By Jill McDonough
This is such a fun and positive side hustle! Helping people plan the best vacation at the best price is Kym’s passion. You might think you don’t need a travel agent, but after getting to know Kym’s side hustle, she will be your go-to gal for any travel.
And bonus, you might want to join this exciting side hustle that’s perfect for homeschool moms. Let’s learn more about Kym and her hustling.
What’s your side hustle?
I am travel advisor and love helping others save time and money on vacation.
How did you get into this particular side hustle?
I have been my friends’ go to person for travel and money saving advice for years! Once I got out of the baby years, I was excited to start a small business of my own.
I found a great agency owned by Christians and I started right away! A friend from high school works at the same agency and recommended me.
How long have you been doing this side hustle?
I have been unofficially helping friends with their travel for years but officially been an agent for two months!
Talk about getting started (startup costs, how long it took to start making decent money, etc.
Starting with my agency, Magical Enchanted Vacations, was totally free. Once approved, there is a ton of support and training so I could start right away!
The first few weeks I put in 4 hours a day, setting up websites and social media, training with Disney and Universal, and learning how to book other hotels and resorts.
Now I put in a few hours a day but it is pretty flexible. I do make sure I answer requests right away, but I can write up a quote when the kids are sleeping.
I do not get paid until people have traveled. My goal starting out was to make $100 in commission a month. Hopefully that will go up to $200 or $300 within a year or so once I have a client base.
My agency gets 10% of people’s total travel and I get 70% of that. For example, if someone books a $2,000 trip I receive $140 after they complete their travel.
Do your kids help you with this side hustle?
My older kids have helped recommend me and they love coming on research trips!
What are the pros of this side hustle?
- After homeschooling, travel is my main hobby. I love researching and finding the best deal on vacations so it’s so fun to do it for others. I’m excited to share the best deal, even if it’s not with me.
For example, my clients wanted to go to Disney but it wasn’t in the budget for this trip. I recommend Sea World season passes as they have a great promo where you get free tickets with the pass. I can’t sell season passes for Sea World (but can for other theme parks), but they booked their hotel with me. I’m happy they got to have a fun trip within budget!
- Another pro is once I make $1,200 in commission in a year, I can get a travel agent card that will give me discounts on some of my own travel This is my goal for 2021 and I hope I can make it!
- My agency also has a yearly agent conference in Florida and it would be awesome to have other local homeschooling mommas to go with!
What are the cons of this side hustle?
- At the beginning, you don’t make much money until people travel and they start recommending you to their friends and family.
- I’ve also spent time on quotes never to hear back or to have the trip canceled. It happens!
- Sometimes I work early mornings to book Disney dining and special event tickets. If someone has an issue while traveling I’ll drop everything to help them. This may mean being on the phone for hours but it’s rewarding knowing your client can still enjoy their vacation while you work out the issue for them!
- You have to get all your own clients. Friends and family may not understand why they should use a travel agent.
Since one of your cons is that people don’t understand why they should use a travel agent. What are some reasons why they should?
1. I monitor rental cars and rebook if the price goes down.
2. When Covid hit, many of the internet booking places shut down phones or had 8 hour hold times! I can help out here.
3. I know about various sales and will apply them to my clients’ vacations.
4. I share many money and stress saving tips.
5. A client can text me at 9pm and get a fairly quick answer to their question. Is a call center going to do that?
These are just a few of the benefits of a travel agent!
How do you juggle homeschooling and this side hustle?
Homeschooling is number one so I save work hours for early morning, the afternoon when the kids play, or bedtime. I can also work as I sit with my kid while they take an hour to do one math problem😂. I’ll also work when they are at our homeschooling co-op.
How long have you been homeschooling?
We have homeschooled for 8 years!
What homeschool curriculum do you use?
We use My Fathers World and Math U See.
I have 5 kids, going into 10th, 7th, 4th, 2nd and preschool!
Would you recommend this particular side hustle?
Yes! It’s been fun and flexible! You are not selling anything they wouldn’t be buying anyway and using an agent doesn’t cost the client anything. In most cases they will be saving time and money over booking themselves, which feels good!
How can my readers reach out to you?
I’d love to help homeschool families book their vacations! I book trips to anywhere: the Creation museum and ARK, cabins in the mountains, all inclusive resorts, and more. It’s not just Disney and Universal.
They can reach me by phone and text at 616-690-0310.
Email me at kymoneilltravel@gmail.com
https://www.facebook.com/kymoneilltravel/
http://www.mevagents.com/agent/koneill
Thanks Kym for such an informative interview! I can’t decide what would be more fun – doing this side hustle or booking a great vacation with Kym? I know the answer is BOTH!
As you can see, Kym has a lot of kids to mother and homeschool, yet this side hustle works well with her busy life and her love of adventure.
Would this side hustle fit into your lifestyle? Contact Kym today for more information.
For more side hustles that fit your unique homeschool mom personality and lifestyle, check out my growing list of businesses you can start as a homeschool mom.
