Start a Home-Based Historical Walking Tour Business
I recently vacationed in Charleston, South Carolina, and was
blown away by this beautiful historical city in the south. As a
person who is eager to know what people in other parts of the
country do for a living especially when it comes to
self-employment I was most impressed by the local tour
operators.
When you think of tour operators, you may think of a large
touring company who employ people from all over the country for
the summer, give them some scripts and sends them off to
entertain the visitors. Not in Charleston, the vast majority of
the local tour operators are locals.
One particular business that caught my eye was the local
historical walking tour operators. These locals provide a unique
perspective of the city and all that it was and is today through
their knowledge and background, many of which have lived in the
city their entire lives.
So how about you, can you start a home-based historical walking
tour operation in your city. Many people in the United States
live in the same city they were born in and can tell you so much
about the city without much effort. If you are one of these
people, you have a leg up on everyone else, but even if you were
not born in the city you still can start a profitable home
business with just a little effort.
To setup a historical walking tour business, you should do some
research on the city even if you think you know everything
already. Get your dates and names right of the historical places
and people. Know when things started and when they ended, and
what replaced them. You should even know some current events,
such as who visits they city most frequently. This actually is a
great icebreaker, ask everyone in the touring party where they
live and then give them some interesting statistics on their
State.
Once you have completed your research, develop a colorful
walking map, with meeting point, points of interest, public
bathrooms, and some historical facts. At each point of interest,
you should have you talk memorized, absolutely do not pull out
any paper and start reading. Practice continuously on family and
friends until you are comfortable.
When you are ready, plan out how you will dress. What will you
work clothes look like? Will you wear traditional costume, local
custom dress or if necessary, something more dress down?
Lastly be sure you have competitive pricing but not rock bottom
pricing, remember that these tours when well organized and fun
can be extremely profitable. Vacationers will talk to other
vacationers when they get back to the hotel or when they are
back home; they can be your best source for referrals. The tips
can be extremely handsome also at the end of the tour.
Good luck in your new home-based business, I look forward to
hearing from you.