Before the online training week even started for Inga Garrity, she had an action plan and strategy in place for her new travel business.
Online training week started on the 10th of August 2020 for Inga, but she had already: launched a social media competition, done a flyer drop around the neighborhood to 100 houses with her daughter and her dog, set a date for a launch party, created a Facebook page with 300+ followers … all before day 1 of training started.
Giving herself a headstart, she launched her new travel business to the local community in real style.
Before my online training week started, I knew I wanted to do a launch event, in my local village Elton, in Chester.
I put up posters in local shops, my friend works at Tesco so she put some up in the staff canteen for me, and anywhere else I could think of.
I created a Facebook page for my new travel business and I had 300 followers by my 1st day of training. I called in favours with friends and family, asked them to share the page with their friends, and so on.
Passion, energy, and bucket loads of determination are how people who know Inga would describe her. Now 33 years old, she came from Lithuania to the UK to study 12 years ago, she met her husband at University and the rest is history.
Last weekend, on the 22nd August 2020, Inga had 40+ people turn up between the hours of 3-5 pm to (safely) attend her launch party, hosted in her local neighbourhood.
I got at least 6 new enquiries on the day and I expect more to follow as the people who came to my launch party start to talk to their neighbors, friends, family and the domino effect will naturally follow.
I was so surprised that people turned up. I was so worried that people wouldn’t come, and my message wouldn’t get through, that I would be there will just a few loyal friends. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
I was really stepping into the unknown by putting myself out there with this launch party. Not to mention the weather forecast was not looking good.
The week before the event I kept saying over and over, “It’s going to be dry, it has to be dry, please bring the sun out.” I had to create a picture in my mind of a sunny day as if it had rained it wouldn’t have worked.
On the morning of the event, I was soaked from head to toe by the heavy rain whilst putting up the Gazebo, I kept saying to myself it would be dry.
By 3 pm it was sunny, I even needed sunglasses!
Inga went to University to study supply chains and processes. She has worked for many years in logistics, in a high-level role, in a corporate company with lots of pressure.
It all came to an abrupt end, she was made redundant in July 2020.
I sat down after being made redundant and asked myself, “What do I really want to do?” That’s when I came across the Travel Franchise.
I had friends tell me I was bonkers, I would always respond the same way. I would say…
“I believe no one can achieve great things in life without a few risks. This is a calculated risk I am certain will pay-off. No industry, whether it’s travel of something else, is safe in this new world post-COVID.”
I’ve never ever done anything like this before, I’m not an events coordinator or have ever organised a launch party.
However, I have always been very creative with social events including my kids’ birthdays, people always remember them. So I utilised this strength of mine for my new business.
For instance I hosted a New Year’s party 4 years ago, and it’s still talked about today in our neighbourhood!
Inga’s husband still works for a big company, with long hours. Inga described how their family holidays are their only real opportunity for quality time together.
Holidays are so important to me and my family and I know there are others just like me out there, hard-working professionals who have children.
Traveling, creating memories with your family and friends is so precious and people still need this, especially now.
Even if the travel destinations are different for now, the need to get away will still be there for people.
At the launch party alongside the goodie bags, Inga created a simple but effective competition. Guess how many sweets are in the jar, the person who guesses right wins the sweets and a bottle of Prosecco. To make a guess you needed to add your name and email.
I’ve already started contacting everyone who entered the competition, so there is plenty of follow-ups to do.
At the event I had a few older members of the local community approach me saying they find it difficult to look online or book a holiday.
I was very happy to show them my office (which used to be my garage) to talk them through how a Personal Travel Consultant can solve all their problems and make their life easier.
