Going out on your own doesn’t mean you are alone! The key is to join a business that offers the support essential to staying synchronised, from conferences and training days to peer support and admin assistance.
We all know the advantages of running a business. There’s working from home, creating your own hours, planning trips for clients without restrictions on what you can sell, and pocketing the profits.
But what about the scary stuff?
Things like keeping current on new products, managing paperwork, professional development and losing the camaraderie that comes with working in an office.
These hurdles need not be a red light. TravelManagers offers agents the support and socialising needed – conferences, trade shows, state meetings, supplier days, training workshops, famils – to eliminate the bad and enhance the good.
How do we know? We asked four of TravelManagers’ personal travel managers (PTMs) to tell us how they do their own thing without missing out.
TANYA TYLER
Tanya has been in the trade for 25 years, joining forces with TravelManagers seven years ago and just returned from this year’s national conference where she describes the event as “a big family reunion’’.
“I love going to conferences to see my friends and catch up as well as always learning new ideas and products I can implement into my business,’’ she says.
“I get inspired by the amazing speakers, hearing PTMs tell their story and bouncing ideas off each other. I always come back feeling invigorated from meeting suppliers and learning about new products as well as picking up tips on how to service clients better and market my business.’’
LUKE BALLARD
Luke has been in travel for almost two decades – leading photography tours before working as a “frontline agent’’ for five years – and says he discovered TravelManagers thrives on collectiveness rather than competitiveness, after joining in early 2018.
From the minute you become part of the TravelManagers’ network you have 580-plus big brothers and sisters who have your back, and the internet and Facebook have delivered a `watercooler’ for socialising and support,’’ he says.
“If you have a question, post it, and within three minutes PTMs will have talked you through the issue, provided a contact to call, helped finesse an itinerary or suggested which airline your clients should fly.’’
RACHAEL PORTELLI
Rachel has been with TravelManagers for six years – almost a third of her career – and says the “amazing support’’ means she never feels alone.
“I feel like I’m part of a larger company by being informed daily with training webinars, supplier clusters, state meetings and annual conferences,’’ she explains.
“The relationship with the National Partnership Office unlocks the travel industry – there’s help in every department from finance to marketing and systems to fares – while my business partnership manager, Despina, is a phone call away to discuss how I’m going and offer help with building my business’’
RENEE MILLARD
Renee has been a PTM for almost a decade and says the TravelManagers culture is “one of positivity, friendship and encouragement’’ with peer support and a packed calendar of events. These are the big factors in making her feel part of a community.
“The conferences help me because the content is amazing. Having three days surrounded by colleagues to focus my business without external interruptions is so valuable and sets me up for the year ahead,’’ she says.
“The training days, supplier meetings and networking functions are little pick-me-ups I need throughout the year to ensure my product knowledge and supplier relations are where I like them to be.’’
Are you keen on going it alone but worried you don’t have what it takes to forge your own path in the travel industry?
If you’ve answered in the affirmative contact TravelManagers and see how the team at the National Partnership Office can help clear the hurdles so you can take the next step in your travel career.
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