I made the decision to be an independent consultant so that I could be my own boss and have the flexibility I wanted to be available for my family. Having had a business in the UK earlier in my career, I knew the work and dedication it took to be a business owner. I also knew that the right support system was critical to my success. As I was researching my options I found out early on that launching a travel consulting business in Ontario came with restrictions due to TICO ensuring that businesses followed strict guidelines that protected consumers. I could either work for someone else for three years to gain the requisite experience necessary to register an independent business in Ontario, or work with a host agency who was already TICO registered and gain the freedom I was looking for to be able to work from home.
There is a lot of information out there about being an independent travel consultant and lots of host agencies explaining why they are the best. I found a great site, Host Agency Reviews, created by a great lady, Stephanie Lee, who I have now met, where you can see reviews from members of each of the host agencies, as well as articles on what to look for when choosing an agency.
ACTA also lists host agencies and TTAND was 2nd on the list. It was important to me to that the host agency I worked for understand the TICO regulations and so wanted to work with a Canadian host agency. The Travel Agent Next Door had their head office in Toronto and I liked that I had a local office I could gain access to, and meet face to face if I needed to.
The Travel Agent Next Door has been in business since 2014 and as a start up I immediately felt akin to how they operate, having worked in this environment for years. Their article in TravelWeek as they launched clearly showed they were dedicated to their customers, the agent. I knew this dedication and their size would allow them to be more dynamic and flexible in their approach. I contacted them and received an almost immediate response. Definitely a good sign. I also contacted a few other agencies with varying success, with some not responding at all, which of course is the worst sign, to one or two contacting me a week after and then being consistently slow to respond to follow up questions.
I spoke with Rhonda Stanley, one of the founding partners of The Travel Agent Next Door, who very patiently walked me through how host agencies work and what The Travel Agent Next Door offered. As I was not quite ready to sign up, as I was looking at my other options, Rhonda patiently allowed me to ask a myriad of questions over the course of 3 months before joining up. I knew that whatever challenges I faced I would be met with patience and a caring attitude. I knew The Travel Agent Next Door was the host agency for me to build a successful adventure travel business and the freedom I was looking for.
For more information about The Travel Agent Next Door please visit www.thetravelagentnextdoor.com
ACTA also lists host agencies and TTAND was 2nd on the list. It was important to me to that the host agency I worked for understand the TICO regulations and so wanted to work with a Canadian host agency. The Travel Agent Next Door had their head office in Toronto and I liked that I had a local office I could gain access to, and meet face to face if I needed to. The Travel Agent Next Door has been in business since 2014 and as a start up I immediately felt akin to how they operate, having worked in this environment for years. Their article in TravelWeek as they launched clearly showed they were dedicated to their customers, the agent. I knew this dedication and their size would allow them to be more dynamic and flexible in their approach. I contacted them and received an almost immediate response. Definitely a good sign. I also contacted a few other agencies with varying success, with some not responding at all, which of course is the worst sign, to one or two contacting me a week after and then being consistently slow to respond to follow up questions.
I spoke with Rhonda Stanley, one of the founding partners of The Travel Agent Next Door, who very patiently walked me through how host agencies work and what The Travel Agent Next Door offered. As I was not quite ready to sign up, as I was looking at my other options, Rhonda patiently allowed me to ask a myriad of questions over the course of 3 months before joining up. I knew that whatever challenges I faced I would be met with patience and a caring attitude. I knew The Travel Agent Next Door was the host agency for me to build a successful adventure travel business and the freedom I was looking for.
For more information about The Travel Agent Next Door please visit www.thetravelagentnextdoor.com
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