“A lot of people who come to us are down on their luck,” says Mike McGuire, owner and operator of About2Travel, an internet-based travel company selling cut-price cruise holidays to the UK and international market.

Launched in 2000, the home-based franchise may appeal to the more unfortunate but, as luck would have it, most do not stay in the doldrums for long. Developed on the back of a comprehensive internet-based database of discounted rates created and constantly updated by McGuire, the back-room operation now operates 16 branches throughout the UK.

About2Travel is a more laid back affair than most. Customers make most of their decisions through surfing the database, which showcases video footage from onboard cruise ships, itineraries, ship information and fare details. Booking must be done over the telephone, which means franchisees need to complete the sale and provide any additional information the customer needs. The company keeps its costs down through minimal overheads, including marketing and advertising.

About2Travel only invests in internet-based advertising. Franchisees buy a ‘pay per click’ service, where About2Travel ads are placed on the site using a price bidding system. Typical advertising fees range from 60p up to £1.50 per ‘click through’.

Joining the company is fairly straightforward: there is a full-day ‘preliminary’ interview, which involves a series of presentations on the business. After this there is a two-day training period during which the franchisee works with McGuire on selling. It’s a baptism of fire. “From the first day they are picking up the phone and making sales,” he says.

The initial investment is £10,500, which includes six months of internet advertising for free. There are currently no royalty fees and no monthly fees to pay, although an administrative charge of approximately £10 per month is on the cards. The contract period is five years and there is no renewal fee.

McGuire provides seven-day telephone support services to all franchisees, which is particularly helpful given that 60% of all bookings are made on weekends. However, there is no typical time commitment at About2Travel. Some franchisees have full-time jobs and only work weekends, while others do it around another home-based job.

Prior sales or franchise experience is unnecessary. However, people who cruise regularly may have a slight advantage in knowing the product. In fact, McGuire says, many potential franchisees are initially clients.

Source: New Business Magazine

© Copyright 2002-2006 by newbusiness.co.uk