Business success for former travel agent

Business success for former travel agent

A woman has successfully opened her own travel agency after losing her job when Harvey World Travel collapsed in 2009.

Sophie Baker, who was one of 80 workers who lost their jobs when the company they worked for went under, launched Oyster Travel after getting training to help develop her business skills, the Norwich Evening News reports.

She set up shop on Old Catton - using a building that was once occupied by Harvey World Travel - and employed two of her former co-workers, Amanda Roper and Rachael Macrow.

Ms Baker told the news source that the company has been "so, so busy" since it began operating last autumn, describing trade as "tremendous".

"People have started to spend money and in a recession things can only get better," she added, noting that developing her capabilities before starting the company was "invaluable".

"It's nice to be your own boss," Ms Baker said, but admitted that it is hard work at present, as she is giving most of her time to getting her business off the ground.

And she urged people who are thinking of setting up their own enterprise to give it a try, saying: "There is a lot of free support available. If it's out there take it while you can."

The travel and tourism industry seems to have been a popular choice for entrepreneurs recently.

Earlier this week, Shevaun Joy and Lisa Manditsch, who both lost their jobs at West Yorkshire firm Specialist Travel, told Travel Weekly that they started their own firm after getting advice from bodies like Business Link.

Get the support you need to deal with redundancy. You'll find lots of helpful tips and advice on how to get back to work as soon as possible. ADNFCR-1957-ID-19587054-ADNFCR

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