25 JAN: A surge in the number of home-based agency groups in Australia has led to a warning to consultants to check the fine print before they sign with a particular network. TravelManagers chairman Barry Mayo says there are now at least seven home-based operations - up from just two or three a few years ago.

He welcomes the strong growth.

"The sector is making giant strides", he says. It’s gaining market share. It’s winning awards for standards of service, marketing initiatives and all-round professionalism. And it’s attracting increasing attention from suppliers, who see its unlimited distribution potential".

However, he believes the expanding range of options available to those contemplating running their own business makes it doubly important for them to fully investigate what a particular network is offering.

"It’s not a case of one size fits all", he says. "There are significant differences in the way the different groups operate and what they offer personal travel managers in the way of IT, marketing and administrative support, remuneration and so on".

Mr Mayo says he’s not taking a shot at any particular group.

"Let’s face it, we all claim to offer the best solutions. But that can be very confusing for individuals making one of the most important decisions of their working life.

"They need to know which claims are accurate, and if they don’t meet with each company and ask the right questions, how can they compare them with confidence?"

"There is an old saying that if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. So candidates need to ask the questions and keep asking until they are satisfied with the answers.

"For example, intending recruits should seek exact details of how they will be remunerated.

"Also, will they get access to all of a network’s back-office systems and support outside traditional working hours?

"Asking these questions and having a comprehensive understanding of the information is vital.

"At the same time, network’s must be prepared to substantiate their claims.

Mr Mayo says traditional agency consultants planning to set up a home-based business need to begin by compiling a list of the reasons why they want to make the switch and then prepare questions which will enable them to decide whether a particular network is going to be able to help them meet their goals.

He says TravelManagers has a list of some 30 questions which it would expect a perceptive candidate to put to it during interviews. To obtain a copy of the list, contact Suzanne Laister at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it