The owner of a growing homeworking business will launch her first high street store this week, in a space she first worked in more than a decade ago.
Aspire Travel owner Kelly Baldwin will open the doors to The Travel Hub on Cottenham High Street in Cambridgeshire on Friday (1 November).
Kelly, who started her business from home in January 2022 as part of Not Just Travel, has grown her team over the last two years and, due feedback from staff and clients, decided to open the high street office.
Kelly explained: “My previous career was in recruitment. I had never worked in travel and I started on the 4 January 2022 – I didn’t know what a pipeline was or anything about peaks, so it was a real baptism of fire that January!
“Now, over two years later, there are six staff who are all salaried. We all meet up in garden centres or at my home, but we really wanted to get a space for us all to come together. That’s a big part of the reason I came up with the Travel Hub, it’s for the wellbeing of the team as well as clients who want to meet us.
“We are not going solely into the shop, we are still all homeworking but taking ourselves to the high street due to the staff and customer demand, so it’s the perfect fit.”
In her previous career in recruitment Kelly had run her business out of the same Cottenham location until 2017, and when it became available in August this year, she jumped at the chance to rent the space.
She said: “It’s really gone full circle which is amazing to be going back to the office. The next 48 hours before we open are going to be flat out getting ready, but it’s really exciting.”
Kelly is also passionate about the Travel Hub’s community efforts.
She explained: “Our motto is ‘Travel That Gives Back’ and we wanted to keep supporting the community. We have helped lead a girls grassroots football team to victory and raise over £12,000 for local causes – we really want to give back.”
The Travel Hub opening day will include personalised chocolates and cupcakes to welcome guests as well as a ribbon cutting ceremony. Kelly also has a Fiat 500 which is being wrapped with the company branding.
The Travel Hub will be open Monday to Friday, and the six staff will work in shifts as there is currently space for three desks.
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Aspire Travel owner Kelly Baldwin will open the doors to The Travel Hub on Cottenham High Street in Cambridgeshire on Friday (1 November).
Kelly, who started her business from home in January 2022 as part of Not Just Travel, has grown her team over the last two years and, due feedback from staff and clients, decided to open the high street office.
Kelly explained: “My previous career was in recruitment. I had never worked in travel and I started on the 4 January 2022 – I didn’t know what a pipeline was or anything about peaks, so it was a real baptism of fire that January!
“Now, over two years later, there are six staff who are all salaried. We all meet up in garden centres or at my home, but we really wanted to get a space for us all to come together. That’s a big part of the reason I came up with the Travel Hub, it’s for the wellbeing of the team as well as clients who want to meet us.
“We are not going solely into the shop, we are still all homeworking but taking ourselves to the high street due to the staff and customer demand, so it’s the perfect fit.”
In her previous career in recruitment Kelly had run her business out of the same Cottenham location until 2017, and when it became available in August this year, she jumped at the chance to rent the space.
She said: “It’s really gone full circle which is amazing to be going back to the office. The next 48 hours before we open are going to be flat out getting ready, but it’s really exciting.”
Kelly is also passionate about the Travel Hub’s community efforts.
She explained: “Our motto is ‘Travel That Gives Back’ and we wanted to keep supporting the community. We have helped lead a girls grassroots football team to victory and raise over £12,000 for local causes – we really want to give back.”
The Travel Hub opening day will include personalised chocolates and cupcakes to welcome guests as well as a ribbon cutting ceremony. Kelly also has a Fiat 500 which is being wrapped with the company branding.
The Travel Hub will be open Monday to Friday, and the six staff will work in shifts as there is currently space for three desks.
The post Growing homeworking agency gets ready for high street launch appeared first on Travel Gossip.
Continue reading...
