Laura Featonby has run Laura’s Travel Village for more than seven years but has taken a space in a former furniture store in Sale, near Manchester.

The building, called Emporium M33, now houses several independent businesses.

“I’m trading quite successfully, but I decided once Thomas Cook shut down I would look at getting a space in my local town,” the Travel Village Group member said.

One floor of the store where Featonby has now rented space is given over to bridal wear, an event company and a cake producer, and she is hoping to pick up business from the honeymoon market as well as other holiday enquiries.

She has engaged a local artist to decorate a backdrop and has point-of-sale material from Jet2.
“This is just round the corner from my old branch,” Featonby added. “I offer concierge visits in my local area, and a lot of people have said it will be nice to pop in.

“It is the next stage of a homeworker’s journey, moving from home to seek an opportunity on the high street. It’s great that we have something like this in our local town – it’s an affordable way to [move up].”