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Two former DialAFlight employees have turned industry heads with their luxury travel business YourTravel Group. Charlotte Cullinan reports.
Pic: John Stephenson (right) and Sam Cassem (second left) won Global Travel Group’s 2014 newcomer of the year award
YourTravel Group director John Stephenson has vivid memories of setting up the business and first-class specialist in 2014. “The first few weeks were crazy. My son Arnie was born two weeks after we launched, so it led to many sleepless nights, and a few grey hairs appearing.”
The sheer determination and 70-hour weeks put in by Stephenson and fellow founder and director Sam Cassem have clearly paid off. Turnover in year one was £1.2 million, and the team is on target to hit £2.4 million when their second year ends in July, with an average booking value of £5,500. “We sleep well,” Stephenson laughs. “But we invest every penny on wages or back into the company.”
The duo met while working as sales brokers at DialAFlight, after Stephenson had spent three years in recruitment, and Cassem worked in estate agency sales.
In early 2014 the pair were living together when Cassem offered to remortgage his house to invest in Stephenson’s business plan. Stephenson describes the following months as transformative: “We’d had bachelor lifestyles – out every weekend without a care. Then we both settled down with partners and spent four months setting up the business. We really grew up.”
YourTravel’s team, from left: Mikayla Kriel; Aniqah Cassem; Richard Moss; Kylie Rea; John Stephenson; Dale Whitney; and Sam Cassem
When they launched as Global Travel Group partners, Cassem was just 26, and Stephenson was 28. “We felt like kids in a big industry,” Stephenson explains. “We’d attend events and there’d be lots of astute and eloquent middle-aged people. But we held our own and made big claims which we’ve followed through on, and that’s earnt us a bit of respect.”
Now with five other employees, in November YourTravel moved from its offices on the Isle of Sheppey to new premises on Maidstone high street. The two account managers are both former DialAFlight colleagues, and the firm also employs a junior account manager, who is working towards a Level 3 NVQ in sales and customer service through the government’s apprentice scheme. Stephenson hopes to recruit another apprentice later this year, adding: “It works well taking on fresh-faced people who we can mould in our way – where service comes first – as they don’t have the mind-set that it’s all about making money.”
Focusing on service over profit is the cornerstone of their work ethic, and Stephenson is proud of the firm’s concierge service, which all clients receive. “We give our mobile numbers and treat people as friends, so get good recommendations. We’ll go the extra mile to change a
non-changeable ticket or refund a non-refundable ticket.”
The team has built its client base thanks to extensive networking across the country, and investing £120,000 in Google PPC advertising since launching, which has generated numerous high-value bookings.
Leisure accounts for 40% of sales, with the remainder made by corporate clients under the YourCorporate brand, which launched a dedicated website in February. The YourMarine arm is also planned, specialising in marine fares.
The agency also donates £1 per booking to international water aid charity Just a Drop, and volunteered to arrange a series of annual tours, which launch this summer. “Groups of 10 will fund and help build water tanks for Kenyan villages, and we’ll run and market them from end-to-end. They will be really amazing.”
Success earnt them recognition, with Stephenson among TTG’s 30 under 30 class of 2014-15, which he describes as “an inspirational year.” The firm also scooped Global’s 2014 newcomer of the year award, Travel 2’s best newcomer in 2015, and a nomination for the operator’s best business and first-class agent. “We’re still riding high from it all, and it’s shown current and potential suppliers we mean business and follow through on our fulfilment promises.”
