Buying a travel franchise
Qu:I love travelling and would like to combine this passion with business as I believe that I would be successful at it. Is buying a travel franchise a good idea?
Answer by Bill Hendrie, the Franchising Centre
Firstly I would say that in general, having a passion for the business you are in is always desirable.
The second point that I would make here however, is that ‘loving’ doing something as a pastime can be totally different from suddenly ‘doing it’ as a job. Personally I ‘love’ cooking but have no desire to do it seven days a week for lots of complete strangers as a chef!
When you say that you ‘love travelling’ you need to ask yourself what you love about it. One would assume that seeing foreign countries, experiencing diverse cultures and sampling different cuisines all help to contribute to the ‘love factor’, not to mention ‘sun, sea and sangria’!
Now ask yourself how many of those experiences listed above does owning a travel franchise allow you to enjoy?
Travel franchises tend to be either office or alternatively home based. Your role is to organise and help plan holidays for others. That after all is how you make your income. As you are buying into an already established business with proven systems it is highly likely that hotels and destinations are already pre-determined and do not require you to visit them. The reality of the day to day duties in the role will not involve you travelling to exotic locations but will be spent dealing with customers either face to face or over the phone and liaising with hotels by phone and e-mail.
You will need organisational skills, sales skills (as you have to ‘sell yourself’ to potential clients) an aptitude for customer service, the ability to problem solve and management skills if you employ staff. So when you say that you believe that “you would be successful at it” ask yourself is it because you possess these qualities.
So to get back to your original question:
Q “Is buying a travel franchise a good idea”
A Yes because a franchised business has a very high percentage chance of success versus a ‘stand- alone’ business, but only if you go into it with your eyes wide open and realise what you will actually be required to do on a day to day basis. By working hard and following the franchise model and building your business you will hopefully be able to afford the time and finances to devote to your passion for travel.
