![\"Cheryl](\"http:\/\/www.hagarty-on-wine.com\/OnWineBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/IMG_0141-300x225.jpg\")
Cheryl Clear<\/p><\/div>\n
\u201cIf we weren\u2019t good at what we did, we wouldn\u2019t be around for 30 years,\u201d said owner Cheryl Clear. And there are no plans to close shop. \u201cBattlefield will be around for considerably more years.\u201d<\/p>\n
That\u2019s not hubris talking. Clear has a staff of four that have an accumulated six decades of experience in making vacation dreams come true. The key to the successful business is agents who are widely traveled.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur certified travel consultants have over 60 years combined experience,\u201d said Clear. Traveling the world provides her clients vacation getaways to places the consultants often have firsthand knowledge of.<\/p>\n
Experience combined with educational training further assures successful adventures. Clear is an Elite Cruise Counselor, Certified Travel Agent and holds certifications in various fields of travel. Her sheepskins are brought to bear with each client encounter.<\/p>\n
Survival<\/strong> The business had to relocate to smaller quarters and the only staff she retained was her receptionist. But perseverance prevailed and today her staff is back to the same size as when she assumed ownership.<\/p>\n Interestingly, and fortuitously, when the recession hit business actually increased. While the cruise segment of travel declined, Clear realized working professionals were more insulated from the impact of the recession and continued to travel worldwide. She focused on selling excursions to this market segment.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause we had been around so many years people knew who we were. We have a good reputation so we made more money than before the recession,\u201d said Clear.<\/p>\n Reputation is golden. As a result, the business has ceased most forms of advertising. \u201cMost of our marketing today is word of mouth. I found advertising did not make that much difference. Past performance is our best marketing tool,\u201d said Clear.<\/p>\n The industry<\/strong> Agents are usually compensated by the companies they use to book lodging. \u201cIt\u2019s not going to save anybody to not go through a travel agent. Lodging and air fare will be the same,\u201d said Clear.<\/p>\n Secondly, often an agent\u2019s personal experience will be employed to plan a vacation. Imagine a relative going to Ireland and later sharing every step of the trip. It\u2019s same with an agent. No muss. No fuss. Board the plane and fly off to happy times.<\/p>\n \u201cOne of my agents spent two weeks in Italy. There is not a whole lot about Italy that she can\u2019t tell you,\u201d said Clear.<\/p>\n She emphasizes her first question posed to a client is \u201cWhat is your budget?\u201d The answer will determine how the trip is assembled.<\/p>\n Clear also recognizes in the digital age vacations can be planned on a keyboard in the comfort of one\u2019s home. But often it takes hours of research and the luck of the draw that a traveler has chosen well.<\/p>\n Conversely, an experienced agent frequently brings \u201cboots on the ground\u201d to the planning process. \u201cWe are not just selling trips. We are sharing our experiences. You can\u2019t get that on the internet,\u201d emphasizes Clear.<\/p>\n Today, one small trend Clear has observed is that Americans are turning more to domestic vacations. \u201cI\u2019ve noticed we are selling more Alaska and Hawaii trips and less of Europe,\u201d said Clear.<\/p>\n Sounds like a good time to enjoy London, Paris or Dublin since there might be fewer tourists to compete with, eh?<\/p>\n Battlefield Travel is located at 163 E. Davis Street. Visit them in person or at battlefieldtravel@comcast.net. (540) 825.1393.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Published in the October 16, 2014 edition of the Culpeper Times.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" High expectations need to be held in check when starting a small business. Only 44 percent survive after four years and the average life span is eight and a half years. Yet this year, Battlefield Travel of Culpeper is celebrating 30 years of success and still going strong. The E. Davis St. firm\u2019s secret? Consistently […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[5],"tags":[691,693,692,694],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n
\nWhile enjoying multiple decades of achievement, it doesn\u2019t mean there haven\u2019t been bumps in the road; sometimes big ones. \u201cI purchased the agency in January 2001. Then 9\/11 happened. It hit us really hard. I had to downsize,\u201d said Clear.<\/p>\n
\nThere are two key benefits in employing a travel agency. First, except for airline ticketing fees, there typically are no extra charges levied by the agency above lodging and airfare costs. There is an hourly charge if a specific itinerary is requested.<\/p>\n