A homeworker in Leek, Staffordshire, has opened her first shop, just over a year after setting up her agency with Protected Trust Services (PTS).
Carly Keates and her one member of staff, Hayley Bestwick, opened The Vacay store in Cruso Street on Saturday (October 19).
Customers were served nibbles and the first five bookers received a free bottle of sparkling wine.
Keates said the opening celebration was a “massive” success, with 40 people from 10 families being booked, resulting in sales worth more than £35,000. The unit was chosen because Keates has a “great following” in her hometown and the overheads are “reasonable”.
For the past 12 months, she has worked from an office in Keatesy’s Boxing Academy, a community boxing club run by her husband, Andy. Keates hopes the shop will help her to build on her success and eventually enable her to open more branches.
“I have had great support from suppliers and PTS,” said Keates. “PTS has given me the skills and knowledge to get where I am today. PTS is always at the end of the phone to help me.
“And my main suppliers – Jet2holidays, easyJet holidays, Tui and Ocean Florida – have all been super-supportive. Now I have a shop, I hope it will prompt more visits from suppliers.”
Emma Collis, PTS executive director, said: “Carly has gone from strength to strength in her business.
“The new store is in a fantastic location where footfall is high, and we know this move will only help Vacay grow. We are incredibly proud of Carly and her drive and passion.”
Keates started in travel aged 18 with XL Airways at Manchester airport, and has also worked as a Tui agent. She does not specialise in any particular type of holiday and offers a diverse range of products.
She said she has made more than £1.5 million in sales over the past year and has attracted clients from across the UK. “We have grown from the word go; it was pretty busy from the start,” she added.
Despite her confidence, Keates said she has had to overcome “struggles”.
“A couple of years ago, I suffered terribly with my mental health,” she said. “I still have battles, but I want people to see me as a way of proving that it doesn’t matter what’s going on, you can achieve anything.”