Mum of three, Cath, hated working in finance and used to dread ‘that Monday morning feeling’.
So a year ago she took out a loan to invest in a travel franchise with us and now she’s sold enough holidays we are refunding her franchise fee!
“I’m so happy I achieved the Money-Back Challenge,” says Cath.
The Challenge enables you to get your entire franchise fee back if you earn a certain amount of commission within 12 months.
“It was hard work, but it is achievable,” she says, adding that she kept track of her sales on post-it notes by her computer as an incentive to work hard and focus.
“The business development managers were brilliant with their advice and the group of travel friends that I trained with were so supportive too.”
Cath is impressed that she’s in profit after just one year of setting up her agency.
“That doesn’t normally happen with new businesses. I’m so glad I did it.”
Cath plans to spend the money on paying off her loan and has already booked to take the family on a four-night holiday to Lapland over Christmas.
“Husky rides and no cooking… what more could a mum ask?” for says Cath laughing.
Cath loves the fact that she now gets paid for something she enjoys.
“I love it. I wish I’d done it earlier,” she says.
“I don’t wake up on a Monday and go ugh, I’ve got to get ready for work.”
Cath says she enjoys looking at amazing places around the world, and helping people have a fantastic holiday
“I really feel like I’m earning money but not working.”
“If you like travel, enjoy talking to people, and helping them too, it’s a great job. Plus you get to travel as well.”
Cath had worked in many different roles from running art galleries, to selling CCTV, before working in finance, which she hated. Then one day she fell into travel when she met someone at Not Just Travel, the customer-facing brand of The Travel Franchise.
She chatted with co-founder Paul and immediately signed up.
Homeworking flexibility was a major attraction for Cath who has three children aged 24, 14 and eight.
“The job works around my family which is brilliant,” says Cath.
“I drop kids off, come home, crack on with enquiries, go pick them up, and can watch school plays etc if I want to, making up the time in the evening if I want to.”
Cath had never worked in travel before but said the initial intensive induction training gave her all the tools she needed to launch an agency in under a week.
“The virtual training was brilliant and really good fun. We had support right from the beginning. There was always someone there if I needed help or advice.”
Cath says she couldn’t have done it without The Travel Franchise.
“I definitely could not do this on my own.
“NJT head office do all the paperwork and payment side of things… and provide the marketing and visuals too… The support is fantastic.”
Like most new travel consultants, Cath was concerned she would not find customers in the beginning as she felt she didn’t have a huge reach of friends and family, but using networking groups, Facebook – and wearing her NJT hoody on school runs – has helped.
“I’m now making a good portfolio of customers who are coming back to me time and time again,” says Cath.
While she’s had the odd big booking for £17k and £26k, for Cath, it’s about earning an income and having job satisfaction.
“I like talking and helping people, it’s rewarding. I take the stress out of hunting for a holiday and try to make the entire process as simple as possible.
“It’s lovely when clients get back from holiday and tell me what a great time they’ve had, and if it doesn’t go well, they’ve got me to call.”
One of the best perks of her new job as a homeworking travel consultant is the travel opportunities.
Cath is booked to go on our Millionaire’s Retreat in Cyprus where Daley Thompson will be in attendance, along with our co-founders, Paul Harrison and Steve Witt.
She also signed up to NJT’s year-long Cruise Mastery Programme which included a week’s cruise onboard Norwegian Cruise Line’s Norwegian Prima and will attend the next one onboard MSC in October.
“I’m looking forward to it. The year has got off to a good start!”
