Clare Stege, a homeworker of 10 years and member of the Travel Network Group’s homeworking division Independent Travel Experts, has opened up in the Derby suburb of Littleover.
The shop is around a mile from the Rolls-Royce engine factory, whose Derby supporters’ club made an impromptu visit during the opening celebrations on Saturday (20 September).
"I didn’t realise Derby were playing at home," Stege told TTG. "When a bus pulled up, a swarm of people came over the road and the supporters came in."
Stege’s mailing list contains an estimated 1,200 to 1,500 names, all of whom were invited to the opening. “We’ve been soft opened for a month, but I needed to do it officially – the weather was awful, but loads turned up.”
Stege regards the shop as an extension of her home office, but with frontage that allows her plenty of scope for marketing.
“We’re staying under the ITE umbrella as it’s an office space – it’s two desks and a window that gives us a lot of advertising space,” she said.
Stege added ITE business development manager Andy Baker had travelled from Woking to help with enquiries and hand out cupcakes and prosecco during the launch party.
Stege has been running CLS Travel as a homeworker for the past 10 years (Credit: Clare Stege / CLS Travel)
The shop boasts seven full-length windows facing onto two roads and is near a pub, cafe, school and community centre. It will be staffed by Clare and her husband Rod, a former Natwest regional director.
She said locals had welcomed her move into the premises. “The feedback from the village was we don’t want any more vape shops or Turkish barbers,” she said. “My business is built around community, I’ve always been ‘The Holiday Lady’, so I’m trying to build on what I have already.”
She has already found new client types. “There are so many people 60-plus that want a bit of help with things," she continued. "For example, I’ve done a Fred Olsen British Isles cruise, something I would not necessarily have tapped into, so I’m expanding the customer base we’ve already got. Some of the biggest feedback I've had is that people still really like physical brochures.”
Stege made the decision to lease the shop after realising the cost of Facebook advertising, upon which she relied as a homeworker, would cost the same as the rent on the two-year agreement.
She added: “I turned 50 this year and thought if I don’t do it, I’ll regret not giving it a go.”
