My First Five Years in Business
Since Covid restrictions were lifted and we were ‘allowed’ to meet face to face again, I’ve attended as many Travel Counsellors’ events as possible. There are supplier events held at Head Office and in the last few years there have been a series of ‘mini’ conferences held around the country. On Wednesday this week I was at Head Office for Anniversary Day - an opportunity to spend time to reflect, share learnings and experiences, learn about future plans and developments and, of course, to celebrate with other Travel Counsellors and colleagues. The ‘big’ event of the year is TC Conference, held in November. It’s a full-on few days with lots to take in. We have the most amazing range of speakers who share their experiences and stories and help us to learn and be successful business owners.
I have spent time investing in myself and regular training is an important part of this. As a Travel Counsellor I have access to a broad range of training. Some courses are mandatory of course, to ensure we are up to speed with any legal requirements etc, and others are depending on what our areas of interest are. I subscribe to travel trade publications to keep up to date with what’s going on in the industry and to increase my knowledge.
Living in Manchester there are a lot of other Travel Counsellors and over the last few years I have got to know many TC’s. It’s a very welcoming and supportive community and we all help each other – we don’t view other TC’s as competition. There is always someone who can help, with a small query or a bigger problem. We also have brilliant colleagues at Head Office and it’s very much ‘one team’ and not a ‘them’ and ‘us’. Lots of Travel Counsellors work together in teams and this is something I might consider in the future.
I regularly attend supplier and partner events. These have been a great way to increase my product and destination knowledge and get to know specific suppliers. It’s also nice to meet and talk to fellow travel agents. As part of these events we sometimes have the opportunity to enter prize draws and I have been lucky to win a few times. I won six nights in Koh Samui, Thailand (staying in three different Anantara and Avani hotels). I added this together with two nights I won at the Address Beach Hotel in Dubai. I paid for my own flights plus a two-night stay in Bangkok to put together a great multi-centre trip. This May I am going to stay at Anda Barut Collection in Didim, Turkey. This brand-new property only opened last year so I am looking forward to experiencing an ‘ultra all inclusive’ 5-star stay for four nights. I’m also hoping to visit Locanda Rossa, a boutique farmhouse in southern Tuscany, Italy for two nights.
At the end of last year I applied for, and was successful in gaining, a place on a FAM (familiarisation) trip – my first one! I joined AMA Waterways on their Captivating Rhine river cruise in Amsterdam and stayed on board for the first four nights. FAM trips are a great opportunity to experience, first hand, a product, destination or experience. I really enjoyed my time on board (fabulous staff, delicious food and drinks) as well as the excursions at each port to some places I had never visited before. I now feel a lot more confident talking about river cruises and recommending them to my customers.
Another important element has been raising awareness of (and increasing) my business by networking. In the summer of 2022 I joined a BNI group, Tigers, who meet weekly in Manchester city centre. I have been pushed out of my comfort zone and this has ultimately increased my confidence as well as grown my business. I’ve met a brilliant bunch of fellow business owners and professionals, and we all look out for each other and for opportunities for business on behalf of all members. Not many of my friends are self-employed so I have really been helped by being able to share my experiences and frustrations (and successes) with people that I know totally understand and ‘get it’. I am also a member of FBN (Female Business Network) South Manchester – a fabulous group of female business owners. We meet monthly and spend time sharing our wins and talking through our challenges. It’s a more relaxed environment than Tigers, however valuable and enjoyable in different ways.
Throughout the years I have maintained, and developed, a presence on social media and aim to reach new audiences and customers via different channels. I am very image led on Instagram, post a mix of content on Facebook, and have a slightly more business focus on LinkedIn. In addition, customers can sign up to receive my free weekly e-newsletters which contains a mix of travel inspiration, ideas and offers. I have a website and have written a variety of blog posts about my travels to offer ideas and feedback to potential customers.
I have had the pleasure of getting to know lots of lovely people who are now my customers. I spend my time talking about holidays so it’s nearly always a positive conversation. I love being able to help people and, where appropriate, to give them the confidence to travel. I specialise in personalised, bespoke travel – getting to know people, their interests, likes, dislikes, pet hates, must haves and then finding them the perfect holiday. For me, I spend my time researching the world, so what’s not to like?!
What have I learnt over the last five years:
• To have confidence in myself, my knowledge and skills and my business • To value myself and to (sometimes) say no – both professionally and personally • That determination and hard work pays off • To ringfence time for exercise and fresh air – for me this is either running or practising yoga before I start work and to go for a walk daily • It can be lonely being self-employed (even for a self-contained introvert like me) • The importance of a good support network – of friends, family and other business owners • To take regular breaks from my screen/desk, on a daily, weekly and monthly basis and do things that I enjoy away from my business • I’m proud to be a Travel Counsellor and part of a fabulous community • It’s massively rewarding and satisfying. I love hearing about people’s holidays when they return and knowing that I played a part in that fabulous experience they now have as a memory.
Here's to the next five years!
