SUSAN Gillespie is always in holiday mood.
Working from home as a franchisee with the Travel Counsellors network, she helps hundreds of customers get away to the sun, the sea or the ski slopes. And even in these tough times, she finds her services are in demand – although holiday-buying trends have changed.
“People used to look for long-haul holidays in exotic locations,” she says, “That’s not typical this year – and probably won’t be next year, either. People who might have taken two or three breaks a year are trying to consolidate them into one big holiday. They are saving for something a bit special.
“There is also a trend to leave things to the last minute when booking a holiday – not that there are tremendous bargains to be had because the suppliers have cut capacity. People want to get away to somewhere they are guaranteed a bit of sun.”
Susan, who grew up in Meltham, found her way into the travel business after an enjoyable 14 years as a commercial photographer – and a big mistake in her first choice of career.
As a student at Holme Valley Grammar School, Susan decided she wanted to go into hotel management. “Why, I don’t know!” she admits. She reckoned without the unsocial hours, modest pay and sheer hard work involved.
“I could only see the glamorous side of standing behind a reception desk,” she says.”I completed the course at Huddersfield Technical College and I did my work experience at the George Hotel, but I never worked in the industry full-time.”
After getting married and having children, Susan began working for Tempest Photography, training as a school photographer. “My mum already worked for the company and they encouraged people to take on family members,” says Susan. “Although the company is based in St Ives, Cornwall, the photographers worked from home.”
While the work sounds repetitive, Susan enjoyed her spell behind the camera. “You went somewhere different every day and the kids were nice,” she says. “It fitted in with school hours and there was always the chance to do wedding photography or other work.
“It’s also when I realised how important it is to look after the customer. If you didn’t do a good job, parents didn’t buy the photos and that would be reflected in the commission you earned.”
One day, Susan read a newspaper advert about a franchising opportunity selling cruise holidays. She says: “I was a photographer until my children grew up. It was also at the time that the photography industry was changing to digital – which I found very difficult to get to grips with after using film for so long!”
Susan ran her cruise holidays business for five years before deciding it was too limiting. “I was quite surprised by how many people are not interested in cruises – even though it was a fast-growing sector.
“A friend who also had a cruise franchise knew a couple of people who were Travel Counsellors and told me how the business worked. It sounded so much better than what I was doing in terms of back-up and support, so I investigated further and took it from there. I had an interview and Travel Counsellors decided they would be happy for me to join them.”
Susan now works from her Netherthong home, saying: “I have never looked back.”
Says Susan: “Everyone travels at some point during the year and holidays are what we all work for. Now I organise all sorts of holidays – long-haul, package deals, ski holidays and business travel.”
Susan also finds people like the reassurance of a voice at the end of the phone. “As the internet grew, people started to dabble in arranging their own holidays – booking flights and hotels themselves,” she says. “But it is not necessarily the cheapest way or the best way. During the volcanic ash cloud crisis, people were stranded and had no call on anyone because they were responsible for their holiday. If anything isn’t right, it’s your own fault.
“It is all about customer service – giving your client the best advice you can from the initial inquiry until they get back home. It means there is someone to sort things out.”
Although Susan works from home, she recognises the value of meeting other women in business – which is how she hit on the idea of setting up a networking group.
Susan has launched Ladies Who Latté and Lunch to bring together businesswomen working in the Holme Valley once a month. About 20 people are expected to attend its first meeting at 11.30am tomorrow at the Huntsman, Holmfirth.
Susan says the idea is to offer an alternative to networking groups with rigid rules where everyone has to provide referrals and give presentations on their businesses. “The idea is to have a group of businesswomen talking about what they do and promoting their own business, but in a less formal atmosphere. I think chatting to people is sometimes the best way to promote your business.
”I think many women feel more comfortable in the company of other women, especially if you have an opportunity to speak. I was surprised how many women there are running their own businesses. Other women who attend will be employees representing their companies.”
Susan plans to hold the monthly lunch-time meetings at different venues and hopes to line up Woodsome Hall at Fixby for a future event. That’s not entirely unconnected to her relatively new-found love of golf.
Susan and her husband Stephen started playing golf about two years ago – and the reason why takes her back to the subject of holidays.
“We went to an auction at Yorkshire County Cricket Club and Stephen bid for a holiday to South Africa,” she says. “It wasn’t until after he got it that we discovered it was a golfing holiday – so we took some lessons and, surprisingly, we became hooked!”
Susan joined Woodsome two years ago and plays twice a week. “There is a ladies section which plays every Tuesday and I have made a couple of good friends as well,” she says.
“When you work at home there are days when you might not see anyone. Golf is a good way to meet people and talk about what they do and their families.
“I’m an ‘improving’ player. I have knocked two points off my handicap, but it is a nice social thing as well.
“I used to drive past golf courses and think ‘why would anyone do that?’ But you can get out there and forget everything else that’s going on because you are concentrating so much. It is totally absorbing.”
