Nuttall says: “At The Holiday Village, we pay
half the commission the following month and the remaining commission six weeks before departure. This can really help with cashflow, especially in those early days of trading.” Personal Travel Consultants pays 50% on
booking and the remaining 50% eight weeks before travel, while Personal Holiday Advisors pays 80% of the commission the month after the booking is made. The downside of these models is that commission has to be repaid if a booking is cancelled. Commission aside, the costs associated
with starting out might be a concern for some, but homeworking doesn’t have to mean huge expenses. Some charge a small monthly or joining fee, but others, including Vertical Travel Group, do away with them altogether, so it’s worth checking, alongside any credit card or banking charges.
travelweekly.co.uk
Q. IS THERE SUPPORT FOR BUILDING A CLIENT BASE? A. Many homeworking agencies offer help with reaching out to customers, from finding leads to assisting with social media, websites, events and marketing. Travel Solutions Network offers
various tools to help agents grow their own customer base, as well as a virtual call centre that allows homeworkers to take calls from partners to supplement their earnings. Several other models, including Advantage’s Travel Specialists and Hays’ homeworking arm, offer one- to-one help with attracting new clients.
US firm InteleTravel, meanwhile, markets itself
as a low-cost way to enter the travel industry without any “immense financial outlay”. “This can provide a chance to build a new career from scratch and run a business cost-effectively,” says UK director Tricia Handley-Hughes.
THE POWER OF A NETWORK It’s not just favourable commission that lures; administrative support, supplier contacts, training opportunities and marketing tools are all key considerations when deciding which company to work with. Advantage allows homeworkers to trade under
their own branding or use the consortium’s brand, and provides marketing, networking opportunities and one-to-one support from the business development team. Hays Travel offers different
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PICTURE: Shutterstock/Cameron Prins
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