New to travel or want a portfolio career? Keen to run several businesses alongside each other? Made redundant? Turn to The Travel Franchise

The privilege of having a ‘job for life’ has long been a principle consigned to the past. Redundancies and job losses are all considered the norm within the lifespan of an average career.

However, according to the latest Future of Jobs Report from the World Economic Forum, employment experts are now predicting that the average person should prepare for “multiple career changes during their working lives”.

This entails not just a change of job, but an entire change of profession – several times during a person’s working life.

However, the trends don’t stop there. According to the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development, some 50% of professionals will be in a portfolio career by 2030. In other words, half of the working population will hold down more than one job at the same time.

Nowhere else reflects these trends more profoundly than at The Travel Franchise. As the number one travel franchise geared towards people who are completely new to travel, some 98% of its franchisees have never worked in the travel industry before.

“We welcome franchisees from every professional background imaginable, from bankers and fitness instructors, former military personnel and teachers, to NHS workers and musicians,” says The Travel Franchise co-founder Paul Harrison.

“For anyone craving a change of career, then launching your own travel business with the backing of a tried, tested and perfected business brand behind you, is a highly attractive option.”

What’s more, the majority join the franchise and run their businesses alongside their existing job in the first year.

“In the face of an increasingly unsettled economic outlook and heightened employment insecurity, more people are embracing a portfolio career that encompasses multiple streams of income via a mix of jobs,” says Harrison.

“Running their travel business at the same time as holding down a job gives them the ‘back up’ they are looking for to boost their income and give them career security. But as working in travel is so exciting, many then choose to make it their full-time career.”

Former banker Lynette Anderson initially started her business by investing in The Travel Franchise’s entry level Lite package, costing just £2,995 + VAT. Running her travel business alongside her banking job in the City, in her first month she secured £30,000 worth of sales.

Before long, she’d upgraded her package to the Elite (costing £14,995 + VAT) and soon realised she’d be better off ditching her banking job and focusing on her business full-time.

“Some people take (a travel franchise) on as a sideline or a hobby, but my goal was to make this my career and now I am able to bring in a similar, if not better wage, but have that all important work life balance. I won’t be going back to work in the City! Swapping the rat race for a job in travel that I love means so much more than I ever imagined”

Sejal Devlia, a former fashion buyer, has also redressed the balance. Having spent years focusing on tailor-made fashion, Sejal now focuses on tailor making holidays for her clients.

Then there’s Chris Scoble. From commuting on a stuffy train to London each day, this former suited and booted insurance broker now takes a short stroll from his home around the corner to his own office wearing his travel branded t-shirt. He’s also taken on a member of staff to help him cope with the demand, giving him even more flexibility.

For mums, the prospect of running their own business and fitting it around their children’s timetable is particularly appealing. This is certainly the case for Alison who is a mum of three young daughters living in the remote Shetland Island.

Likewise, for Helen Gage, having been a stay-at-home mum for over 20 years, she grabbed the opportunity to start her own career when her youngest started university.

Despite not having any commercial experience at all, Helen brought with her the key qualifications required by The Travel Franchise: an understanding of what makes great customer service and a passion for travel.

“Some 98% of our franchisees have never worked in the travel industry before so don’t have any of the technical know-how or industry knowledge – but all that can be learned. That’s why training and ongoing support will always be our top priority here at The Travel Franchise,” says Harrison.

Initial training is delivered via a live, online, five-day programme of intensive, group learning. From then on, a Business Development Manager is on tap to give support, motivation and guidance every step of the way. “None of our franchisees are alone. They may be their own boss, but we support them as much as they need, when they need it. After all, if they succeed, then so do we.”

With franchisees coming from all walks of life, The Travel Franchise is living proof that anyone can launch into the world of travel and become a successful travel consultant, working on their terms – and opening up a whole world of possibilities.