“Understand your financial position – we strongly recommend that those considering the switch take time to do lots of research”


packages to its homeworkers, which range from bespoke marketing materials to social media assistance and personal websites. Similarly, GoCruise & Travel gives agents their own personalised website, where they can choose which tour operators they’d like to showcase. “We give our homeworkers a marketing


territory so there are no others in their area, meaning you aren’t targeting the same customers with the same brand,” says Sam Bruton, head of franchise. “We also support agents by completing all their administration for them, from ticketing and booking confirmations to balance reminders, and provide out-of-hours support when needed.” Independent Travel Experts (ITE) provides a bespoke induction and ongoing training,


alongside round-the-clock sales and admin support – plus access to specialist product areas such as its Cruise Club. Personal Holiday Advisors gives its


homeworkers a free company laptop as well as client brochures and leaflets. Many others, including Travel Counsellors, Brilliant Travel – the homeworking arm of Barrhead Travel – and Not Just Travel provide one-to-one mentor support, alongside other free training opportunities.


READY FOR THE CHALLENGE? While all of these can make the transition to homeworking easier, it’s important to be aware of the challenges when deciding if the move is the right one for you.


Q. WHAT CAREER-DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES ARE THERE? A. From scaling up your own business to taking on a high street role, homeworking can offer plenty of scope for career progression. “We have experts who have stayed


with us and some have moved to the high street,” says Paula Nuttall of The Holiday Village. “Home-based experts are very talented business owners – they are motivated, very experienced and good salespeople, and are excellent at customer care. These skills can be transferred to any role.” Some companies offer rewards for


top-performing homeworkers. Travel Counsellors offers a Gold weekend for those achieving ‘Gold’ status, for example, with recent destinations having included the Maldives, Dubai and Ibiza.


Q. WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO MANAGE MY FINANCES? A. Most firms have provisions in place to help spread out any losses, and upfront commission can help when you’re getting started. It’s also worth looking at firms that help with tax returns; Designer Travel offers a monthly reporting system to help simplify the process, for example. Kelly Cookes, chief commercial


officer at Advantage, says: “We always advise those who are new to homeworking to have enough money to see them through the first year and give them a buffer to focus on the business. We then generally get them to look at how much they want to bring in each month and break this down into how many bookings it equates to. This gives them a clear target as a starting point, and can help agents manage cashflow and identify where to focus their deals.”


10


27 OCTOBER 2022


travelweekly.co.uk


PICTURE: Unsplash/Magnus Andersson


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