Do I need travel experience?
No, as we provide all of the necessary training. However, you will need to have a passion for travel as it will come across to customers when you speak to them.
How long is the training?
Our initial training is five days long, held here at our Birmingham Head Office.
This will cover the essentials of how to deliver exceptional customer service, building your website, how to market your business, using our fantastic booking system, and an introduction to your key suppliers, for them to train you on their product offering.
Your knowledge is critical to ensuring you deliver outstanding service so you will have access to supplier online learning portals and regular e learning and webinars from our suppliers.
The learning never stops.
Can I specialise in a certain type of destination or holiday?
Absolutely. You will have the ability to book any type of holiday or destination (as long as cleared by FCO) so we will work with you to tailor your offering to create your own niche agency either by destination or type of holiday.
Holiday types and destinations can be expanded as your knowledge and business grows
How do I attract customers to my business?
We have taken our own travel agency Holidaysplease from £6,000 in capital to turning over nearly £30m annually, so we know what it takes to attract the right type of customer.
Our training will cover how to drive traffic to your website, grow a presence on social media, as well as identifying networking opportunities.
.Remember your friends, family and people in your local area are a ready-made customer base. Everyone likes going on holidays!
Will I get access to trade price holidays?
Yes, you will get some of the best prices available and which are not available to the public.
It is helped by the fact that we have been members of the Hays Travel consortium since 2005 which pools the purchasing power of over 150 travel agents to produce over £500m of buying power a year. You can also get invited by suppliers to go on free trips called “educationals”!
How much can I earn?
Based on our current booking values you will be earning on average between £300 - £500 commission per booking. Just ten bookings a month should earn £35,000 - £60,000 a year. 20 bookings a month is obviously double that. Some people in our parent company can do thirty+ bookings in a month.
How long will it take for me to re-coup my franchise fee?
Based on the above commissions an investment of £13,795 - £15,795 should be paid off in between forty to sixty bookings.
Are you ABTA and ATOL bonded?
Yes, we are both ABTA (P6851) and ATOL (5534) bonded and only deal with credible operators.
You will have your own ABTA number and will be covered by our ATOL protection.
How many franchisees are you looking to attract?
We’re not targeting a set number of franchisees.
We are looking for quality people who will work with us to build a longstanding, profitable partnership.
I’m looking to start a business with a friend, do we have to pay two franchise fees?
You have the ability to team up with a business partner, you would only pay one franchise fee, which means you can share the cost of the investment.
Do I have to work on my business full-time?
No, this business can be worked round other commitments.
However, we do stress that the more time you can commit, especially in the set-up phase, the quicker you will establish and grow.
We factor this into your business plan so you will have realistic projections on what you could earn based on the hours you can commit.
Do I have to be based at home?
As with any new business we recommend keeping costs/overheads to a minimum, so we would advise you to base your business from your home.
As your business grows you may choose to grow a team, open a call centre, or even explore opening a retail premises.
Our systems are cloud-based so this means you can work from anywhere, anytime.
Do I get a set territory to trade in?
No, as your business is online, the whole of the UK is your market
Do I have to pay a deposit?
If you would like to proceed a £500 + VAT deposit is taken to secure your business planning meeting.
This comes off the total cost of your chosen franchise package.
Does the franchise fee have to be paid in advance of starting the set up of my business?
After paying your deposit, you can pay the rest of the franchise fee or if you prefer you can pay half of the balance to enable us to start work on your business, the other half would be paid two weeks before your going live date.
Does my business need to be VAT registered?
Once any business reaches a certain threshold of revenue it needs to be VAT registered.
Your financial advisor can guide you on the benefits of registering your business immediately vs. waiting to hit the given threshold.
Do I need insurance for my business?
We have insurance (such as professional indemnity insurance) but you will need to take on your own insurance, we will guide you on the minimums needed.