Working in an office is so last century

If you still work in an office, maybe it's time to look into other options.

Traditionally, travel agents worked in a storefront or an office building and later on, perhaps a call center. In Ontario, it used to be against the law for a travel agent to work from home.

1 in 4 agents now work from home

A whopping 25 per cent of Canadian travel agents are now home-based, a number which is growing steadily. And they are still well behind the curve in other countries, notably the U.S. and the U.K., where the number is 50 per cent.

Given the U.K. and U.S. percentages, it is expected that Canada’s home based group will grow to reach the 50 per cent level in the coming decade.

Thank Lehman Brothers

So what happened?

Back in 2008, when the economy was hit hard in the U.S. and there was fallout around the world, including in Canada, many travel agencies closed.

A large number of good, experienced travel agents with a great client list found themselves out of a job. Many of them chose to go home-based to survive.

Doin’ it for themselves

These are not all new travel agents fresh out of school. We are talking about senior, experienced agents who have realized there’s an opportunity to work for themselves. Advances in technology have made all this possible.

Watch the traffic on TV

Why do experienced travel agents decide to work for themselves? They like the control it gives them over everything, from what hours they work, what to sell and how to service their customers.

Most of all, they love not having to commute to work. They like selecting their own marketing strategies and having their own website.

Earn and keep MORE

They can earn more and keep more of their earnings. There are tax breaks from running a business. There are savings on gas, insurance, wardrobe and all the expenses of working away from home – from breakfast to coffee to lunches out. There’s far less mileage on the car.

More Zen too

Best of all, they experience far less stress and have been able to find a better work/life balance.