Entrepreneur and Mom

When I was 12 years old, I had surgery with complications.
I was told there was a chance I would not be able to have
children. Growing up I could not imagine my life without
children and worried about it often. When I got married
close to my 21st birthday, my husband and I hoped that we
would be lucky enough to have children. Luckily, I found
out I was pregnant almost a year later. However, soon
after the great news, I got very sick. I was working full
time at a corporate travel agency and I could not work. My
doctor told me that I had to take care of myself or I would
be at risk to lose my baby. My employer got very nasty
with me and was not compassionate about my sickness. I
almost lost my job, but my doctor was able to get me
medical leave from the family leave act. The experience
was horrible. I vowed to never have to choose between my
career and the health of my baby. I began to look for ways
to work from home. I tried Mary Kay Cosmetics but I was
terrible at it. It didn’t feel comfortable and I really
had nothing to make me want to be successful.

When my son Dillon was born in February 1997, it was one of
the best days of my life. I quit my job and tried to stay
home full time. I was able to stay home until Dillon was
three months old. Then I went back part time at a travel
agency. I hated leaving him even for the few hours I had
to. So I decided to start my own travel agency from my
home. I knew the travel business well enough to be on my
own, but I did not know very much about being a home
business owner. For the next two years, I had to learn so
much about running a home business. I got help from other
work at home moms. I met them online and it was so
helpful.

I created a website and began actively advertising for
business. I read anything I could on having a home
business. I learned as much as I could about the internet.
I began brainstorming on how I could expand my business.
I decided to specialize in family vacations since I had a
growing family. My second child, Travis was born January
1999. I began to learn how to balance having a family and
a business. I worked whenever I could. Many nights I work
late at night when my children are sleeping. My husband is
very supportive.

I finally started becoming successful and was gaining more
customers each day. I started taking on independent agents
and helping them start their own agencies. I let them
work with my agency because I had already paid what it took
to start the agency. I trained them and began building my
business by helping others get into the industry. I took a
small percentage of their commissions for running the
agency. It slowly turned into a full fledge training
program with a handbook and a website dedicated to my
agents. I also created a website for people who wanted to
join the agency. I marketed to find those who would be
interested. The agency has continued to grow as the word
has spread. What I offer people interested in the travel
industry is unique since I accept those without prior
experience and train them for free.

I have been interviewed by several magazines and featured
in books on home businesses. Currently I have over 200
independent agents working with my agency. Our sales have
skyrocketed. In 2002, we did $20,000 in sales for Royal
Caribbean Cruise Line. In 2003, we did $147,000 in sales.
We are growing in so many ways. I am still very active in
the agency. I still answer my emails myself and strive to
personally know all my agents. I do not have anyone
helping me at my home office. I do have my very first
agent as well as many who have been with me for years
helping out. I handle all the bookkeeping, shipping, daily
business issues, advertising, website maintenance, and many
other of the important operations needed to run this
business. It has become a part of me.

My goal is to have 300 agents by the time I am 30. I hope
to be able to get some help handling day-to-day operations.
I would also like to continue to grow to become more
recognized in the travel industry. I want to help as many
people as I can who want to start their own home based
travel agency. I want to continue building my business and
each year find something new that I can do to be more
successful at this business.

I wrote my own ebook on starting a home travel agency.
This offered information to those interested and helped
spread the word about my agency’s program. Each year we
grow more and more. I have written two other ebooks since
my first one. One is on juggling a home business and
family. The other is on marketing a home business on a
small amount of funds. I am just now beginning to have
more money available for advertising. What I have done to
date has been still on a limited budget. I am just now
beginning to spend more money on advertising.

My family has been very supportive. My boys are now 5 and
7 years old and they try to help me out as much as
possible. We go on family vacations and I can use it to
help my business. I have been able to save on childcare
from not having to work outside the home. I was able to be
with my children as they have been growing up. I didn’t
miss their first words or steps. I also have been teaching
them that anything is possible. I want them to know that
if they have the drive to do something, they can do it.
Every day that I got discouraged, I would think of the fact
that if I did not succeed, I would have to go back to work
full time and put my children into daycare.

My 5 year old was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes last May.
This was a hard adjustment for our family. He needed me
more than ever. I was able to be there and everyone
involved in my agency understood. I was able to take the
time I needed to stay with him in the hospital and learn
how to handle his diabetes. My agents pulled together and
helped me out. I can’t imagine how things would have been
if I had a full time job outside the home. I was able to
take care of my child without worry.

I feel very fortunate. I had a dream and I was able to
make it come true. I also have something I can call my
own. I love being a mom. I also love being an
entrepreneur. It is very satisfying looking at what I have
accomplished in 6 years. I know the possibilities are
endless. I know as long as I continue to work hard and be
creative in growing my business, I will continue to be
successful. I am now able to help others who want to start
a home business. I wrote three e-books and I get to write
articles to help others. 6 years ago I would have never
imagined this would be my life. It just proves that
anything is possible if you really want it bad enough.

----------------------------------------------------
Jennifer Dugan CTA
Owner of Dugan's Travels