not just travel james and natasha

Homeworking couple to open shop after three years in industry

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A couple who joined the travel industry as homeworkers during the pandemic are now opening their first shop.

James and Natasha Oliphant, of Wokingham, Berkshire, launched Not Just Travel with James and Natasha in July 2020.

But on June 1 they will be opening a store at Longacres Garden Centre in Bagshot, Surrey.

More:   Not Just Travel agents see peaks momentum continue in March

“It’s scary and exciting, but it’s a natural step,” said Natasha, adding: “We’d like to double our turnover within 12 months.”

The husband-and-wife team, who will change their Abta licence but continue trading under the same name, now consider themselves as cruise specialists.

Three years ago, however, Natasha was working four days a week as a personal assistant with the NHS while James was employed in IT, with neither having experience of the travel sector.

James said: “We sat down in lockdown and I wanted to set up a new business for us and be our own boss. I presented the idea to my wife and she thought I was absolutely nuts with there being no planes in the sky.”

Yet the pair took the plunge after speaking to Not Just Travel co-founder Paul Harrison, who outlined his optimism about the industry post-lockdown.

And success quickly came the Oliphants’ way, with Natasha securing a £10,000 booking to the Maldives on her first day out of training.

Their average booking is around £5,500 – £6,000, James said, with cruises making up half of sales.

However, when they open their shop at one of Britain’s largest garden centres, they hope their business will grow further.

The omens were promising when Natasha arranged for a one-day test-run at the site last summer and ended up with a revenue total of £50,000 – £60,000.

Natasha said: “The foot traffic was phenomenal and we had enough bookings that it paid for our whole marketing campaign for this year, which led us to think, ‘Wouldn’t it be a fantastic place to set up permanently’?”

The couple have secured a second-hand cabin and agreed a three-year lease with an 18-month break clause.

“We want it to be different from walking into somewhere like Tui,” said Natasha. “We want it to be a place where people come in and have a coffee. We want to go down the luxury market and we’ve chosen a garden centre that’s in an affluent area and we want to meet those customers’ expectations.”

Natasha will stay in her job with the NHS, but James is now working in travel full-time.

Depending on how trade goes, the Oliphants will consider opening a second premises and might hire staff.

James said the past couple of weeks have been “surreal”, adding: “It feels like someone is going to wake me up from this dream.”

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Sejal was really supportive with a last…

Sejal was really supportive with a last minute booking, she provided multiple options for our trip to Cape Verde. The whole trip and hotel was arranged to perfection and we had a fantastic time getting some much needed winter sun. Looking forward to booking our next trip with Sejal and Not Just Travel.

Date of experience : 27 December 2023

We’ve just had the best time in New York

We’ve just had the best time in New York! You guys are amazing and made the holiday so much more enjoyable with seamless approach and assistance when needed.
 The whole our experience with ‘Not Just Travel-Prendergast’ was fantastic ! Prices, service and holiday options were excellent! Overall experience from end to beginning was impeccable. A lovely touch was the one time pass to the airport lounge so we could relax before our flight🥰 I would definitely book another holiday with ‘Not Just Travel-Prendergast’ Thanks for a great trip! Highly recommend!

Date of experience : 19 February 2024

Great help from start to finish

Great help from start to finish. We used James & Natasha for our cruise to Singapore as they came recommended to us. We haven’t travelled that far before or with the cruise company but the team made it all so easy and were always available to answer my numerous questions. We are going to book our next cruise with them. I would t hesitate to recommend to all for their holiday needs.

Date of experience : 05 February 2024

Excellent Service

Samantha Green is my contact at Not Just Travel and she has been invaluable. My upcoming trip to Portugal she has booked my hotels and gave me a good selection to choose from. She also had some good knowledge of the area I will be visiting. At the same time as booking Portugal, I also asked for a cruise and stay booking. This was tailored to my requirements. Samantha was very helpful and has booked the entire trip for me

Date of experience : 23 February 2024

A very well organised

A very well organised, two destination holiday comprised of people from various parts of the UK. All aspects of travel catered for resulting in worry and stress free travelling. Hotels, ski hire and lift passes all arranged and of excellent quality. Nothing to fault at all.

Date of experience : 16 January 2024

What an amazing experience from Start to finish. Natasha and James listened to what I wanted in a holiday and they provided some excellent advice . Would definitely be booking again! Thank you James and Natasha

Date of experience : 01 March 2024

Amazing Booking Experience

This was our first time booking a Holiday through an independent agent and it certainly won’t be our last! Reshma was so knowledgeable, friendly, and helpful when providing us with a quote for our large group family holiday in Aug. It was instantly clear to see that Reshma takes great pride in her work and was extremely passionate about travel. She went through all the options with great care and attention to detail finding us a holiday package that would suit every member of our large group who varied in ages from 6 to 75. The level of service she has provided goes above and beyond any online tour operator that I have used in the past and has taken all the stress out of the booking process, going forward Reshma will be our one stop shop for all our travel needs!

Date of experience : 28 February 2024

Trip to New York

Trip to New York First time traveling to this destination and Adrian was 5 star 🌟 from start to finish Booking it, checking in flights both ways Checking I had all the relevant documentation , etc Didn't have to lift a finger! Just a fabulous experience can't wait to book the next one! Thank you Adrian Doyle 😁🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Date of experience : 01 February 2024

Brilliant, professional service!

First time using an agent rather than do everything myself. Wow what a difference it makes! Theresa really listened to our requirements and found us an amazing holiday. Everything was taken care of which really took the stress out of our preparations. Look forward to booking our next holiday with Not Just Travel.

Date of experience : 12 December 2023

Tracey Carter is so lovely

Tracey Carter is so lovely, helpful and finds the best holiday deals that match exactly what we want. She is so quick to respond and makes booking a holiday stress free would recommend her to anyone she is amazing.

Date of experience : 27 February 2024

Gemma poppy outram

Gemma is so helpful and takes all the stress out of booking a cruise for us. So pleased she was able to help us again and we are already thinking of next year and getting Gemma to help us. Would 100% recommend Gemma, so helpful and a pleasure to book with.

Date of experience : 24 March 2024

Andrew Walker And Anthony Hyde from Not…

Andrew Walker And Anthony Hyde from Not Just Travel - Latitude Life. This was our first experience of cruising and a celebration for my 60th Birthday, so we required specialist advice. From my first conversation with Andrew, I just knew that we were in great hands. Andrew listened to everything that we required from our cruise and was able to fully answer all my questions and concerns. He then matched us to a Fred Olsen Cruise aboard MS Balmoral and departing from our local Port in Newcastle. We were provided with clear instructions and documentation from day 1 and this continued throughout, to ensure that we also had the best choice of excursions, just as soon as they became available. The booking and build up to our cruise was effortless, thanks to Andrew’s diligence and regular contact. This also continued throughout our cruise and when we returned home. We had the most amazing experience and this trip was more than we could ever have hoped for. The staff, food, atmosphere and activities were perfect and we loved the opportunity to visit the Fjords and marvel at the Northern Lights. We came back totally chilled and relaxed by the whole experience and keen to book another cruise. Andrew and Anthony even took the trouble of hosting a Zoom Call with us, upon our return to hear all about our experience and any feedback, to ensure their continued service for all their future clients. Huge thanks to Andrew and Anthony for your exceptional knowledge and service. I am recommending you to all my friends who are also thinking about embarking upon their first cruise. I wish you continued success. You so deserve it!

Nickson Travel for stress free travel

I have used Annika Nickson a number of times now and I am only just getting round to reviewing her!! However, every time I have used Annika, she has been fantastic, which is why I am a repeat customer!! Annika works with what you want from your holiday, and then makes sure the process is super stress free and organised. I got a message from Annika to let me know she'd checked us in for our return flights, and I thought to myself how thankful I was for Annika as I had forgotten all about checking in!! I will be using Annika again as soon as I can afford to book my next holiday, and absolutely recommend her!!

Date of experience : 18 February 2024

Shelly Murphy- Not Just Travel

Shelly Murphy- Not Just Travel. I travelled using Shelly in September 23 to Cyprus (Paphos, King Evelthon Hotel, All Inclusive) for 10 days. My dad and I were after a specific package with private transfers and specific seats/flights. Shelly couldn’t have done anymore(even taking measurements of seat depths for us to compare) The hotel itself was perfect! We were slightly worried with the reviews of the hotel, but we could not have asked for a better stay I would visit again in a heartbeat! The room was better than any room I’d had through TUI and she even sorted parking and transport to and from the hotel! When giving a budget, we thought we would have to have 1 room and a sofa bed however, Shelly managed to arranged 2 separate rooms within budget which was PERFECT! There were some changes to our flights due to cancellations and Shelly worked round the clock to sort alternatives (even whilst she was away herself) the service was second to none Shelly took all of our worry away and I couldn’t recommend her enough. Thank you Shelly!

Date of experience : 11 September 2023

Just returned from a fabulous drip to…

Just returned from a fabulous drip to Rome to watch the England Rugby match booked through Adrian Doyle - Not Just Travel nothing was too much trouble for Adrian and his attention to us during our trip was really appreciated right down to the welcome home card waiting for us. I would highly recommend Adrian for all your travel requirements.

Great personal service

We recently booked a holiday to Gran Canaria through Wild About Holidays. We went desperate for some winter sun but a bit cautious of a very different experience to our usual active, independent holidays. Diane and Caroline gave us excellent advice on hotels and things to do. The booking process was seamless - they did everything! And Jet2 gave their usual excellent service. We loved it - our first package holiday - and felt very well supported throughout. The personal touch really worked for us, so different to working with a big agency. Thank you Diane and Caroline!

Date of experience : 04 February 2024

La Cala Golf & Spa with Not Just Travel

Well done Illesh Amlani & Rinx Amlani for organising our trip away for twelve golfers. It all ran like clockwork, flights, transfers and a fabulous resort. Will definitely be going back, hopefully minus the rain.

Andrew Walker and Anthony Hyde from Not…

Andrew Walker and Anthony Hyde from Not Just Travel - Latitude Life organised a fantastic trip for our family of four to Lapland in Finland. Brilliant trip and their support was amazing, answering all our questions, reminding us of what to take and keeping in touch whilst we were there including helping us with flight updates when the plane was delayed. One of the best and most memorable trips we’ve been on. ❄️☃️🏂🌨️🏔️

Date of experience : 29 December 2023

Honeymoon booked with Gemma Standish

We booked our honeymoon with Gemma Standish and we had the most amazing time. Gemma is an expert on safaris so she was able to give us loads of information, tips and options to help us choose the perfect option for us. She helped us to choose 2 safari camps and then a week in Mauritius to chill out afterwards. She made sure that all transfers were sorted so everything ran completely smoothly and we could fully relax. Communication is always great and Gemma works really hard to make sure our holidays are perfect for us. This is our 3rd booking with Gemma and we are already looking at our 4th! Thank you Gemma for ensuring we had an unforgettable honeymoon!

Date of experience : 22 January 2024

Booking a holiday was a breeze with Gemma!

I contacted Gemma Standish for my honeymoon. I was unsure on where we wanted to go, Gemma gave me lots of brilliant options all within our budget. She has found us the perfect honeymoon and I am so excited to go. She made booking a honeymoon stress free and a lovely experience! Would highly recommend to anyone who is looking to book holidays

We’ve not spent a penny on advertising to grow our successful travel franchise

Not Just Travel franchisees Natasha & James Oliphant work on their business part-time, haven’t spent a penny on ads and are still successful. They told us how they do it.

Both Natasha and James are busy people. Natasha works part-time for the NHS as well as owning a beauty business. James previously worked full-time in IT. They were looking for something James could thrive in and – with travel being a combined passion of theirs – starting a personal travel consultancy was a natural choice.

“We were in lockdown and thinking about what’s next for us both,” says James. “In terms of what are our passions?

What would we like to do for the rest of our lives? And it was very clear to me that doing nine to five wasn’t the future.”

The couple spent a long time exploring their options, and it was clear that travel was the winning sector to focus on.

James continued: “From our very first date, we spoke about the types of travel we’d been on individually and where we’d like to go in the future. It’s always been a big part of our lives.”

And Natasha elaborated that it was after a bad experience elsewhere, that they realised they could really make a difference.

“We had a really bad experience as a consumer after booking a holiday with another company and then having to cancel due to the pandemic. It was a catalyst to saying ‘we could do this so much better’. After watching the video tour, reading reviews and speaking to others out there, I knew The Travel Franchise from Not Just Travel was right for us. The one thing all our friends know us for is our passion for travel. So, this is a natural step for us, it wasn’t surprising for anyone we knew.”

Word of mouth has always driven their business.

The couple love talking about holidays. Natasha explains that although you get everything you need to get started with the franchise, you still need to put the effort in to make it a success.

“It can be hard-going, but it’s all about the kind of personality you have. You’ve got to have confidence. Just go out there and start talking to people about holidays.”  

They also leverage social media sensibly, being helpful and active online.

“We’ve not paid for one advertisement since joining and have just worked social media,” says Natasha. “Clients find us from our Facebook page. And we join a lot of the holiday groups and provide free advice.”

Natasha also explains how her beauty business is a great place for conversations about holidays.

“A lady booked an eyebrow wax with me for £10. It turned into a holiday to the Maldives worth £23,000.”

And being on holiday is perhaps the best place to find customers of all.

James told us:

“I think every holiday that we’ve been on, we’ve got a booking from someone that we’ve met. We went on a cruise at Christmas, met a couple of people and they booked with us to go on a couple more cruises.”

And a recent trip to South Africa created 13 new customers at once.

“We recently did a booking for Borneo. It was 13 individual bookings because we had taken a trip to South Africa and made friends with everybody on the trip. And we’re actually doing the tour with them as leaders, taking all 13 as our clients.”

This is a business for the long-term – and it was free…

It shines through that both Natasha and James love their work and their customers. For them, holidays aren’t just about making bookings. They’re about helping people create memories.

“Obviously we’re here to make money, and the value of the bookings are great,” James says. “But it’s the stories behind them that make them stick. We’ve helped people propose. We’ve helped people spread ashes. We’ve brought together families. I think those untold stories of travel are what really make every day special.”

That level of care and attention means people are coming back to book again and again. And they’re referring others to do the same, with a 5/5 rating on Trustpilot for their services.

All of that means they managed to make enough bookings in their first year to beat Not Just Travel’s unique Money-Back Challenge, which qualified them to get their business start-up costs refunded.

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