For some, it’s social media, with AI tools now helping to speed up the creation of eye-catching posts. For others, face-to-face contact is the way forward, whether that’s a shopfront on the high street or a pop-up stall where conversations can quickly lead to sales.
If you’re a small business – for example, a homeworking travel agent – your very first customers are likely to be the people who already know, like and trust you: friends and family. Do a great job for those first clients and referrals and repeat bookings will naturally follow.
At The Travel Franchise, we encourage every new consultant to share their story with everyone they meet. Word of mouth remains one of the most powerful ways to build trust, but we don’t stop there. To give franchisees the best possible start, we provide practical support – from cheat sheets packed with marketing ideas to webinars and even in-person seminars held abroad and on cruise ships, all dedicated to the art of finding customers.
One tip stands out above the rest. For those offering a personal service – where you are the unique selling point – the local community is a goldmine waiting to be tapped. Increasingly, franchisees are reporting significant growth by building local partnerships with businesses, schools, clubs and charities.
Our Partner in Travel scheme
To help franchisees make the most of these opportunities, we created the Partner in Travel scheme. The idea is simple. A franchisee partners with a local organisation – a football club, sports centre, charity, or school – and in return for referrals, the partner receives a share of the commission on every booking that comes through them.
The process couldn’t be easier. The franchisee simply logs the booking under Partner in Travel, and our accounts team calculates and pays the share automatically. To make things even smoother, franchisees can also provide their partner with a branded website to share with their community.
But there’s more to success than the system itself. A partner has to be engaged and motivated. That’s why local visibility is essential. The more present a franchisee is – whether at a school fête, a local fundraising event, or a Saturday sports fixture – the stronger the partnership becomes. People need to see you, know you, and connect with you before they feel invested.
Real results from real people
One couple, Stuart and Karen, started their travel consultancy part-time, aiming to grow it into a full-time business. They struck up a partnership with influencers who run a successful YouTube channel and vlog their holidays. The results have been impressive.
This year, the couple has booked eight cruise cabins through that partnership. For next year, they’ve already secured 13 cabins and expect to reach 30. With cruising being one of the most lucrative areas of the travel industry, this collaboration has been a game-changer.
“Their videos reach huge audiences,” Stuart explains. “When people ask how they book, they refer them to us. It brings in clients from all over the UK – Scotland, Devon – we’re based in Norfolk and would never have reached them otherwise.”
This case study illustrates how a local partnership can expand far beyond geographical boundaries. By tapping into the trust that audiences place in influencers, Stuart and Karen have extended their reach nationwide.
Why partnerships work
The principle behind Partner in Travel is straightforward. Partners are motivated to refer customers because they benefit financially. Customers, on the other hand, are reassured by a recommendation from someone or an organisation they already know and follow. Meanwhile, the franchisee gains access to a steady stream of new business without the time, cost or stress of traditional marketing campaigns.
The arrangement is win–win. The partner earns money for their club, school or channel. The customer enjoys a trusted service. And the franchisee grows their business without having to rely solely on cold prospecting or chance encounters.
The bottom line
For any new business, growth comes down to extending reach. But for people and organisations to truly commit to referring clients, they need to feel invested – and that means sharing in the rewards. That’s the secret. Yes, some commission is given away, but what you gain in return are customers and profit – without the exhausting effort of finding them alone.
Local partnerships turn goodwill into bookings. They transform community connections into sustainable business growth. And with Partner in Travel, we’ve built a simple, proven framework to make that process seamless for franchisees.
This article comes courtesy of The Travel Franchise, the UK’s leading travel franchise for people with no previous travel experience. Launch your travel business after just five days of training and work part-time or full-time, with ongoing support from industry experts.
