Not everyone has savings to invest in a franchise, but some people are so determined to change careers that they take out a loan.
Lynette, a mum of two, had never worked in travel, but took a leap of faith and invested in a travel franchise, running it in her spare time alongside a full-time job.
Now she’s reached ‘Diamond’ level in our career ladder which means she’s reached our £500,000 in commission milestone.
Lynette had researched other travel franchises before joining The Travel Franchise but found “they were either too expensive or needed a full-time commitment.”
She earned a good salary working for a bank in the city for 15 years so was understandably relunctant to give up her job before she knew her new travel business would work.
She didn’t have to wait long to see a return in her investment!
“In the first month I sold £30,000 in sales straight out of training,” she says, adding that she was booking holidays in her spare time.
She continued to work in the City four days a week, spending evenings, weekends and every Monday on her travel business until she knew it would bring in the equivalent of her London wage.
“My goal was to make this my career, my sole source of income because everyone wants to do a job they are passionate about,” says Lynette admitting she found banking repetitive and travel breathe of fresh air.
Thinking about a similar change? Check out our Ultimate Guide to Becoming a Remote Travel Agent as a Mum.
Even though Lynette launched her business in 2020 during Covid – and was homeschooling two children aged eight and five along with her husband – Lynette’s business skyrocketed from the very beginning.
She even won our Money Back Challenge, where we refund your initial franchise fee if you hit a certain amount of commission in your first 12 months.
“Taking out the loan paid off because I hit that Money Back Challenge target in just nine months!”
Lynette decided to take a break from her City job in December 2022 and sold more holidays in January 2023 working full time on her business than the previous four months put together.
“My goal was to make this my career and now I am able to bring in a similar, if not better wage, but have that all important work life balance. Swapping the rat race for a job in travel that I love means so much more than I ever imagined”
Lynette admits it’s hard work but says it’s worth it.
“If you have the time and the determination to build the business then you can absolutely achieve your dreams. I am so busy I am looking to hire someone as bookings continue to soar.”
Lynette says she has had a lot of help from her Business Development Manager, and says our Cruise Division team has helped her broaden her knowledge of one of her biggest passions: cruise.
She’s now one of our top selling cruise agents with nearly 50 per cent of he business made up of cruise bookings, a travel product that offers lucrative commission and a high level of repeat clients.
She’s attended our Seminar at Seas, week-long trips where we host consultants on a luxury cruise and offer training on selling the product, and continues to build her booming business.
“I am not a call centre. I care about my customers and their holiday. I want them to have a good experience and I appreciate any business they give me.”
