What could you be doing day to day as a homeworker? Juliet Dennis gets a glimpse into two agents’ daily routines
Clare Collins-Doyle, Pro Travel Agent, Independent Travel Experts
I live in Lagos, in the Algarve, Portugal. I’ve been here for six years – I decided to move when the UK voted for Brexit.
I’ve worked in travel for 20 years and was empowered to set up my own business after I did a master’s degree in tourism management at Bournemouth University in 2011. As well as being a travel agent, I’m a Zumba instructor.
Clare’s typical day
Morning: Once my 15-year-old son has left for school, I walk my three rescue dogs. At least two or three mornings a week involve teaching Zumba classes. I have a ‘shimmy and a shake’ with a group of ladies who, by default, end up being my clients – because it’s in a non-sales environment and they trust me to book their holidays.
After Zumba, I start my travel work. My business is based on recommendations: I know my clients, or they are referrals to me. I have an 80% booking conversion rate, so time is never lost.
Last year, I attended a sustainability webinar; I now feel comfortable having conversations with clients about it and encouraging sustainable choices. It’s increased the number of sustainable holidays I sell.
Afternoon: I often meet clients face to face. I visit them in their home or meet for a coffee somewhere to chat through their holiday requirements and then put a plan together for them.
Historically my clients have always been in the UK. I still have that client base, but I’ve now started to get local expats booking with me. My local client base has developed organically through my Zumba teaching. I don’t have a website, but I post about my personal travel on my own Facebook page and people know I’m an agent and book. Once a week I go to a dog shelter to help walk the dogs.
Evening: I log on and work quite late. If it’s after 10pm, clients will not expect me to get back to them, so I only do so if I choose to.
I have no set work times; I constantly look at my emails, but my work is completely flexible around what I am doing. Some nights I play padel (a cross between tennis and squash). It’s super sociable and my husband and son also play.
It’s enabled me to make lots of Portuguese friends. Running my travel business fits around everything else I do in terms of looking after my family, teaching Zumba and caring for rescue dogs. But it doesn’t really feel like work because I love my job so much!
Tips for agents who want to work overseas
Get your ducks in a row before you move: plan it over a few years. I went self-employed and built a robust business first in the UK, which I knew would work overseas. If you can, have another string to your bow as a backup.
Min Harike, Luxury Travel Designer, Beautiful Journeys, Travel-PA
I joined Travel-pa in July 2023. I’m also a freelance make-up artist and I used to help my clients book their honeymoons and then the penny dropped that I could do this as a job. I had no sales experience, but had worked for British Airways and Emirates in the past.
I remember the managing director of Travel-pa, Hamish Kaumaya, saying this time next year I’d be among his top 10 sellers – and most months I am. I’ve done about £200,000 in sales since my first booking in September 2023 up to May this year.
Min’s typical day
Morning: No two days are the same, but Monday is my rest morning. I take time off for “me time” because I’ve usually had a busy weekend doing brides’ make-up. I’ve worked as a makeup artist for 18 years for Indian and English weddings. I call Tuesday ‘Travel Tuesday’ – I go through enquiries and itineraries I need to put together and get back to clients. Travel tends to be my complete focus on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Afternoon: I go for a walk or a coffee between 1.00pm and 2.30pm a couple of days a week to catch up with friends. Then I do my travel admin and deal with any enquiries. I also fit in chats with brides or admin for my make-up business.
The travel business is my ‘baby’. I don’t have children; I had a tough fertility battle for seven years and after having therapy it helped me to make the decision to cut back on my make-up work and start my travel business. A lot of my travel clients come from my make-up business. Initially I focused on selling honeymoons, but then I started to get hen parties and family bookings.
The two businesses are complementary. I thought it would be split 30% travel and 70% make-up, but it’s more like 50-50.
Evening: I tend to work in the evenings – it’s a habit I’m trying to break! I stop around 6pm to catch up with my husband and sometimes we take a walk before dinner. I log back on after we’ve eaten at about 8pm. I’ve had a few days where I’ve worked really late on complex itineraries.
I also log on in the evening to do my make-up admin work. My clients tend not to ring me at weekends because they know I’m usually busy with make-up jobs. I have often worked 18 hours on a Saturday: Asian weddings start early and brides have to be made up by 7am, so I would start at about 4am!
What was your first booking?
A £65,000 corporate group booking to Las Vegas for staff from my husband’s company. There were 26 people on the booking. I hadn’t actually finished my training when I made the booking, so one of the other Travel-pa homeworkers helped me with it.
PICTURE: Shutterstock/Saitee
Click here to read the 2024 edition of the Guide to Homeworking.