What does a Wine Consultant for The Traveling Vineyard do?
We conduct in-home wine tasting events. We bring 5 bottles of wine to the hostess' home for her and her guests to taste. We provide background information on each wine that is tasted as well as guide them through the four basic steps of wine tasting.
What prompted you to become involved with The Traveling Vineyard?
A friend told me about the Traveling Vineyard and thought I should have a home wine tasting party. I told her I loved the idea but that I thought I should conduct the wine tasting parties myself! I just knew I liked wine and I enjoyed people. I thought The Traveling Vineyard consultant opportunity was the best of those two things all wrapped into one package. I just got to it and never looked back. That was one of the best decisions I ever made and it truly changed my life in such a positive way.
How would you compare your activities with The Traveling Vineyard to your prior work life?
It's not only fun but it's flexible! I am in charge of my own business and my own schedule. I can do as much or as little as I want. If I want to give myself a raise, I work a little harder. As a teacher, I had to work set hours on a set schedule.
Do your Traveling Vineyard activities allow you enough flexibility to achieve the type of balance you'd like between your work and your family?
I think the Work and Family balance is something we all constantly want to improve. It's quite a challenge to achieve balance in anything, but the rewards are worth the effort when you figure it out. Because I'm in charge of my own schedule, I don't have to work set hours and I can take vacations and be home with my children whenever I want.
Do you have an office in your home? What's your home office setup like?
I have an office in my finished basement. I tried to work at the kitchen table when I started but the disorganization began to affect my business as it grew. I feel it's very important to have a clearly defined office space – even if it's in the corner of a room. With children, you need to identify the boundaries of your work space. No Play-doh allowed!
Are there any experience or education requirements to become an Independent Wine Consultant with The Traveling Vineyard? What does the company look for when choosing new consultants?
Anyone can become a wine consultant with The Traveling Vineyard, and becoming a consultant with us is very simple. The majority of the consultants are wine enthusiasts, not experts. They enjoy earning income while increasing their own knowledge and appreciation of fine wine.
Our consultants receive training and continual support from their sponsor - the consultant they join with. I have individual training and support calls, a monthly team meeting call in, a team website and many other support tools for my team of consultants. We have tasting notes for each wine which are written for us by our team of wine experts.
The Traveling Vineyard has teamed up with Wine Spectator to offer an optional ABC’s of Wine class that consultants can take online at a reduced rate through The Traveling Vineyard. It is fun, yet educational and can be completed in 3 lessons.
Does The Traveling Vineyard offer periodic "refresher" seminars or other types of training and educational programs to consultants?
Our wine director offers periodic wine courses for consultants. The Wine Spectator online classes are also available. There are also periodic leadership seminars that typically occur over a weekend. These educational opportunities are optional, but have proven to be very successful for those who attend.
Are certain areas of the US currently more in demand than others, and are there opportunities for consultants outside of the US?
Currently, the Traveling Vineyard is open in 25 states in the U.S. We work with each state's individual shipping laws to support our business model in each state. We have plans to open in other states in the future. We are not open outside of the U.S. at this time.
Because The Traveling Vineyard is such a new concept we need consultants nationwide. There are no saturated areas, and it's quite possible that a new consultant will be one of the first consultants in their location.
This home business idea is part of:
9 Perfect Part-Time Home Businesses
