12 April 2017
As a Travel Counsellor, you’re the boss, and that means you decide how you work, what hours you work, and how you structure your day. With an increasing trend towards the need for more flexibility in our jobs, working from home and running your own business is fast becoming a popular career move for many.
It’s a move that’s been made by over 1,600 Travel Counsellors worldwide, who now benefit from having a rewarding career, with complete flexibility. We asked our Travel Counsellors to tell us what they enjoy being able to do now they run their own travel businesses from home!
Having complete flexibility
We’ll start with the obvious – being able to work flexibly is something many people dream of! In the words of Travel Counsellor, Marie Rowe, “Everything is a thousand times better when you work with flexibility!” And it’s true – we loved this little story from Travel Counsellor, Sam Peters…
“At 3pm every day I have coffee and cake with my husband. He works nights so I have a break at 3pm when he gets up. We can just chat and catch up. If I was working regular hours in an office elsewhere I would only see him at weekends.” Sam Peters, Travel Counsellor
Spending more time with their kids
Another hugely popular thing our Travel Counsellors enjoy they are their own boss, is having more time to spend with their kids. They love the freedom they have to do the school run every day, not having to worry about asking for time off to attend sports days, or being able to take thier kids to extra-curricular activities that normally happen during working hours.
“I love being available for the kids, whether its school runs, sports games, illnesses, parent’s evenings or taking them to a friend’s house. It means so much to me." Vicky Dyer, Travel Counsellor
Having their canine companions with them at work
Wouldn’t it be great to take your dog (or cat!) to work with you every day? We’ve got lots of animal lovers here at Travel Counsellors, so being able to take their pooches for a walk at lunch time, and enjoying some cuddles on their break is a real treat! Dogs really are a Travel Counsellors’ best friend!
“I can walk my dog. She sits by my desk while I am working and when I need a break, we go for a walk or just have a bit of play time. Even 10 minutes helps me ‘reset’ and come back refreshed.” Colleen Sommerin, Travel Counsellor
They can take a proper lunch break
Sometimes it’s the little things that make all the difference, like being able to sit down for a proper lunch break without worrying about how many minutes you’ve been away from your desk!
“I always make time to make a proper home-made meal. No more rushing through a shop-bought sandwich!” Petra Weidl, Travel Counsellor
They can work at their own pace
Running your own business means you’re the boss, so you decide when you start work, when to take breaks and when you finish for the day! A 9-5 routine doesn’t suit everyone – so whether you’re an early riser, or you’re more productive later in the day, you can set a routine that works for you!
“Being my own boss allows me to take every day as it comes. Sometimes I am ready to go by 7am and sometimes I just need to have a slow morning, enjoy my breakfast and ease myself in. In an office job, you can’t nurse yourself like that”. Lize Roodt, Travel Counsellor
They have more time for their customers
Another great benefit of working from home, is having more time to spend talking to your customers and really getting to know them without the added pressure of having to serve them as quickly as possible, or the stress of juggling admin and paperwork at the same time!
"I can dedicate time to my customers. I love being able to speak to them at 8 or 9pm. It works better for me and better for them." George Vermeulen, Travel Counsellor
They have more time for their hobbies
Having more time for your family is great, and whether you have children or not, it’s important to have time for yourself, and simply doing the things you enjoy! That might mean having more time to take part in your favourite hobbies, or simply meeting up with friends during the day!
"I like to go body-boarding, and now I can do it in the middle of the day if I want to!" Margot Speed, Travel Counsellor
Getting chores done during the day
Ok, so this one may not be at the top of everyone’s list of great perks of working from home, but as we’ve said before, sometimes it’s the little things that make all the difference! Like getting little jobs done around the house while you’ve got a spare 5 minutes – it’s just one less thing to do when you finish work for the night!
“Being at home means that you're able to stick the washing on, empty the dishwasher, feed the cat and do all the things that only take a few minutes but you can't do if you're not at home. Then when you are ready to finish work, you can enjoy the evening without having to catch up on all the household chores.” Marie Rowe, Travel Counsellor
Being able to go to the gym more
We all make excuses for not keeping as fit as we’d like, and it quite often comes down to time! After a long day at work, a stressful commute, and the endless list of chores when we get home, the last thing on our minds is going to the gym. But when you work from home, it’s much easier to find time for a quick workout!
“Now I don’t have an excuse not to go to the gym! Especially when I have quiet spells during the daytime”. Donna Meredith, Travel Counsellor
At Travel Counsellors, we understand that your time is precious. For many of our Travel Counsellors, the flexibility to do the things they love alongside running a successful business is the most important thing.
Get in touch to know more about how you can enjoy greater flexibility and make Your World Better.
