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hile most women have honeymoons that are memorable,
few of them result in the launching of a billion
dollar business.
But
it was Gloria Bohan's honeymoon cruise aboard the
Queen Elizabeth 2 that inspired her interest in
the travel industry. Thirty-one years ago, Bohan
founded Omega World Travel. Since that time, she's
transformed her one-person office into a travel
agency with sales revenues in excess of $1 billion
a year, with 200-some company offices and 1,100
employees worldwide.
Omega
has been ranked as the largest woman-owned business
in the metropolitan Washington, D.C. area and the
seventh largest travel agency in the United States.
Approximately
40 percent of Omega's billion-dollar business comes
from the United States government. Major accounts
include the Department of Interior, Department of
Justice, Department of Labor, Department of Treasury,
United States Marine Corp, and the National Institute
of Health.
Omega
was one of the first companies to competitively
bid on official government business in 1982 under
a GAO test program to determine how private industry
could service travel. "It was very risky," Bohan
says, "since the prior contractor had defaulted,
the airlines were reluctant to pay commissions,
and we were required to bill the government for
payment."
"Through
accurate billing, relentless pursuit of the airlines
to work with us, and the enthusiastic support of
government, the program became a success," Bohan
adds.
"Largely, it was the government that found we brought
to the table high service levels, better technology,
and saved them money on staffing and other costs.
This experience has brought us good referrals and
respect for other business opportunities," Bohan
says.
Considered
an innovative, trend-setting company, the Fairfax,
VA-based firm has a hands-on owner in Bohan. By
continually diversifying Omega, she has built a
company that serves every major area of corporate,
leisure, and government travel. Omega's full service,
on-site corporate and on-site government offices
are located in cities throughout the United States
and abroad in Okinawa, Japan, the United Kingdom,
and Guam. London serves as the company's international
headquarters.
A
firm believer in personal contact, Bohan created
the small office concept, an innovation among travel
agencies, which has helped the company offer personalized
service.
Office
locations have been augmented with high-touch, high-tech
customer service centers in select areas of the
U.S. that provide the highest quality reservation
services to Omega customers 24 hours a day. These
centers work in tandem with Omega's large Internet
presence. Cruise.com, a separate company founded
by Omega, has become the Internet's largest cruise
seller. Other Omega Internet sites include TourDeals.com,
offering discounts on tours worldwide, and AirDeals.com.
Bohan's
staff receives in-depth training programs, incentives,
and bonus programs. "Education and incentives are
a must for keeping service and motivation high,"
she says. "My goal is to make every employee think
like a salesperson and have them offer the client
the best deal, and be totally responsive to their
needs."
A
graduate of Marymount Manhattan College in New York
(her alma mater honored her in May with an honorary
Doctor of Laws), Bohan started her career as a teacher
in the New York City Public School System and later
worked for Forbes Magazine.
The
co-founder of Space Adventures, Bohan was instrumental
in sending the first tourists into space. She is
a member of the Women Presidents' Organization,
the National Association of Woman Business Owners,
and the American Society of Travel Agents. Omega
is certified as a woman-owned business by the Women's
Business Enterprise National Council.
As
one of the leading woman-owned businesses doing
business with the federal government, Bohan has
sound advice to share. "You must be prepared to
be exact about what you can do, and live up to whatever
it is that you agree to do in a contract."
"You
need to understand clearly what government contracts
require and have a 'check' on yourself with team
members or a legal consultant to assure that you
know all the requirements," she adds. "The government
can be very fair, but they expect compliance."
She
also advocates having a good quality control system
in place. "All your procedures should be well laid
out. You need to document what you are doing and
keep good records. You will need them for any questions
that may arise," she adds.
Finally,
she encourages other women business owners to keep
an eye out for suggestions that can be made to help
the government operate more efficiently and save
money. "They appreciate knowing that their contractor
is not complacent and is looking to save them money,
bring them better information, and deliver higher
levels of service."
Omega
Milestones
(This
article is reprinted from the Fall 2003 edition
of Enterprising Women magazine. Copyright
2003, Enterprising Women Inc. Reproduction in whole
or part is prohibited, except by permission of the
publisher.)
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