Travel as an Insider

How would you like to go on vacation, write it off as an expense, and then get paid to do it? Sounds impossible? You can do this if:

1) you are a travel agent, and
2) you have a travel business/agency

Let me explain. As a travel agent, it is your business to go to vacation spots to check them out. For example, how does the service measure up? What kind of facilities do they have? What makes each one of them unique? What are the add-ons to the basic? Perhaps, most important of all, what compelling reason would make you go there in the first place? In other words, as a travel agent, it is your business to know your product. If you don't know anything about the places you are sending your customers to, you have no business being in the travel business.

Now, since your travel is business or work-related, as opposed to leisure, it can be considered an operating expense. But, while you are "at work", say in Hawaii, you should take some effort to fill out some kind of survey of all the hotels and resorts you visited, and/or make a report of everything that you have observed. Make a journal if you have to. Why? The IRS might ask for it.

So, how are you going to get paid for doing this?

You have a business, right? What if you do business on the internet like Expedia, or Orbitz? You know what Expedia and Orbitz do? They refer travelers to hotels, cruise lines, resorts, airlines. These travelers will make their purchases through their website. Since the purchase was made through their website, they get a commission. And they make millions. Since, it is your job to travel, you can book your own travel in your own website. Right? So, you get a commission from your own travel. This is what you call paycation.

How much is a travel website? Expedia was bought for $5.1 billion. If you hire a webmaster to make one for you, it might cost you thousands. But, what if you can get one for under $500.00. An operational website with a search engine, that provides access to airlines, cruise lines, hotels, and resorts, car rentals, and all other facilities that makes travel easy and fun wouldn't you just grab the opportunity to own one? Of course you would!

Here's the bonus. Do you know how much it cost to maintain a travel office downtown? Thousands of dollars. But, this travel website will be maintained for you for just under $50.00. It has a back-office where you can track your commissions, an automated marketing system that takes care of advertising and selling for you. All you do is provide names and e-mail addresses of friends, family members, and contacts. You do not need office staff.

It's about time time to own your travel website. Be a Referring Travel Agent, like Expedia, or Orbitz. Now is the time, or the world will pass you by.