Ask Candee
Your Personal Consultant: Candee Wilde answers questions about the franchise business
QIn these rocky financial times, is it wise to purchase a franchise in the travel industry?
There are few barriers to entry, in terms of cost or past ex- package of turnkey sales and marketing programs: tools that
perience, and even when people are tightening their belts, they allow them to develop their local markets. These programs are
continue to take vacations. arranged into “niche groups,” which enables each franchisee to
Travel is a solid industry, and the cruise business in par- select the right combination of tools to attract business in their
ticular just continues to grow. An investment in travel can be community and to meet their goals.
lucrative and, not to be underestimated, fun. As long as people During their initial training, franchisees visit several cruise
evaluate their own aptitudes and preferences carefully and per- ships at ports in Miami and Fort Lauderdale and sales execu-
form their due diligence thoroughly, an investment in a travel tives from the cruise lines that are partnered with CruiseOne
franchise can be lucrative and fun. introduce their products and sales techniques. The franchise
CruiseOne Inc., based in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., is a premier fee covers all of the costs for this initial training.
franchisor with a proven record of CruiseOne also hosts
success. CruiseOne is part of NLG, several optional gatherings, called
the world’s largest cruise retail Seminars at Sea, at which franchi-
company. The company is recog- sees can interact with their fellows
nized as “best in class” by the Cruise and discuss their successes and
Lines International Association, Leading Travel Franchise Opportunities challenges with senior manage-
the Better Business Bureau and the ment. The National Conference,
International Franchise Association. Carlson Wagonlit Travel Microtel Inn held each fall, provides an addi-
“We are one of the most ad-
www.carlsonwagonlit.com www.microtelinn.com tional opportunity to learn.
vanced companies in the cruise Choice Hotels Passport Health Communications This year’s National
industry in terms of the benefits Conference was entitled “Xperts in
and support we provide to our
www.choicehotels.com www.passporthealth.com Cruising,” and was held in Septem-
franchisees,” says CruiseOne’s Gene CruiseOne, Inc. Thetravelacademy ber onboard the Celebrity Mercury
Brezenoff, director of franchise
www.cruiseone.com www.tctravelacademy.co.uk as it sailed through Alaska and
development. CruiseOne currently Discovery Map International Uniglobe Travel International Canada. CruiseOne worked with
has over 450 franchises and is ex-
www.discoverymap.com www.uniglobetrave.com Cruises Inc. to put together the
panding across the United States. nine-day program, which included
In addition to its brand recogni- Hotel Indigo Your Travel Biz workshops, seminars and general
tion, CruiseOne, as a service-based
www.ichotelsgroup.com www.ytb.com sessions.
business, is able to maintain very When CruiseOne franchi-
reasonable cost of entry. Unlike sees return to shore and get back
franchises in other industries, the cruise business does not to work, they team up with their assigned mentors from the
require its franchisors to rent office space, furnish it and outfit Member Services and Customer Care departments, who guide
it with a lot of specialized equipment. franchisees through the process of starting their new business.
CruiseOne and its cruise line partners offer brochures and CruiseOne, which has nearly 100 employees working in its
other printed material, to help franchisees with their market- headquarters, is solely focused on working with franchisees.
ing efforts. Direct mail material like postcards, brochures and It does not compete with its members by selling cruises on its
flyers, which are printed with the franchisees contact informa- own.
tion, are mailed out to local prospects, maintaining national “We don’t sell anything but franchises out of our office, and
presence and helping to builds local business. Franchise owners we remember our franchisees in the marketplace are our bread
also team up with CruiseOne and their cruise line partners to and butter,” Mr. Brezenoff says. “Our total focus is to help them
place nearly $1 million worth of newspaper ads. with every aspect of their sales, marketing, and e-commerce
Newcomers to the travel industry should not be concerned efforts.
about any lack of knowledge. CruiseOne’s franchisees nation- “CruiseOne looks at itself as a large cruise company that sells
wide come from all walks of life and have a wide range of busi- franchises, as opposed to a large franchise company that sells
ness and social backgrounds, the company says. It’s extensive cruises,” Mr. Brezenoff says.
and ongoing training eliminate a need for prior experience in During more than 12 years in the business, CruiseOne has
the industry. developed a respected national brand through the hard work of
To begin getting up to speed, new franchisees attend a its franchisees and the commitment of the corporate office to
comprehensive 8-day training program at the CruiseOne’s maintain and enhance their successful marketing programs and
corporate headquarters, during which they learn about the franchisee support systems.
company’s sales and marketing programs, how to close a sale,
and tested methods of running their offices. Franchisees learn
to operate the online CruiseOne reservation system.
CruiseOne provides it franchise owners with an extensive
To contact Candee, or to learn more about franchising
opportunities, please visit the inc.com home page and
look for “Franchise Inc.”
