Soon after starting the year-long British Franchise Association's qualification in January 2025, Colin Martin-Weekes began addressing inconsistencies in GoCruise & Travel's 62-page operating manual.

Martin-Weekes, who is now a Qualified Franchise Professional, heard of the qualification because GoCruise & Travel is a member of the trade body British Franchise Association.

The qualification included sessions – both in-person and virtual – as well as assignments covering compliance, quality, customer data, starting a business, customer interaction, how to sell, events, marketing, and how to handle press enquiries.

Martin-Weekes admitted there were a couple of missteps he picked up while working through the qualification.

'Gentlemen's agreements'

He told TTG: “25 years ago, we started small so as we grew, we needed to put more standards in place and be fair and consistent across the board. We had lots of gentlemen's agreements in place.

“We took what worked well, and what didn’t, and then I actually rewrote the whole operating manual to make sure it was fit for purpose.”

One error that has worsened over time was the commission splits GoCruise & Travel offered, Martin-Weekes continued.

“Some agents have been with us for more than 20 years, some of whom are new, some have a part-time focus, some are full-time,” he explained. “I showcased it to them to get their opinions and their voice before we rolled it out.”

Another change GoCruise & Travel has made is to move away from being a territory recruitment model, meaning Martin-Weekes could only allow one franchisee to join the business from any particular area.

He called the previous model “restrictive”, highlighting how franchisees who operated near to each other had to all agree to participate in customer events before they could go ahead.

“At the time we were bragging about being the only homeworking agency to have exclusivity and rights, but it was kind of restricting our franchisees,” he added.

'A sturdy structure is required'

Addressing the wider homeworking sector, Martin-Weekes said: “With all due respect, there are so many homeworking agencies – you need a really sturdy structure and documentation procedures that support [homeworkers].

“Without meaning to sound rude or disrespectful, they seem to pop up everywhere, but I think homeworkers and franchisees might be doing themselves an injustice if they don't join a company who's got the credentials and the foundations to protect them as well as franchisor.”

When asked how outgoing franchisees are viewed at GoCruise & Travel, Martin-Weekes insists every effort is now made to part ways on “an amicable basis” with commission being paid into their accounts in full when its due while customer data is theirs to keep because “they brought the customer data in”.

However, he reveals before there was "ad hoc" approach that was neither "fair nor consistent". While on live bookings that are yet to depart, Martin-Weekes added: “There's an understanding that they work with us on the current bookings because they're still in play.”

Martin-Weekes reveals no homeworking agent has ever left GoCruise & Travel and moved to another agency during his six-stint at the Fred Olsen Travel Group brand. “We’ve had people retire and then they've collaborated with us,” he continued.

“We have different routes now to connect them with other franchisees who might who might take over their business and then arrange commission splits to balance out things with that individual so the business isn't actually lost from the franchisor if that makes sense?”

Martin-Weekes estimates “three or four” GoCruise & Travel franchisees either retire or sell the business on each year.
 

• Find out more about GoCruise & Travel in the TTG Homeworking Hub, packed with advice for existing and would-be homeworkers, and a Matchmaker tool to help you find the right homeworking company for you.