On the first ever episode of the Tourpreneur Podcast, host Shane Whaley talks with Alice and Torin of The Flying Bike in Asheville.
On Episode 1 of the Tourpreneur Podcast, Alice and Torin reveal:
- How they went about buying a tour business on Craiglist and why buying a pre-existing tour business could be right for you.
- What inspired Alice and Torin to set up a business in tourism, an industry neither of them had worked in or had experience in.
- Why connections is an important part of their company values and mission.
- How they overcame imposters syndome.
- Torin talks us through what it was like to lead his first tour
- What they would do differently if they had to start all over again? (Or if Shane was able to borrow Dr Who’s Tardis and go back in time.)
- Tips for recruiting tour guides and staff (including interview advice.)
- Torin and Alice share how they solicit customer feedback.
- Why they use Tourism Tiger for their website.
- How Kelsey Tonner’s Be a Better Guide course has flattened the learning curve of running a tour business
- What tools, apps, resources and books they recommend.
- Why they love the Arival conference and what they got out of it.
- Why they chose Fareharbor as their booking platform
- And Much Much More
Tour Operator Resources mentioned on this episode.
- Fareharbor Booking Platform
- Arival Conference for tours and activity providers
- Tourism Tiger – web design for tour and activity operators
- Be A Better Guide –
- Online Tourism Academy training for Guides and Tour Businesses – Kelsey Tonner
- Wherewolf App (Digital Waiver – Guest Check In and more.)
- On The Clock – Online employee time clock system.
- Gmail Suite
- Quickbooks
Books for Tourpreneurs
- Sell More Tours by Matt Newton
- Why Employees Are Always A Bad Idea by Chuck Blakeman
- Traction – Get A Grip On Your Business by Gino Wickman