Nong stumbled upon her dream job when she spotted an advert for The Travel Franchise by chance.

“It changed my life. I have always wanted my own business, but for some reason I didn’t realise you could get a franchise in travel and I thought: surely this is too good to be true?”

Based in Swindon, Nong had worked in business development for over 10 years but longed to be her own boss and work in an industry that she was truly passionate about.

She knew that starting a business from scratch would be costly and that it typically takes a few years for new businesses to turn a profit.

However, she knew that typically franchises enable business owners to scale up quicker and thought the basic Lite package offered by The Travel Franchise was extremely good value.

“I was able to get up and running almost straight away and the business came complete with backing from head office, a system and structure, branding, buying power and ABTA-bonded protection for my clients.”

Nong invested in the franchise in January 2022 and started selling holidays under the company’s Not Just Travel brand, working in her spare time alongside her full-time job.

But after growing her client base faster than expected, it wasn’t long before she upgraded to the company’s Elite franchise package.

“I soon recognised the added value both for my business and my clients,” she explains.

Upgrading to Elite enabled Nong to earn more commission, join the company’s new Cruise Mastery programme, and gain access to a range of other rewards and incentives.

She also had the chance to work more closely with a wider range of Not Just Travel’s Business Development Managers, some of whom specialise in cruise and speciality destinations, with decades of experience in the industry.

“I love that there's so much to learn and I’m in the fortunate position to be connected to so many industry professionals and resources. It makes every day a school day - and it’s so much fun to learn and grow in the travel industry!”

Nong doesn’t regret leaving her old job as she’s built a business that’s sold just under £200,000-worth of holidays in just 12 months - and for the majority of the year she only worked part time.

“I began getting busier and busier and took the plunge after just eight months into starting my travel business to go full time. I am here for the long run, and I can already see how quickly my business has grown since making the move,” she says.

Nong says that she loves the flexibility of being her own boss and being able to attribute the growth in her business to her own hard work. And she also loves travelling.

“I love learning about new cultures, trying new food, seeing beautiful surroundings, meeting new people and appreciating the wonders of the world.

“I visited St Lucia last year for the second time. Since that trip I’ve been able to provide a really tailored itinerary for clients who want to go there too. I see real value in travelling as much as possible and recognise it as a source of inspiration and education to benefit my clients.

She also recognises that everyone has their own perception of what makes a great holiday and takes care to get to know her customers so that she can tailor-make their ideal vacation.

At the moment she’s busy crafting a couple of weddings abroad and a £26k family holiday in Florida.

“I love helping people make magical memories and hearing that they’ve had a wonderful time.

It's such a great feeling when you see their pictures and videos. It’s why I do what I do, to see moments like these and know you helped make it happen.”