Stay-at-home mum Helen decided it was time for a change in February 2022.
“My youngest child had gone off to university and I really wanted to do something for me that I enjoyed but would also bring in some extra money. I’d always enjoyed arranging holidays for others so it seemed the perfect option.”
Helen invested in a franchise with us and, despite having no business background and no travel experience, discovered she was rather good… .
“It just took off more than I could possibly imagine!”
By her third year she had sold more than £2.5 million worth of holidays.
So what drove that success?
“Once you give someone good service and they’ve been on their holiday, they then tell people and you get a lot of business through referrals and repeat bookers which is great.”
Her local gym even became a hub of new customers. “Someone there books a holiday, they tell someone else, and that just spiralled through the gym.”
The rewards have been life-changing.
“One of the things I really wanted to achieve by taking this on and earning an extra income was purchasing a place in Florida, somewhere we love to go. We’ve probably been there a total of at least three or four months this year alone. And because you can work from anywhere in the world and Wi-Fi is so great, it just works perfectly.”
Helen now balances business with sunshine.
“When I’m working from Florida, I try to get up at around 4.45 in the morning to keep in line with UK time to speak with clients and suppliers. Then, by the time it gets to two or three in the afternoon the UK has wound down a little bit and I get a little bit of time for myself. It’s a perfect life. Who wouldn’t want to be working out in the sunshine, surrounded by lovely scenery – it’s just great.”
Helen loves the flexibility of her work. She’s even booked a client’s holiday while on holiday with her family at Epcot.
“I took my laptop in with me as I knew the client was interested in booking that day. I sent everyone off on a ride and sat in the locker room and did it. I love doing what I do and although you never really get a break, it’s not a problem for me. If someone needs me, I’m always available.”
Helen’s expertise has grown to the point where she’s now known as the go-to agent for Florida.
“I would say I know a lot of tips and secrets about how to get good value accommodation. I know where to go for different things because Florida isn’t always just about Disney. It’s about going to the water, the rivers and seeing the manatees, it’s the beaches, there’s just so much to do. I do love it.”
And with so many loyal holidaymakers, Helen is preparing to expand.
“I would like to be able to extend my team to enable me to grow the business but retain the personal touch. I think part of my USP is if you contact me, I respond straight away, whether it’s a weekday or Sunday night.”
It’s hard to believe that just a few years ago Helen had no business knowledge at all, but she’s thankful of our training and support. We’re the number one franchise for people new to travel for good reason!
“Initially you don’t know any other travel consultants because everyone’s from all over the country. So you’ve got a personal Business Development Manager (BDM), who are all great. They’re always there, always responsive. And the whole backup of Not Just Travel is brilliant. You always have someone available to answer questions.
And as time went on, Helen attended our events and became friendly with other travel consultants.
“I now have a couple of really close friends. We have a little WhatsApp group, we keep in touch, everyone asks questions of each other. There’s no competition. Everyone’s genuinely helpful.”
Helen has embraced every chance to learn and grow and continues to do so.
She’s attended our free mentorship retreats abroad – included in the Elite package — with Mauritius a particular highlight.
“It was fabulous. You learn so much when you’re there. And it’s so good for the suppliers as well, because you can come back and sell the properties, having been there yourself.”
Her success now means invitations to exclusive supplier trips.
“I’m now on a Kuoni trip to the Maldives. They didn’t have to ask me twice for that one! And by advertising on social media that I was going on this trip, has already led to a booking from a couple looking to go to the Maldives for their wedding anniversary. It goes to show the power of shouting about what you are doing!
She’s also attended Platinum Conference on a cruise ship at sea and makes full use of the tools and training on offer, from the free T-Profile quotation system to regular webinars.
“We’ve just recently had a series of webinars every week, on things like Facebook and AI. It’s revolutionised the speed of doing Facebook posts.”
Looking back, Helen couldn’t be happier.
“The franchise has given me a real boost as a person and a business owner and a sense of worth knowing that I can not only do this but I’m good at it. And the fact that it’s also enabled my family to achieve a dream of a house in Florida has been fantastic. It’s been a win-win for everybody. I love it.”
