Janine Marshall freely admits her detour into travel was something of a happy accident after her specialist green tea business became a victim of the pandemic.
Marshall had got her Matcha Now brand into upmarket retailers like Harrods, Whole Foods Market and M&S, but then Covid came. “Lockdown was quite a dark time for me,” she tells TTG.
However, a chat with a friend put InteleTravel on her radar. “I didn’t really join to sell travel, more for the discounts,” she says. “But I started doing some training, which lifted my state of mind. I began to think, ‘this could have legs’.”
Within a couple of years, she had left InteleTravel for Protected Trust Services and started building up her own homeworking outfit. Janine Loves Travel (JLT) now has more than 400 agents on its books and has made £14 million in travel sales since January 2024.
Building a business
JLT’s homeworkers are a mix of experienced agents and newcomers. Many have other businesses or jobs, including midwifery, all of whom sell travel to supplement their incomes.
Marshall has big plans for the business, which she says has grown more quickly than expected. The group recently held its first conference while four roadshows are planned for later this year.
Bournemouth-based Marshall has built up a “core” team of 10 – all working remotely – to support the growing band of homeworkers, who bring experience in areas such as Disney, cruise, package suppliers and software support.
JLT offers an online academy to get new homeworkers up to speed, which takes around three to four weeks to complete. Agents pay a one-off joining fee of £297 and then either a business (£87) or first-class (£127) fee per month, the latter offering more business marketing. Commission is split of 80:20 in favour of the homeworkers.
“We’ve just launched a live reservation system with all the bed banks and flight consolidators plugged in to streamline dynamic packaging,” Marshall explains.
JLT has an Atol for 1,000 passengers, and is applying to extend this. Dynamic packaging accounts for around 25% of JLT’s bookings, while 50% of sales are with major brands like Jet2holidays, Tui and easyJet holidays. The other 25% is a mixture of other products, including cruises.
Marshall believes her decision to let JLT agents use their own branding sets the network apart, although they need to make clear their businesses are “powered by the JLT Group”.
’Here to stay’
The majority of JLT homeworkers are UK-based, albeit with a growing number in Ireland. Marshall believes building a “supportive community” of agents through active Facebook and WhatsApp groups, and in-person events, has been vital.
“We have a fun, close-knit community, which has more of a family feel,” says Marshall, adding she is keen to do more face-to-face events.
As for future growth, Marshall wants JLT to keep growing organically. Another priority is further enhancements to the group’s software, provided by Top Dog Travel Systems, to extend its dynamic packaging capabilities and integrate operators and cruise companies.
Marshall has worked and run businesses in several sectors, but is ready for an extended stay in travel. “I fell into travel accidentally, but I love it,” she adds. “It’s a great industry – the people are great and I love going to networking events.
“Everyone is inviting, motivating and supportive. That’s what drew me in – and with a long-term plan, we’re here to stay.”
