Melissa Farrell was already a business owner in the tourism industry when she took TripSchool’s Start a Tour Business course. Like many, because of the pandemic, she found herself trying to adapt to the world’s ever changing circumstances. Melissa found herself wanting to focus more on local experiences in her hometown of Huntington, NY on Long Island and turned to TripSchool for support.
With a need for staying closer to home, and a passion for local businesses in her area, Melissa launched Going Local Tours & Experiences just one month after competing TripSchool’s Start a Tour Business Workshop. Melissa talked with Alan Armijo to share how she got her business off the ground. Watch the full interview above!
There are so many wonderful lessons shared, and we boiled them down to these 5 takeaways.
1. Find and share your passion.
Melissa realized local businesses were struggling, and that really hurt her on a deep level. She loves her hometown so much and it has so much to offer. She wanted to develop a business that helped uplift others in her community and do something that truly benefited others.
2. Don’t forget your market research.
Once you have your idea, it’s time to see if anyone else is doing what you want to do n your market. Melissa was thrilled that no one was focusing on local businesses and she really felt like she was on to something great.
3. Figure out how to get connected.
Melissa’s business idea was to create food and beverage themed tours that happened at local businesses. She realize that she needed to connect with local businesses, and also realized she could help them connect with each other. But really, she saw a want in others to support local business, especially when so many were shutting down. She built a community page on Facebook called “Going Local in Huntington” featuring local businesses – this greatly expanded her network, and she was gathering support from her community for these businesses. Win win all around!
4. Get out and talk to people
Don’t be afraid! Melissa was able to tap into her local market by pounding the pavement and meeting people. She was blown away by the response from business owners that she got. Everyone was so supportive. She had no idea what to expect going in, and once she got out there, she was very well received. You never know what will happen until you get out and do it!
5. Experiment, and try to be easy on yourself
When talking about her YouTube channel, Melissa shares that it doesn’t need to be perfect. If you put something up, and find later that it’s not great, just take it down. Try not to be overly critical of yourself and show yourself a little grace. This is a huge learning opportunity, and you’re going to make lots of tweaks and changes along the way. Don’t get hung up on perfection.
We are so proud and inspired by Melissa’s story. Her passion for involving others in her community is so genuine and truly infectious.
Interested in starting a tour business in your community? Check out our course, and let us support you along the way!
P.S. – check out Going Local’s fantastic Instagram account
