I am so excited, and I had to share it with all of you! I am now officially a travel agent, and I own my own business! I can't believe it! I got laid off, and couldn't find a job, so I took an internet travel agent course, while I was very pregnant. I did great and loved the classes, but I couldn't find any jobs in the travel industry that didn't require lots of experience, then I started reading up on starting your own company, going through a host agency, and here I am! I signed the contract, and I have already started getting all the software on my computer! I am so excited! I get to book my sisters honeymoon, for my first booking! Now I have to set up a website, and start trying to get clients, I will have to find a part time job, until I can hopefully really get this going, but hopefully, soon I will be able to get a strong enough client base that I won't have to have a part time job. There is so much to learn and so much to do! I don't even have a name for my company yet! I will let you all know as soon as I have my website up, so you can let me know what you think. It is so exciting, if everything goes right, soon I will be booking trips for people all across the country, just through the internet!

Now, I just have to celebrate with something other then food!

Nicole

Congratulations! That's very exciting!

Angi

Ya for you!! WHat are some ideas that you have for names??

What great news!! I wish you the best.

You go, girl!

That is pretty amazing Well done! Your own business, I'm excited for you Congratulations!


Kitty

Congratulations! That is so awesome

Congratulations Nic!!!

This is really wonderful! I wish you the best and lots of luck!!

Good luck and congratulations!

Miss Chris

Thank you all, you are such an amazing group!

As far as names go, right now, we are thinking about something like Starbright Travel, we are trying to come up with something that sounds sort of Disneylike. I will be booking all sorts of travel, but my personal favorite to work with is all things Disney, I just love figuring out iteneraries and meal plans and then hearing about trips afterwards, especially from adults without kids, who have never been before. We were thinking about Dreams Come True, but after checking that name out, it is already several travel agencies, a wedding planner, a florist, a charity, all sorts of things, so that probably won't work to well!

Thanks again!
Nicole

How thrilling..............I will keep that in mind when I need an agent!!!
Pam

I just wanted to say another big thanks to ya'll for being so supportive. I just wish my loving father could be so kind. He has been so demeaning about the whole thing that I wasn't even able to get up the guts to tell him tonight. I think it's really sad, I think this is one of the best things that has ever happened to me job wise, and I am so excited about it, but I am so scared of telling him, and having him laugh at me and tell me what a stupid idea it is, and that I'll never amount to anything, that when my sister and I were talking about her honeymoon, we actually lied to him!
How sad that I can't even share something that I am so excited about with him, here I am 27 yrs old, with a daughter of my own and I'm still scared of my father! Anyway thanks again for being so great.

Pam- Just let me know when you're ready, and I'd be thrilled to work with you. Thanks for thinking of me.

Nicole

Good for you, Nicole!!!

I don't know what your strategy is, but I had a thought ... you might see if you can get some corporate clients on board to get a good base started. I used to work for a government contracted project that did a LOT of travel, and I know the agent we used made a LOT of money off of us. Vacation travel is great, but families usually only take one or two vacations a year ... And with the economy the way it is, there are probably fewer people who can afford to take big vacations. But there are a lot of businesses who still have to do a lot of traveling ... And perhaps you can find a few who are unhappy with their current agency.

And don't listen to your father. You already know he's going to be negative ... you don't need that kind of input! Too many of us go through life trying to please someone -- a mother, a father, whoever - who will never be pleased or proud, no matter what we do ...

Pen

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!! And good luck