For most of her career, Genevieve Sheehan of County Cork, Ireland, sold travel packages to vacationers who wanted to experience the beauty, history and traditions of Ireland. By Patty Horansky
For most of her career, Genevieve Sheehan of County Cork, Ireland, sold travel packages to vacationers who wanted to experience the beauty, history and traditions of Ireland.
So, when the company she worked for went out of business in 2012, Sheehan relied on her sales skills, love of travel and many repeat clients to launch her own luxury travel service from her home.
“I always loved to put together the luxury packages,” said Sheehan, whose experience taught her how lucrative high-end travel could be.
Sheenco Travel serves a niche market, offering high-value, customized ventures to Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales for corporate and other well-heeled travelers.
“We’re not travel agents. We are luxury travel specialists,’’ Sheehan said of her Ireland-based virtual team. She is now offering franchises in the U.S., with a goal to have home-based offices across the country. There is an untapped market in the States, considering that about 90% of Sheenco’s clients are from the U.S., and about 20% of Americans have Irish or British ancestry.
Potential franchisees are encouraged to have a broad network of connections from which to build their businesses, and, of course, “A love of travel is imperative,’’ Sheehan said.
Candidates do not need experience in the travel industry, but a background in sales would be an asset. Sheenco provides four to six weeks of online training, software to customize itineraries, a business development manager and virtual meetings with members of the corporate team and other franchisees.
“They will get a crash course about everything there is to know about Ireland and the UK,” Sheehan said. Annual familiarization trips offer franchisees hands-on experience of Sheenco’s luxury travel experiences.
Unlike traditional travel companies, Sheenco’s corporate staff handles 70% percent of the franchisee’s work, from point of sale onward, including booking, payments and looking after guests throughout their travels. “That’s what makes it really, really unique,” Sheehan said. Additionally, franchisees earn 50% of their commissions upfront and the remainder after their clients’ travels, meaning they can start earning as soon as they book that first trip!
For anyone looking to escape the corporate world, has been downsized or wants the flexibility to work from home, now is the ideal time to explore Sheenco Travel. “The potential in this franchise is incredible,” Sheehan said. “There’s definitely a huge demand and very little competition.”
Patty Horansky