Working Mother: Tips on How You Can Run Your Own Home-based Business

Do you want to start your own travel business from home? If you have a passion for travel then Travel Counsellors offers you a unique opportunity to launch a home-based business in the UAE offering complete flexibility to work around your family. 

 

Learn some tips from Katie, an expat mum on how she's managing her own home-based business travel agency in partnership with a global company.

 

I am a British Expat originally from Weston-Super-Mare a seaside town in Somerset, England. I have been living in The Middle East for over 9 years and I can honestly say that it now feels like home. I have 2 boys Freddy who is 6 and Sonny who is 4 and a half and I set up my business as a Travel Counsellor around 3 years ago.

 

I had previously worked in Travel Industry in the UK and when we arrived in the Middle East I honestly thought I would never have the opportunity to go back to work again. After starting a family, it was getting harder to find the right opportunity as it was all full-time hours or hours that didn’t suit as my husband travels a lot with work. When I moved to Dubai from Qatar I was determined to get back into work, I had heard of travel counsellors when in the UK and as soon as I saw the advert I called and have never looked back. The thought of doing a job that I loved and being able to fit this around my family was a no-brainer. I needed a job that gave me the flexibility to still take the children to school and attend the endless school meetings that seem to never end. I even get to go to their sports days and concerts! 

 

I set up the business after completing the Travel Counsellors induction training but as a business owner and working in such a dynamic industry I am still learning new things. The support on offer from the Travel Counsellors head offices is excellent and I also have access to lots of online training via our Coach platform allowing me to access modules from home and work through things at my own pace. I also learn lots from the other Travel Counsellors in the region, it’s nice to have the support and camaraderie of colleagues while still being a business owner. We often get together for coffee mornings, product training or see each other at the regular site inspections we get invited to by local hotels. 

SEE ALSO: 7 Things You Need To Consider If You Want To Start Working From Home

When I initially launched my business as a Travel Counsellor Sonny was 18months and Freddy was 3. It was a challenge at those early stages but very quickly I set up a dedicated workspace in my home, got into a routine and really adapted to utilise my time more effectively allowing me to create a great work/life balance. I find it’s really important to plan ahead and to set myself goals on a monthly basis. Having my own business allows me to have the flexibility that I wouldn’t get with a normal 9-5 job. I can take the children to school, watch their concerts, sports days, Dr's appointments and more importantly still have quality time with them that we all cherish as parents as we know how fast the years go watching them grow up. I can also take extended leave during the school holidays and not have to worry about childcare for the ever-expanding school holidays. My business is also highly portable allowing me to still look after my customers when I am out and about.

 

I get up early and get my kids ready for school. After the school run, I start my day in the gym before getting back to my desk at home. My morning is generally consumed responding to the emails that have come in overnight before I spend much of the day talking to customers, researching and planning their itineraries, liaising with suppliers, making bookings, networking or marketing my business through email and social media. I then go to collect my kids from school and generally 5pm-7.30pm is a family time where we do an activity, homework, have dinner before its time for bath and bed. The flexibility of my business means that after my kids are in bed I can get back on my laptop and finish anything I didn’t have the chance to do during the day. I also find that many of my customers like the fact that they can contact me after working hours as that’s when they are at home and generally available to talk about their travel plans or confirm bookings.

 

One of the challenges is keeping on top of all the new destinations on offer.  I have such a passion for travel that I really enjoy researching and learning about new destinations that I haven’t been to or had customers travel to before. The UAE is so well placed for travelling too that my customers generally like to get away really regularly and often to quite exotic locations which keep me very busy.

 

I would love to double my business over the next two years. I absolutely love what I do and I really enjoy the financial freedom it offers me. I meet a lot of mums who don’t believe they can manage work and family life, particularly as an expat without the support of an extended family who are in their home country so it’s been great for me to have that sense of self-worth. Over the next two years, I expect to see myself making a significant financial contribution to my family’s future which is really important to me. 

SEE ALSO: What Makes Travel Counsellors Different? Our People

It’s a fantastic Career. Travel Counsellors offers a professional business opportunity with all the fabulous technology and back office support you would expect from a global company but with the benefit of being home-based. Not only has it given me the opportunity to grow an amazing business, but it allows us as a family to balance our family time and work life. I can now contribute to the Family income without the guilt of being away from the children all day.  If you are looking for a rewarding career, have an entrepreneurial spirit and a love of travel then this is a career move you can’t really afford to let pass you by. 

 

If you are interested in finding out more about becoming a Travel Counsellor in The UAE you can email [email protected] or call 04 3166668 quoting “Expat Woman”