In 2004, I joined a company called “PRT Travel” through the internet. A friend of mine told me about how great this company was and how I could save money on my own travel plans. Considering I had just gotten engaged and was dying for a fabulous honeymoon, I took my friend on his word, paid the $119 fee (or whatever it was, definitely over $100) and got my “Travel Agent Card” in the mail. I started booking travel for friends and family… $45,000 worth, as a matter of fact. I thought I was going to get at least $1,000, which I planned on using toward my wedding. You can imagine my dismay when I received a check for $15 a few weeks later.
Needless to say, the company was a scam. I had my taste of booking travel, though, so I started my own “PRT Travel” company. After all, my accounts all said “PRT Travel” on them. When I went to the county clerk to start my company, I was asked what “PRT” stood for. Thinking on my feet, I responded, “Popular Resorts Trrrrrrrrr…. Transcontinental.” Unfortunately, that is the name that my company started out with.
The Beginning
In 2009, I attended a familiarization trip at Beaches Turks & Caicos. While on the trip, I went to a workshop that trained attendees on the different aspects of Sandals, Beaches, and everything that the resorts offer. During this workshop, the trainer showed a check that an agent had earned doing a destination wedding with the company. It was for over $1900. Right then, I decided that I would focus my business on destination weddings.
After lining up a series of destination weddings, I suddenly found myself and my business the subject of a reality show about destination weddings: “Wedding Lane with Candy Cain.” (Incidentally, the show is still in development.) Since my name is Candy Cain, the title of the show was perfect. A friend of mine said, “Candy, you really need to change the name of your company to Candy Cain Travel.” I disagreed. I didn’t want to appear vain. Furthermore, only a couple of people call me “Candy,” a name I really don’t care for. (My name is Candice. I was only called “Candy” in college.) My husband doesn’t even call me “Candy,” and my family never has.
Overhearing the conversation, my mother chimed in. “Candy Cain Travel! For the sweetest vacation you’ll ever have!” From that moment on, my company became Candy Cain Travel. I changed the name officially, incorporated my company and even became IATA certified. In 2009, My company did about $150,000 in sales revenue. In 2010, my company did about $750,000 in sales revenue. In 2011, my company is well over $1MILLION in sales revenue.
Challenges
A lot of challenges have been presented to me while trying to build my company into an empire. I did it single-handedly, for the most part. There has been a very high turnaround with people that work for my company, including people that join my company as independent contractors. Currently, there are 83 people on my list of independent contractors around the world, but not all of them make reservations.
The biggest challenge I face is when clients are unhappy about things that are completely out of my control, then blast me online. I do my best to make all of my clients happy, but I cannot control the weather. (I once had someone demand their money because I guaranteed them good weather, and it rained for two days of their six day vacation.) I cannot control things that happen at the resort. I cannot control turbulence on the flight. I control the handling of the reservations. If there is an issue with the reservations before travel, I will take care of it. If there is an issue with your reservation during travel, I will take care of it. I will even take care of little issues, such as getting you a different room if there is something wrong with your room. I will call you when you check in, to make sure everything is exactly as you want it. I will follow up with you when you get home. Unfortunately, I don’t have a direct line to the Big Guy Upstairs to make sure the weather is perfect during your vacation (although I have claimed to in the past).
Weddings
My company specializes in destination weddings. If the couple so chooses, I will travel with them in order to ensure that their wedding will be flawless. I have traveled to Mexico and Jamaica countless times over the past two years, not to mention Florida a few times. I have a lot of happy clients, who have sung my praises online, too. The majority of my destination wedding clients are absolutely wonderful, like John & Debi who got married in Mexico on July 30, 2011. However, I have also had my fair share of Bridezillas, whom turn crazy after signing the contract with me, or when they get home from the wedding. It’s been so insane that I’ve had to add a code of conduct clause to my contract.
I do love weddings. I love creating the most important day in the relationship of the bride and the groom– Except for if they have children, of course! I love the excitement. I love the trust. I love the teamwork with the other vendors. I love, love, love weddings.
Seminars
Maybe I am crazy, but I travel around the world, teaching people how to create destination weddings. Whether I am teaching other travel agents or other wedding planners, I go to different resorts around the world and teach them the proper way to work with vendors and resorts in order to create the perfect destination wedding for their clients. Perhaps I’m creating more competition for myself by teaching people how to do it, but I really love interacting with other agents and planners. I really love working with the resorts, too.
I created a seminar called “Magnetic Marketing: How to Attract Clients & Dollars,” which I also teach around the world. Furthermore, I wrote a book to go along with it that is currently only sold as an e-book online. I teach people in any business how to market and brand themselves in order to gain more clients and turn more revenue. The response that I have received is phenomenal. So phenomenal, in fact, that I actually started a second business on the side.
Finally, I have a third seminar called “Be a COSTAR: How to Work With US-Based Planners” to teach foreign vendors and resorts how to work with planners and travel agents in the USA. Many people believe that it is something simple, but so much gets lost when planners are thought of as competition rather than partners, and vice versa. I was fortunate enough to go to Real Resorts in July 2011 and work with the resort’s wedding staff as well as the planners that attended the seminars. Everyone that took this seminar was so thankful for it. It really made me proud.
My Reasons
Why do I work so hard? My answer is simple: To build a wonderful life for my twins. Yes, I want them to have a sound financial future. However, my travel perks are AMAZING. I am able to bring my family on vacation at least once per year. I brought my daughter to Jamaica when she was fully potty trained as her reward, and it cost me less than $250. How many parents can say they did that? Even though she was just under three years old, she remembers it and still talks about it like it was yesterday. That makes absolutely everything that I do in my business worth it.