The reality of setting up a business from home.

If you read my blog yesterday and remain intrigued about what it’s like setting up a business on your own, I hope you find this post useful.

Back in 2005, there were no home-based travel recruitment consultancies; in fact, I couldn't find any home-based recruiter for any industry at that time. 

Yesterday I shared my TOP TEN TIPS and what I had to consider before setting up Progressive Travel Recruitment.

I started out with a small amount in savings and I needed income, so I had to be up and running ASAP.  I wanted to get it right from day one, but I couldn’t financially afford the opportunity to take baby steps.  

To create my USP and figure out what I would do differently, I drew on my experience working for large corporates (British Airways and Siemens) and my time spent with one of the largest travel recruitment companies in the UK. 

I jotted down what I respected and enjoyed, and what I didn’t, then I dropped the bad and kept hold of all things good. 

And that’s where it all started, in a ground floor flat in Manchester, UK. No fancy workstations or even a watercooler. I liked the idea of working as a digital nomad and I believed this model would be attractive to my new team. 

I had some concerns. What would clients think? Would they judge me for not having a flashy office? How would I meet candidates? How would I be able to tell they were genuine?  

All of which I needn’t have worried about, and in hindsight, I should have shouted about it. You could say I was ahead of the curve with this idea, and with the right tech, I could achieve this.  

Spare bedroom, desk, mobile, and a Vodafone internet dongle (remember them?) = office sorted and ready to go!

That was it; I had worked from home previously at British Airways, and without the distractions common in most offices I knew I’d produce better results. 

I wasn’t allowed to work from home in my previous travel recruitment job (I wasn’t even provided with a work laptop or phone), but I predicted my output would be twice as productive. I was right.  

As my main base was my home, it was essential I had the room to be as productive as possible in my home office; I needed a comfortable space with minimal distractions. 

There was only one - my rescue Labrador, Billy but that had its benefits. Not everything had to be brand new, so a great old school friend gave me some spare office equipment which I was so grateful for. 

During this time I also had to keep reminding myself of why I was doing this, and that I could make it. No-one doubted I could achieve my goals, but most of my connections preferred the security of a regular income. That didn’t bother me.  

I was a risk-taker, which proved to be a bit of a weakness and a strength, but this levelled.  

In every job I held, I was a consistent high-performer. In my last role as an employed travel recruiter, my output was regularly three or four times higher than those of my peers – I was proud of this, and it kept my focus. 

This had always been a part of my make-up, and for me, it was a huge help. 

Even as a student, doing temp work in the holidays, I was always driven and competitive; I would be the first to be offered extra shifts in nightclubs, bars, factories, and supermarkets. 

I came from a comfortable background where I could have lived off my parents and played golf every day during university semesters. I didn’t; I was excited about making money and the world of business. Golf was for after work. 

All combined, this gave me the confidence I was going in the right direction, but I also needed reassurance.

Having had experience as a supplier (British Airways) and a travel buyer (Siemens), I recognised the importance of supplier relationships.

I wanted to work with the best providers and understood how important a long-term mutually relationship beneficial was then, and in the future.

However, I was an unknown brand to many of them so I had to charm them to work with me at the best possible price.  

And, while I had experience as a buyer of services I was more of a salesperson, who is not always the best at purchasing (more on all my weaknesses in future posts), but I gradually improved.

Later in the week, I will share my experience of attracting talent to the team, selecting other suppliers where I had no choice but to outsource to experts (web, SEO, SEM, PR, payroll, and tech), coaching & mentoring, and empowerment.

Plus how my personal values helped decide who I hired and how the business would function as the brand started to grow.

Feel free to comment, or send me a DM if you would like me to answer any questions.  

Thank you for reading.  

James