1. What is the name of your business and what is your role? The company is called Tourvest Travel Services, and I hunt new business for the Seekers Travel and American Express Travel Services brands in KZN.
2. Describe your business in two sentences. I can do it in one sentence actually! Corporate/Business Travel Management.
3. How long have you been in business? I have worked in the Travel/Hospitality Industry for 10 years, and have been with Tourvest for 1.5 years.
4. How did you get into this business? After I matriculated, I was unable to further my studies and started working a guesthouse in Umhlanga. During this time I had quite a lot of interaction with Travel Agents making reservations etc. and I thought, what a great job but I can’t afford to study! After around a year later at the Guesthouse, I was reading a local newspaper and noticed a startup Travel Agency in Umhlanga was looking for staff, and after lots of hard working and convincing, I was given a job as a Trainee/Junior Travel Consultant. The if it was not for the branch manager, Caroline Helfer, giving me a chance, and taking the time to start training me up, I would not be where I am today, she changed my life by opening the door for me! I subsequently worked my way up the Travel Consultant ranks, live and worked overseas for a short while and then got into New Business.
5. What makes you go to work in the morning? Great relationships with work colleges, a great, big and stable company to work for, and the thrill of the prospect of closing deals.
6. What is your favourite part of your work day? Driving – LOL! – I love Driving! (and the things that make me get up in the morning above) J
7. Your secret to business success is? Building relationships, Working smarter – not harder, Keeping motivated, Never giving up and always striving to be better than the day before!
8. The best business advice you received is? People buy from PEOPLE. Make sure you are someone they KNOW, LIKE AND TRUST.
