Mark Devers is one of TravelManagers’ newest personal travel managers (PTMs) and he has hit the ground running.
Devers, representative for Gembrook in Victoria, recently accepted the award for ‘New Personal Travel Manager of the Year’ at the National Conference awards night, both for his region (Victoria and Tasmania) and nationally.
Despite a strong background in the travel industry, Devers said he was initially wary of the pitfalls of moving from a traditional travel agency environment to TravelManagers’ home-based model.
“We had just moved the family to Gembrook in the Dandenong Ranges, so the idea of working from home and just visiting clients when needed really appealed. I spent a lot of time talking to colleagues and friends that had made similar career moves, and they all had only good things to say,” said Devers.
Devers said he was most concerned about the normal day-to-day aspects of running his own business – issues such as tax, accounting – but found the support from the National Partnership Office (NPO) a great help.
“Kellie Browning is one of TravelManagers’ state-based business partnership managers. She came to my house and answered my list of outstanding questions. My wife was able to sit in on the meeting as well, which was great because she has been and continues to be a big part of the success of this move.”
When contemplating making the move to TravelManagers, another issue for Devers to consider was how well he would be able to adapt to the new systems – particularly Tramada and Amadeus.
“I have been taken out of my comfort zone a few times to learn new things, but I think that’s a good thing!”
According to executive general manager Michael Gazal, the need to quickly establish a business that will generate sufficient revenue for a PTM is one of the main sources of concern for travel agents considering making the switch to running their own home-based business.
“Our PTMs relish the freedom and independence of working for themselves, but it’s the National Partnership Office’s job to ensure that every PTM, from the most experienced to the newest arrivals, receive all the support, in every area of business, that they need.”
Devers tips for success for newcomers are simple.
“Hard work and discipline are the secrets to my success. I make sure that I am always well organised, getting back to every client, researching every detail and ensuring that I put enough time into each and every client’s trip.
“And ask a lot of questions. I made sure that I talked to the right people (including my wife), and made long lists of positive and negative factors.”
Devers said the benefits of his move to TravelManagers go far beyond the financial success that he has achieved.
“Just the freedom with my time and the ability to be around more for my family and friends – those are benefits that can’t be measured. I can get a lot of work done in a short amount of time and I find I waste less time doing tasks that are typical to a bricks and mortar agency. Having my own business has opened many doors in my life.”
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