Perfect Getaways is aiming to recruit up to 15 homeworkers by 2024 and add five more retail shops by 2025 after surpassing the £12 million turnover mark for the first time this year.
Diane Ibson became the business’s first salaried homeworker in March after joining the north-west of England-based agency after previously working for Blue Bay Travel.
Director Dave Palmer said a second homeworker is due to join the growing team in the next month.
To expand Perfect Getaways’ homeworking division, Palmer is looking for “experienced travel people” from across the country. “Ideally we would like between 10 to 15 homeworkers in the next year,” he said.
“They are salaried positions with the commission on top of that which makes it attractive. People who have left travel and want to come back are always quite good for us.
Since June, he has hired 13 staff members across the business, all of whom work in the agency’s eight shops. Perfect Getaways now employs 42 staff.
Palmer said the “majority” of Perfect Getaways hires have returned to travel having left the industry during the pandemic after being made redundant.
“We’ve been lucky,” he added. “We’ve been on a great recruitment drive, and we may well look at increasing the number of shops as well.
“We’re more likely to increase the number of shops than recruit additional people in the current shops, but once we’ve found the shops, we’ll need to bring in the people.”
He wants to add five more shops across Cheshire and Merseyside.
A new branch in Widnes opened in August with four new staff members. “We’ve been patient when recruiting, rather than hiring just anyone,” added Palmer.
He said new hires were attracted by the “uniqueness” of Perfect Getaways branches and the “laidback” approach of the workforce.
“We’ve got a brilliant commission scheme which is uncapped and paid monthly,” said Palmer, who also revealed he had just booked flights and accommodation for the entire team to go to Cyprus for two days in December to have a Christmas party.
On bookings, Palmer said: “For the first time we’ve reached £12 million in the financial year from October to the end of September. We had never reached £10 million before, so reaching £10 million was a landmark for us.”
Asked how Perfect Getaways managed to grow its turnover, Palmer said: “Bookings were being moved during the pandemic so we’ve had to find new customers and now people have gone on their holidays they want to book the next one.”
Pictured (from left): Managing director Nicola Palmer and Dave Palmer with Perfect Getaways staff