Get to know us – meet Angela Paskin, Franchise Sales Manager

If you enquire about becoming a Travel Counsellor, you’ll be put through to our fantastic New Franchise team. In this ‘get to know us’ series, we’re helping you put a face to the name, so you can get to know the people who will take you on this thrilling new venture.

First up is our Franchise Sales Manager, Angela Paskin. Read on to find out why Ange loves her job, what you can expect from the recruitment process, and her advice for anyone wanting to set up their own travel franchise.

Hi Ange! Tell us a little bit about you and what makes you tick

I live in Worsley, Manchester, with my husband Dave and my two children, Harriet and Will. As a busy working mum, time can be limited but I love walking and getting out in the fresh air, home improvements (there’s always a project on the go at home!) and, of course, travelling! It’s important to create those special memories as a family.

How did you get into recruitment?

I began my career in recruitment over 18 years ago at a start-up travel business. I also worked in sales, legal, and commercial roles across various organisations, before joining Travel Counsellors in 2015.

What brought you to Travel Counsellors?

I joined Travel Counsellors fresh out of leaving a recruitment agency. Firstly, I was attracted by the people, as well as the ethos of the business. I also liked that I didn’t have to sacrifice my career to be a mum – at Travel Counsellors, I could have both! I love my job, my colleagues, and the business. I’ve never looked back since joining.

What’s the best thing about your job?

I love that we change peoples’ lives. We watch new Travel Counsellors go on a journey, from their initial enquiry through to joining and going on to build fantastic businesses. It’s great to see how becoming a Travel Counsellor has changed their lives for the better. I like to see people succeed and grow within our community.

What’s been your highlight so far during your time at Travel Counsellors?

There are so many fantastic highlights, but I would say being asked to attend a Holidays Please reward trip in June 2023, after the acquisition by Travel Counsellors in March 2023. This was such a great opportunity to get to know the Holidays Please agents and colleagues. I got a better understanding of their business model, which allowed me to best support the Holidays Please agents who chose to transition over to Travel Counsellors.

What can prospective Travel Counsellors expect from the recruitment process?
They can expect a relaxed but thorough process. Firstly, we as the New Franchise team will get to know anyone looking to become a Travel Counsellor. We’ll have a thorough conversation about your background and experience. We’ll find out your reasons for wanting to set up your own travel business, understand your needs and personal circumstances, and get to know what’s important to you. We’ll also tell you about the most suitable training programme we can offer you based on your level of experience in selling travel.

The process is completely at the candidate’s own pace, although we do encourage you to do your own research – this could include attending one of our events or getting in touch with an existing Travel Counsellor.

The final stages involve a meeting (which can either be in-person or virtual), where we’ll ask you to complete our franchise application form. We’ll also show you our Phenix booking system and some of our back-office systems and answer any outstanding questions you have.

From this, if both parties are happy to proceed, we carry out a credit check and issue our contract to review and sign. Once this is complete, we then reserve you a place on your preferred induction date.

How do you reassure people who have reservations about becoming a business owner?

By working through their concerns and learning what is important to that person. Our monthly events are a great way to get a feel for our business. They’re informal and allow you to meet some of our support centre colleagues – such as the trainers and the marketing team. There’ll also be a Travel Counsellor on hand to share their personal experience and answer your questions. One of the best ways to gauge whether Travel Counsellors is right for you is to speak to as many of our franchisees as you can – especially those with a similar background to you.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to set up their own travel business?

Do your research and establish what’s important to you in a franchise. Is it the technology? The support? The commission split? There are so many travel franchises on the market. We always say to shop around and see which ones appeal to you – then investigate further.

You need to make sure the time is right for you. Can you dedicate time to the training and building your business? We ask you to run your business on a full-time basis. The hours you work are fully flexible around your home life, but it’s not something you can do alongside another job.

Think about your potential customers. Do you have enough connections that would be interested in booking travel with you? Are you confident promoting your business through word-of-mouth and social media?

Lastly, are you financially stable? This is really important because although you’ll likely start building enquiries and bookings soon after launching, the commission is paid just before your customers travel.

In your opinion, what do you think sets Travel Counsellors apart from other travel franchises?

I think it’s our vision as a business. We’re all about care and that personal touch. We have fantastic tech, such as Phenix – our own booking system. The clever thing about Phenix is it allows our Travel Counsellors to put together completely bespoke itineraries quickly and easily. That really sets us apart, as the travel experience can be tailored to exactly what the customer wants. I also think our history is another massive selling point. We’re a proven, trusted business, and it’s been great seeing all the innovative developments come to fruition over the years. It’s amazing that we now have more than 2,000 franchisees globally in our community! Finally, I’d also say the 27/4 support which we offer to all our Travel Counsellors and their customers. It’s really reassuring for them knowing that there’s always someone on hand to help.

Are you ready for Ange and her team to help you turn your dreams of running your own travel business into reality? If so, get in touch today!