Posted:07-December-2022
Running a business around family commitments
- Name: Reshma Aggarwal
- Location: Buckhurst Hill, Essex
- Franchise: The Travel Franchise – Not Just Travel homeworking travel consultant
- Date launched the franchise: 2020 during the pandemic
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and what you were doing prior to buying you’re the Travel Franchise business?
I’m a mum of three boys and now juggle the business around the family. I joined during the pandemic but ending up selling £1.2 million in holidays in under 18 months
Can you also tell us about The Travel Franchise?
The Travel Franchise which trains you to become a homeworking travel consultant operating under the customer-facing brand, Not Just Travel
Why did you go down the franchise route? What made you choose the travel industry? And why a The Travel Franchise business?
I love travel, I’m organised and methodical and I really enjoy networking and creating amazing experiences for people.
What training and support did you receive initially and ongoing?
There was a five-day induction training course and then ongoing training opportunities online including weekly webinars from trade partners and the company.
We are given a Business Development Manager that is on hand to help, mentor and support us, plus there’s an operations team we can call on for help.
How would you describe your day-to-day role as a franchisee
As a mum of three boys under the age of eight, I don’t have much spare time and I often do my research in the evening once they are in bed. But whether I’m on the school run or on a family holiday, I have my phone at the ready in case a customer has a problem or a new client wants to make a booking.
What challenges have you had to overcome? And what are your key successes to date?
I stated my travel consultancy in 2020 – the year that Covid grounded flights and shut the country down.
Launching a business during the pandemic was a double-edged sword. On one hand no one was travelling, but on the other, it showed people the value of a travel agent on a daily basis.
For the next year I navigated my way through complex border entry and vaccination requirements, which often change at a moment’s notice. Communicating and reassuring customers through such an uncertain time helped me gain my clients’ trust and enabled me to grow very quickly through referrals. They have seen the value of the service I’ve given and I’ve got to know many of them extremely well.
Despite the pandemic, I managed to achieve The Travel Franchise’s unique Money-Back Challenge in six months! It’s a challenge that if you join as an Elite (£14,995 plus VAT) and sell enough holidays in a certain time period you get your franchise fee refunded! I also sold 1.2 million holidays in 18 months.
Has becoming a franchisee changed your life, if so how?
I love what I do. It’s changed my life. I juggle work around my three young boys but I’m also making friends while booking incredible holidays.
How do you achieve a work-life balance?
I have a family and sometimes work late but I enjoy it. You just have to be organised.
Can you tell us about any community involvement, including any local partnerships, incentives or charity work you are involved in?
I do on a personal level organise food/Christmas hampers for my local Foodbank but that is not through my business and I hope to look into opportunities to help the local community in 2023.
What is the most invaluable piece of advice you could give someone looking to buy their first franchise?
To look for a franchise that is well established, and can provide you with:
- Regular mentorship, coaching and training opportunities.
- High-quality back-office support.
- To speak to current franchisees - I am very close friends with some of the people I first trained with and having that support whilst establishing and growing our business has been invaluable.
In your opinion, what makes a successful franchisee?
Network, be organised and go the extra mile for your clients making sure you create amazing experiences for them.
What are your plans for the future?
To continue to grow my business, expand my knowledge of the travel industry, in particular the luxury segment, and to also include the cruise market which I am seeing a definite interest in from my clients.
I would like to continue to see an increase in repeat clients and referrals and carry on enjoying planning incredible holidays for them.
If you had to do it all again, what would you do differently?
I would have started sooner!
Interested and want to know more about The Travel Franchise?
The The Travel Franchise basic profile outlines aspects of their franchise opportunity
