Change, of Course
This travel company triumphed over tough times by blazing a brand-new business trail.
You probably wouldn't recognize today's iExplore Inc. from
the business plan George Deeb wrote in 1999. With a radically new
business model, this Chicago-based adventure-travel company has
grown to under $10 million in annual sales.
When Deeb founded iExplore, the online agency sold tours for
other companies. But when times got tough after 9/11,
iExplore's revenue vanished, and most online agencies turned
off the lights. Deeb, however, boldly changed course, offering his
own tours and selling advertising on his website.
"We're promoting other travel businesses, so there are
opportunities to lose potential clients," says Deeb, 36. But
he is strict about the site's ads (no animation or pop-ups),
and isn't worried about losing his brand image or his core
customers. Plus, "The value of a click from advertising is two
to three times more valuable than trying to convert that user into
a travel transaction for iExplore."
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