Weinstein celebrates 10 years as travel agent
Arlene Weinstein, owner of Arlene’s Fun Travel, said she continues to learn about the travel industry even after 10 years of operating as an independent travel agent — the past three in the Farragut area.
“Whether it's a customer who wants something different or trips to places I haven't booked before ... this business stays as interesting today as it was in the beginning,” she said.
Weinstein, working out of her home in the Choto community, opened her business in 2007 in Asheville, North Carolina.
“After working several jobs and having to leave because my husband [Scott] got transferred, I finally decided to start my own business,” she said. “I wanted to be my own boss and have a job where I could use my love of people and experience new things.
“I searched the Internet for various home-based careers and the idea of becoming an independent travel agent really sounded interesting.”
Weinstein researched several different travel companies, one of which was Prestige Travel Systems. “They had great reviews and an equally great reputation as a solid business,” Weinstein said. “When I contacted them, they where very helpful in explaining the process so I took a chance and signed up.”
For a small investment, Weinstein became a Prestige Travel affiliate, which she said means she is a contractor. “I didn’t have to lease office space, hire a staff or buy expensive equipment,” Weinstein said. “I worked from my home with the office equipment, a laptop and a printer I already had.
“Of course, I’ve upgraded my equipment since those early days, but I still work from home to keep that zero overhead,” she added.
Weinstein said she discovered, as with any business, success does not happen overnight. Joining her local Chamber of Commerce in Asheville helped her meet people and learn how to build a business, she said. “I took advantage of the opportunity to network with other small businesses by becoming involved in their Ambassador program,” Weinstein said.
Among the moves the Weinsteins undertook was from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to the Gettysvue neighborhood in 2013, when she moved her business to East Tennessee. She joined Farragut West Knox Chamber of Commerce and became a Chamber Ambassador in 2014.
The Weinsteins moved to the Choto community in 2016.
Along with her networking opportunities with the Chamber, Weinstein said she always hands out her business cards, whether she is in an airport, party or supermarket.
“My husband sometimes thought I was wasting my time, but I’ve gotten calls from people to whom I’d given my card a year earlier,” she said.
Even with the support from Prestige Travel Systems, Weinstein said she had to learn the different tour operators through experience.
“Each one is different, not just in the how much they pay but in the best way to work with them,” she said. “After a while, I had booked enough [trips] that I’ve developed business relationships with several people, relationships I could use to help my customers get upgrades or extra perks.
“I love what I do and each customer is important to me,” Weinstein added. “I work as hard for them as I would for myself.
“It isn’t all about how much commission you can make on a single trip. It’s about delighting your customers so they come back and refer you to their friends. This philosophy works: I still have many customers from my previous locations who book with me year after year.”
