long term plan. I have taken the advice of many forecasters and focused on the big picture so as not to become discouraged in these economic times. But it seems I have focused on the horizon so intently that I neglected to keep an eye fixed on the short term economic picture. That is until I came face to face (or rather voice to voice) with my host’s short term expectations. I just haven’t been producing as much as they’d like. I was not meeting their expectations or my own. You know the old adage about not being able to see the forest for the trees? Well last week, I became victim to the reverse. I could see the forest just fine. It was the trees I didn’t see coming. Read the rest of this entry »

TRO is going to follow the progress of a few travel agents and their business over the course of 2009 to allow our readers the opportunity of comparing notes and experiences with other agents.  These brave souls have promised to write about both their successes and failures this year.  Be sure to leave them some comments if you would like to share some of your own experiences.

My name is Nia and I am the owner of LK Cruises & Tours, LLC. Well that’s not exactly true. My parents named me Karen. My ex called me Kami, my children call me mommy. So where does Nia come from? In 1998, I wrote a novel; the main character was named Nia, which means “Purpose” in Swahili. Unable to convince many folks that it wasn’t autobiographical, I decided it was easier to join them, so I became Nia. And that suited me just fine. I’ve been Nia ever since. I like it, and it serves as a constant reminder to stay focused.

In 2006, I was introduced to the travel agency industry through Your Travel Biz (YTB). All of their hype claimed to be a way to break into the travel industry and start a business with little training, little cash and even less business sense. As hard as it is to believe, neither the hype nor the reality bankrupted me. Read the rest of this entry »