Why You’re Stuck—and How Getting Help Will Unlock Growth in Your Travel Business
So, you’ve hit a wall. You’re booking trips, fielding questions, quoting vacations, and chasing down commissions—but you’re not growing like you want to.
Here’s the truth: If you’re not spending at least 50%, ideally 80%, of your time pursuing new business, you’re going to plateau.
And you’re not alone.
Too many travel agents stay stuck in “hobbyist” mode—answering every client question themselves, juggling vendor trainings, managing social media, and feeling guilty for even considering outsourcing a single task.
It’s time to flip the script.
Step One: Decide—Are You a Business Owner or a Hobbyist?
This is the mindset shift that changes absolutely everything.
If you’re treating your travel business as a way to earn a little travel money or buying Walt Disney World annual passes, then hiring help won’t make sense. But if you see it for what it is—a real business with the potential to provide income, flexibility, and purpose—you’ll recognize that investing in support is not frivolous. It’s foundational.
Years ago, owning a travel agency meant opening a storefront, hiring staff, and paying rent, phone bills, and electricity. Today, the barrier to entry is a much lower cost—but that doesn’t mean the commitment should be. Don’t let the ease of starting fool you into underestimating the value of building well.
If you want to grow, you need to start thinking—and spending—like a business owner.
Step Two: Know What You're Really Selling
Spoiler alert: It’s not just travel. It’s you.
Your knowledge. Your service. Your ability to make someone’s travel experience smooth, exciting, and stress-free.
You are the product. You are the brand. So if you’re stuck behind a computer researching Alaskan cruise tours instead of networking, quoting, or following up on referrals, you’re not putting your best asset to work.
Step Three: Identify What to Offload
Here’s what can be delegated:
Quote research (yes, even the multi-tab madness of Christmas cruises)
Social media marketing (your 14-year-old might do this better than you think!)
CRM building and itinerary support
Client care emails (especially those 72-question inquiries from overzealous Europe planners)
General admin tasks and inbox follow-up
Even house cleaning—to free up time for actual growth tasks
The goal is simple: free yourself up to do what only you can do.
Step Four: Start Simple, But Smart
Hire a teenager to run your Instagram. Contract a newer agent to support your backend. Run a 3-month trial contract. Outsource housekeeping so you can host that networking event or join your spouse at the country club and actually talk about travel with potential clients.
Think of it this way: If you owned a brick-and-mortar agency, you'd already be investing in staff and operations. Your home-based business deserves the same intentionality.
Step Five: Don’t Be Afraid to Try Again
The first assistant you hire might not be the right fit. That’s okay. Contracts can end. Hours can shift. Expectations can be reset. But not trying because you’re afraid it won’t work will keep you in the same stuck place months (or years) from now.
No one hitting a million-dollar year in sales is doing it alone. You shouldn’t either.
Bottom line?
If you want more time, more income, and more joy from this job—you need help. Not because you’re failing. But because you’re growing.
Let yourself grow.
Not sure you're ready to hire? Try an intern first.
If you’ve been telling yourself, “I know I need help, but I’m not sure what to outsource”—this is your moment.
Sponsoring a Fall Intern (September–November) through the How to Travel Agent program is the perfect low-risk way to:
✔️ Test what tasks you can delegate
✔️ Discover how much time you’re really spending on admin
✔️ Build support systems that let you focus on sales and growth
No long-term contracts. Just a 3-month opportunity to work on your business—not just in it.
➡️ Curious if it’s the right next step? Send me an email today. I would love to talk with you about it. - admin@howtotravelagent.net