It's not hyperbole; start a business!
As a travel professional it's important to realize you are starting your own business. You need to separate your business from your personal self to protect you and your assets. The best way to do this is to setup your business properly.
An invaluable tool to you is the Small Business Administration. Take advantage of free programs that can help you! From selecting your business name and business structure, registering your business, creating a business plan, & considering business insurance, there are many free resources available to you to help you start your business correctly. There are even free training resources as well as resources specifically for women owned businesses, minority owned businesses, and more! They also have programs available for business counseling.
Open a business bank account
Make sure the IRS sees you and your business as a separate entity. A large part of doing this is separating your personal funds from your business funds. Information on opening a business bank account is here.
Create a workflow
A workflow is a system for managing repetitive processes and tasks which occur in a particular order. They are the processes by which people and businesses accomplish their work. In a travel business, this means the steps to complete the entire booking process for your client (from welcoming and qualifying your client, through travel, and following up with them after they complete their vacation). The workflow is the foundation of how you conduct your business and should be the same for every booking you make. Consistency is key. Design a plan or checklist on how you will handle every new booking from beginning to end. This will make sure you never forget a crucial step in the booking process.
Take notes. Keep receipts
Be a GREAT record keeper. Keep emails, texts, social media conversations, all written communications, as well as all forms and documents related to your client's travel. Be sure to also take notes of all your phone calls for clients AND suppliers. Record the date, time, who you spoke with, details of the conversation, etc. Put these in your CRM or you can also use an app like Evernote (https://evernote.com/), OneNote, etc. Having these documents not only helps with your workflow, it also helps should you need proof of a correspondence or document for any reason.
If you need help with setting up your website or CRM, please see our help article here.
Forms
There are several types of booking forms you need for your business. Booking forms like terms and conditions, cancellation policies, insurance policy, invoices, Credit Card Authorization Form, service fee agreement form, etc. Many of these forms are provided by the vendor/travel supplier, some you will need to supplement yourself (be sure to check the Forms and Documents section under the Resources Center tab on your Xstream Agent Hub for a list of forms Xstream has provided for you!). How you use these is part of your workflow.
No matter how you send your forms or travel documents, it’s important the client see them and physically sign them, and that you get a copy of their government issued ID (to verify their identity). If you're not meeting with the client in person to have them sign, you can have them sign and scan the document. If you don't have a scanner, download an app like CamScanner to your smartphone. After your client physically signs the document, they can take a picture on the app, turn it into a pdf and email it back to you in a few short steps.
Another option is an outside document service like Cognito or JotForm, or services like TravelJoy.
Don't be afraid to ask for help!
Always seek professional help when you need it.