How Hannah built a booming travel business for free in just 11 months and supported nine charities along the way

Hannah is proof that it’s possible to start a new business, make an impact and win back your investment in under a year.

Within 11 months of joining The Travel Franchise, she hit a set commission target and beat the company’s Money Back Challenge which means she gets the £14,995 Elite franchise fee refunded.

What makes her achievement stand out even more is that she chose to build her business through the company’s unique Partner in Travel scheme, pledging a percentage of her commission from every booking to charitable organisations. 

So far, nine charities have benefited, including Brain Tumour Research, Breakthrough T1D, Bedford Blues Foundation, Alder Hey Children's Charity, Willen Hospice, Papyrus Prevention of Young Suicide, NSPCC, Al’s Pals and FACES. 

A purpose-driven travel business

Hannah’s passion for travel began decades ago when she trained with Lunn Poly, but it was her father’s illness in 2019 that gave her the drive to combine business with philanthropy. 

After years of family fundraising and following her father’s wish for her to continue “giving back,” she and her husband, Jonathan, decided to research franchise options.

The Travel Franchise stood out thanks to its high level of support and its standout Partner in Travel scheme which enables franchisees to partner with a charity, local business or sports club.  

Hannah allows customers to pick their chosen charity but she also visits each one and makes a difference.

“We didn’t want to simply donate to charities, but to work with them too. That’s really important. I work very closely with every single charity partner.”

Her ambition now is to grow her travel agency, partner with even more charities, and eventually open high-street shops dedicated to raising funds and awareness.

The journey hasn’t been one she’s taken alone. Hannah praises the expert guidance of The Travel Franchise and its customer-facing brand Not Just Travel which provides every franchisee with a personal Business Development Manager for support and mentoring. 

She also found the company’s overseas mentorship retreats - included in the Elite franchise package - invaluable as she got to meet co-founder Steve Witt and received one-to-one advice.  

Looking ahead, Hannah plans to use part of her franchise refund for a family safari. More importantly, she remains motivated by the legacy she’s creating:

“I’m never going to be the richest person in the graveyard, but I am going to be the one that has the memory that I helped as many people as I can – dad would be proud.”