Is becoming a home-based travel consultant a realistic career change?

[P6662]

Home worker self employed hayes travel
I've been looking into the job roll i have no experience but willing to do the online training i need a new career at the age of 45 I can no longer do hairdressing because of Rhumatoid arthritis I need something I could do home basesd any advice appreciated thanks.

How do you get clients?

An acquaintance does self employed travel consultancy and posts constantly on SM about helping people with their holidays. I just assumed it with an MLM scheme and scroll past.

Do you know people who would use the service? she only gets likes from her husband on the posts, despite getting lost of likes for other posts.

It’s an MLM “opportunity” not a real job op. Remember with every MLM, you are the customer not the “businesswoman” they tell you that you are.

A friend at work also does this, she wanted to make it her full time job but shes found it pretty much impossible to make enough money to quit her job.

I don’t think it’s future proof. Most people just book direct online themselves.

No. People do things online themselves.

I have a friend with 30 plus years in the travel industry. Incredibly knowledgable and the go-to person at her travel agency for the more exclusive high end holidays.
She set up independently and lots of her clients came with her, but it just wasn’t sustainable as even a part-time job.
i think most people will either book direct or go into a physical travel agency to book or get advice on specialist holidays.

It's an MLM pyramid scheme pure and simple. Please don't waste your money.

Is your arthritis a dexterity or pain issue (or probably both)? Maybe restraining as a massage therapist would work, if it's not painful. That's something AI can't do!

It depends if you know enough people who will book through you.

I wouldn’t necessarily use that scheme - it’s an MLM in different clothing. I do know two people who make good income selling travel but one has a lot of friends and acquaintances who book through her to support her, and the other has picked somewhere she’s been a lot and has a LOT of knowledge in, that’s a popular destination from where she lives, and she seems to have established herself as a bit of an expert in trips there. Most people can’t go for long so they trust her to book things and make it work.

I don’t think you can compete on booking flights and hotels really these days though. It’s too easy for anyone to do.

No, it’s an MLM.

Who do you actually know who books things through an online travel agent in the first place? Anyone can compare on sky scanner or browse holiday packages.

There are independent travel agents who work from home and I’ve used one to book a multi leg trip to the US. My friend is also a travel agent for Hays and has considered working independently but decided against it because she doesn’t want to work alone. In both cases they have extensive experience working in travel and tourism so Im not sure how it would work transitioning later in life without that. People don’t need someone to book it so much as know about the places you’re going.

I had to unfriend someone on facebook because they became one of these. I couldn't post pictures of my holiday without them aggressively pushing that I could have booked with them. And I just don't see what the benefit of that would have been

Anything where you have to pay for the training and then pay to access the platform is generally MLM, not an actual job. Plus you’ll piss off everyone you know with your social media posting

If you like travel, why not set up an actual travel agent company? Can’t you just work as a travel agent? Either create an agency, or self employed?

seems a shame to leave something like hairdressing after a long time; I’d imagine you are very experienced. What about something similar / in the field like freelance stylist for production or TV - you could work less with a higher day rate if you could land something with a studio or theatre group. Or work for a big cosmetic brand selling hair products to salons? Xo

I also have two friends who do this and post about it and I assume it’s a MLM. Constant posts about matcha refreshing you before flights and how completely fulfilled they are making people’s dreams come true.

And never a review from a happy customer!

Its Rhumatoid arthritis chrinic imflamation fatigue and wide spread around every main joint dexterity too.

Massaging other people would be really painful for me thanks though. Im finding it very hard think of a job I can actually do its very unpredictable desease its an autoimmune desease.

It’s a MLM OP. They will charge you to join and do ‘trainings’ and then you get commission on holidays you book. Except you won’t book any or at least not enough for a small mild at the pub.
The business model will be based on recruiting more people who pay to sign up.

Please avoid, the people that sign you up to do so for a commission. not because they want to help you out. They push recruiting other people, rather than actually selling holidays. Look up "travel agent MLM" on google.

Hayes Travel is a genuine travel company - it has high street branches.

So it's not an MLM, self employed home workers don't earn money by recruiting others to the scam.

It's just like any other sales job. If you look on Glassdoor and other job review sites, you'll get an idea of earnings - not very high, to my eyes

Hays Travel - autocorrect defaulting to place name, damn it.

you could have a look at becoming an assessor for hairdressing trainees/apprentices? it would use your knowledge while not needing to physically do hair.

Hopefully with adequate effective treatment it should become better controlled and less painful.

Ref the independent travel agents- they’re MLMs and I have had to unfriend several people who started spamming me feed with it.

I know a couple of people IRL who have been left high and dry but the travel agent taking the money and not booking the holiday so I personally would stick with a large agent.