“The news is obviously full of scaremongering, so for the first week, we were like – ‘what are we doing?'," says travel agent Emma Norman. “But at the same time, there was a little fire in our bellies, and we said to ourselves – 'let’s do it, let’s take the leap' – because from here, the only way is up.”
Emma is about to open a new travel agency in her Cheshire village, which she’s calling ROAM, under the banner of Protected Trust Services.
However, she tells TTG in this exclusive interview that if the “perfect premises” had not suddenly become available, she and her business partner Elaine Slater might have thought twice about opening a high street agency while the travel industry endures yet another turbulent period.
“This probably wasn’t the perfect time,” she admits. "And we wouldn’t have done it if the perfect place hadn’t come up – somewhere we’d been talking about for months.”
As soon as Emma realised her dream retail space was available, she moved quickly. “Through personal contacts, I got there before it even went on the market," she reveals. "We were so lucky because the landlord said there were five other people who wanted it.
“Since we got the keys and started talking to our networks, everyone’s been so supportive, it feels like the right decision. Now the excitement is overriding the nerves!”
The building Emma secured is an old converted barn in her village of Farndon. “It has a room upstairs for a cosy consultation area, then there’s the main room downstairs, and a small kitchen. It has beautiful windows and old brick walls. It’s a real character property.”
Learning the ropes
Emma hasn’t always worked in travel. Her original career was in research and events, with her company responsible for running The Sunday Times Best Places to Work awards. But when children came along, she put family first, and worked part-time in a jewellery store, before helping her husband build his heating and renewables business.
“That was really handy to do but it’s not something I am passionate about, so when the boys went to high school, I started to think about what I wanted to do, and that’s where travel came in. It's always been my passion.”
She started out with Club Voyages, which proved the ideal training ground for a new-to-travel homeworker. “I started slowly, going to events, doing training and building relationships in the industry, and I’ve loved every single minute of it," she says.
"I wish I’d done it years ago, but I’m older and wiser now, and I’m doing things properly, so maybe it was the right time. It’s been amazing to work with [Club Voyages founder] Sam Ballard and his team, it’s been really bittersweet to leave them.”
Destiny calling
The motivation behind Emma’s move to the high street is partly driven by her clients. Basing herself at home, she sensed many were missing that human connection and were keen to meet her face-to-face.
“When clients are spending a lot of money on more complex itineraries, this can’t always be done by email or over the phone. I think it inspires trust when people have somewhere they can pop in and visit. Not to diss homeworking, but a lot of my clients are local, and I felt I’d reached the ceiling of where I could take things [without a shopfront].”
Another reason Emma is ready to take this next step is because she has the perfect business partner to do it with. She and Elaine became friends through their sons – their teenage boys have been best friends since primary school.
“We see each other every day, and we’ve travelled together,” Emma says. “We’ve got a strong connection and we’ve always talked about opening something, like a little wine shop or a book store. We live in a lovely village, which is community-oriented. 80% of my clients have come from personal recommendations – I don’t have to advertise that much really.”
Given Elaine worked for Sykes Cottages, a travel business emerged as the most logical option, with the two friends complementing each other’s strengths. “Elaine brings a wealth of experience in the financial and operations side, which I really dislike, while I love the front of house aspects, and dealing with customers.
"We feel both of us coming together is like a dream team. I wouldn’t be able to do it without her, and she said the same about me. It’s lovely, we’re both super excited.”
Luxury hotel vibe
With no major work needed on the property, the pair have the fun task of designing the interiors, while working towards a 29 May opening date – this Friday.
The aesthetic of their retail space is an important part of their vision – they want a space that feels “less transactional, more human,” explains Emma, and that filters down to the finer details such as the store playlist and its fragrance. “We want that vibe of a luxury hotel,” she adds.
For the main room, they have purchased a large table seating up to 10 people, which they are calling The Journey Table. This will be a sociable hub where they can co-work, and share ideas and inspiration with clients.
It will also have the benefit of doubling up as a dinner table for intimate gastronomic-led travel events. “We’ve got loads of different ideas for client events around the journey table,” she says. “We want to create a space where people can pop in and say hi, and have a coffee or a drink, and just chat about their day-to-day or their holiday.
“The first thing we ordered was our Champagne fridge. Elaine’s husband is a financial director and he’s been trying to encourage us to go for Cava, but we’re like, c’mon, it has to be Champagne! If a client has just booked a honeymoon or a special trip, we want to be able to celebrate the moment with them.”
Their vision is also driven by sustainable principles, with their furniture acquisitions reclaimed, second-hand or vintage, and they’ve gone with a renewable energy supplier. In among the Jet2 bookings, and the tailor-made enquiries, when the world maps are spread across the Journey Table, Emma is hoping she can inspire her clients to make more responsible choices.
This year, Emma earned a place on TTG’s Sustainable Travel Ambassadors programme, which has inspired her to sign the Glasgow Declaration, signalling her business commitment to strong action. "We’re not perfect, and we’ve a lot of learning to do, but we do want to educate customers, and help them be more mindful of what they’re booking.”
Support network
They say it takes a village, and with the support of Farndon village behind her and Elaine, the future looks bright. And Emma has a travel mentor she can turn to for advice, her former boss, Sam Ballard.
“Sam has been amazing, and we really tried to make it work so I didn’t have to leave Club Voyages. But financially, it just didn’t make sense to stay; I needed to be independent and flexible.
"The whole team has been really supportive, and Sam has been through it all. He knows the challenges you face as a new starter, and he said I can call him whenever I need – he hasn’t kicked me out the WhatsApp group, yet! It’s nice to leave amicably and not burn any bridges.
“Opening my own agency just felt like one of those things, if I didn’t do it, I might live to regret it. We were so lucky securing the premises and it just feels like it’s meant to be.”
