How we bought a tour business on Craigslist and made it a success!

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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