Is full-time or part-time right for me?

Geoff Wessell

Full-time agent 

Managing director, Ginge Tours, Protected Trust Services

 

Q What are your working hours like?

A We started in travel on retirement; I was a senior police officer and my wife Jo was a nurse. We wanted flexibility, to be our own bosses and indulge our love of travel. It has developed into full-time, but the hours fit around our commitments. One of our biggest early bookings, worth £47,000, was completed on a beach in Thailand.

 

Q Has your previous career experience helped?

A We’re used to getting calls at all hours and our previous training was useful in calming clients down over a missed connection or even an approaching hurricane. It’s about being accessible, rather than working every hour.

 

Q Benefits of full-time homeworking?

A Flexibility. You can take a morning off and work from anywhere. But you shouldn’t expect it to pay the mortgage from the outset; it takes time to build up your reputation and client base. The best bookings tend to be a long way from departure, so £1,000 commission might not reach you for 10 months or longer.

 

Q How do you manage your time?

A We try to keep to ‘office hours’ at home and have changed a bedroom into an office. This allows us to shut the door and walk away in the evening. We still check our phones for the odd enquiry, but we’ve learnt the importance of downtime.

 

Q What advice would you give people considering homeworking?

A See it as a long-term plan, but not your only source of income early on. That said, don’t do it as a ‘side hustle’ only. It requires dedication to succeed.

Lee Collier 

Part-time agent
Personal travel consultant, Not Just Travel 

 

Q What are your working hours like?

A I’m part-time because my full-time job is with the ambulance service. I’m also a professional photographer. Being a shift worker has its pros and cons but, as I tell my clients, I literally am contactable 24/7.

 

Q What are your long-term plans?

A My aim is to reduce my hours within the ambulance service at some point to focus on building my business to a level where I can solely work in travel. Now I’ve had a taste of travel over the past two years, I want more.

 

Q Pros and cons of part-time homeworking?

A It allows you to work around family life and hobbies and ease into a new role. But you can easily lose hours sitting in front of the computer, searching for holidays long into the night.

 

Q How do you manage your time?

A Planning is crucial. It’s easy to think, ‘I’ll have a lie-in’ or ‘I’ll pop to the shops’, but before you know it, half the day has gone. The admin and enquiries can feel overwhelming, so a schedule keeps you productive while allowing you to go to the gym or the shops.

 

Q What advice would you give people considering homeworking?

A Working part-time can give you the security of a second income while you find your feet. It takes time to learn the systems and suppliers, to build up a client base and receive a regular income.

Becky Walker

Recently switched from part-time to full-time

 

Q What are your working hours like?

A I’m full-time but have no schedule, by design. I’m single with no children so this works for me. As long as I have my laptop and Wi-Fi I can work, whether that’s at home in Sheffield, in London or in the Bahamas. Every few weeks I meet Jake Cullum-Hollins, chief executive of The Good Travel Franchise, in Birmingham to record our podcast, Tales of a Travel Agent.

 

Q Why did you switch from part-time to homeworking full-time this year?

A I started my business two-and-a-half years ago. I was a full-time nanny working two weeks on, two weeks off. This allowed me to build my business without needing a high income immediately. I stopped nannying in January; I couldn’t grow my business further without giving it my all. I was trying to do both full-time and was burning out.

 

Q Pros and cons to homeworking full-time?

A Homeworking full-time gives you flexibility to work around other commitments – and you don’t have to turn down as many invites from suppliers. But generating leads can be difficult.

 

Q How do you manage your time?

A I’m not sure I’ll ever master this. I tell clients, ‘I’ll get back to you within 48 hours’, so I have to! I write lists so I don’t forget things, although every time I check one thing off, 10 get added.

 

Q What advice would you give people considering homeworking?

A Start part-time – this gives you time to work out systems, suppliers, niches and client acquisition methods. Have a plan and when ready, go full-time, all guns blazing.