You’ve been thinking of changing things up but it seems overwhelming and inevitably you don’t change a thing. Have you noticed even superheroes have someone in the background to support their mission? Batman has Robin, Ironman has Pepper Potts, and as a travel agent, you can have TravelManagers Australia.
With their track record of helping hundreds of travel agents switch to a rewarding, fulfilling, and ka-ching-worthy home-based business, you can focus on what you love, and enjoy support for the business parts youʼd rather forget about.
Supporting the transition
Like Peter Parker had to learn how to become Spiderman, when you level up your career, there are learning curves. Thankfully, TravelManagers has thought of everything to make that transition smooth, with an extensive induction program, state-based Business Partnership Managers (BPMs) and the dedicated NPO team on hand.
Dan Brown, a personal travel manager (PTM) from Old Bar in NSW has been with TravelManagers for 18 months and couldnʼt be happier! “I spent the first couple of months, getting my head around different systems. However, it only took a quick call or email with the NPO team – systems, marketing, ticketing, anything – to get my queries sorted.”
Julianne Gazal-Rizk from Willoughby, NSW may have been a PTM for 12 years, but she remembers the transition. “I’d previously been a franchise agency owner for 24 years and I loved it. But the minute I made the decision to move, the support from TravelManagers was just oozing – from every department. The support and patience of everyone at NPO is amazing; no question is a silly question!”
Build it up
From business development tools to marketing, the NPO team offer comprehensive support to get new businesses up and running as quickly and seamlessly as possible.
Julianne loves the marketing tools the NPO provides. “I can effortlessly add value to my business with content like client newsletters. It looks like Iʼve written it myself, and yet I havenʼt done anything to make it happen! I can also opt out if I donʼt think the content is suitable, but that hardly ever happens.”
Melanie Carter, a PTM from Scoresby, VIC rates TravelManagersʼ BPMs. “Our BPMs are an important part of building the business and TravelManagers family-like culture. They organise supplier updates and informal PTM catchups, and my best business advice often comes from those impromptu peer meetings.”
Happy clients
Youʼre not the only one who faces change when you move to home-based consulting; your clients do, too. And those changes can elevate your relationship.
Julianne knows all about that, “My clients love my home office, itʼs quiet, just us, and thereʼs no metered parking to worry about. Weʼll have a cuppa together, allowing for a personal experience. Iʼm not just a faceless name, and the relationships are genuine.”
Less cost – higher reward
In traditional retail models, there are considerable fixed costs for the business, such as lease, franchise fees, employees’ salaries and utilities.
Working from home under the TravelManagers’ model, the fixed costs are far lower. Depending on the model you’ve chosen, you can be earning up to 90 percent of your commissions from day one, plus there’s a bonus dividend program that can further boost your earnings.
With no rigid shopfront hours or costs, and a business that is fully portable so that you can work from anywhere, the rewards stack up.
Dan has thrived with TravelManagers: “In my previous agency I had created a good business, so it was hard to leave that behind. Iʼve already gone way beyond what I was hoping to achieve. Now that I’m starting to travel more myself, owning my own business and being able to work from wherever I want to, makes that so easy.”
Buying power & volume discounts
When you join as a personal travel manager, youʼre a small-business owner connected to a big Australia- wide network, with the accompanying buying power.
“I can access TravelManagersʼ airfares and commission levels, as well as the strong supplier relationships, supplier training days and more”, Julianne shares. “And TravelManagersʼ Peace of Mind protection, like the TravelManagersʼ Customer Fund and audited trust account, affirm this is the right model for me.”
Isolation vs connection
Shifting to a home-based business leaves some concerned about isolation.
Melanie was apprehensive before making the move. “It was daunting to think about what it would look and feel like. However, once I completed my induction and started meeting people, I just knew I had made the right decision, I felt at home immediately.
Make a choice
While change is hard, staying still can be harder in the long run. You can choose to stay where you are, or you can choose to make the move and find that it was the very best thing youʼve ever done.
Melanie puts it perfectly, “Looking back, I couldnʼt have imagined Iʼd have a life this great. I get to travel, Iʼm there for my family, and I still get to do what I love. It really is the best of both worlds!”
Superheroes, read this
If youʼre a superhero (read: experienced travel professional) considering a change, visit TravelManagers to learn more about becoming a personal travel manager.
Got questions first? Check out these handy FAQs or reach out to the National Partnership Team on 02 8062 6400.
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