Category – Home-based Business
Sponsor – Casey Cardinia Region
Winner – Tour Local
Finalists – Soul Sister Nosh, Kelly Sports Berwick.
Tour Local, which describes itself as a ‘can do’ tour company, has won this year’s Home-based Business award.
Owner Joanne Staindl provides “touring solutions” for individuals or groups of any size.
“We also provide charter services for airport transfers, weddings, corporate events,” she said.
“Our real specialty is writing and delivering tailor made tours of any length, from a few hours to many days away, for groups of any size, again from two to 102 plus.”
To keep tours cost affordable yet focussed on quality service delivery, Ms Staindl is very much hands-on with the day-to-day touring often acting as a driver, tour leader or, on occasions, filling the role of both when she is driving one of the company-owned vehicles.
Having been in the business for nearly 10 years, Ms Staindl also brings a vast depth of product knowledge to itinerary writing.
Tour Local is expanding into the corporate sector offering to arrange corporate events and training.
Another growth market for Tour Local has been into charter and destination transfers, for example to Melbourne Airport, the Port of Melbourne and functions such as weddings, birthdays and other special events.
Ms Staindl said to stand out from competitors her team was prepared to work 24/7.
“If someone needs to get to the airport in the middle of the night, we will pick them up from home and allow this to happen.
“Tour Local prides itself on working with groups in such a way that the stresses involved with achieving minimum numbers to travel are now often a thing of the past.”
