By trade, Caroline Swift worked in civic government, spending nearly a decade and a half as a court administrator for her local government. But with her daughters preparing to leave for college and an uncertain future as an empty nester, she knew the time had come to spread her wings and see what was available in terms of an entrepreneurial future. Caroline secured a position as a contractor with a local travel agency, but she felt as if she weren’t allowed to be herself or give it her all. That all changed when she discovered the Cruise Planners franchise opportunity. Cruise Planners is dedicated to helping home-based owners become independent travel agents. What caught her eye was the level of support the Cruise Planners corporate team provided. She took the proverbial leap of faith and became a Cruise Planners franchisee in 2021, operating in her hometown of Laguna Niguel, California.
Finding the Missing Pieces of the Puzzle
Once Caroline Swift had been introduced to the Cruise Planners franchise model and saw the level of unmatched support provided to their franchise owners, she realized that this was the missing piece of the puzzle she could never solve as an independent travel agent. “My top criteria when I decided to move from an independent contractor to owning a franchise was that Cruise Planners supports their franchisees. They do not compete against them. That was the biggest factor in deciding to go with Cruise Planners. Their technology is so advanced, and their CRM is extremely robust. It helped make the decision easy.” She was also impressed to discover that Cruise Planners is 100% female-owned and was rated one of the best franchise opportunities for women by Franchise Business Review. But what really closed the deal for Swift was the validation she received from existing Cruise Planners franchisees. “I reached out to other Cruise Planners franchise owners to ask how their experience has been. I asked more about the support of Cruise Planners’ home office, support, and technology, and if they had the chance to do it all again, would they choose Cruise Planners? The answer was always a resounding ‘Yes!’”
Leveraging Cruise Planners’ Robust Training and Support
Caroline Swift is very circumspect about working within the Cruise Planners franchise network. An observant individual, she’s keenly qualified to speak on what makes the organization so adept at both training and ongoing support – helping franchisees become the best independent business owners they can possibly be. From top to bottom, when it comes to making sure franchisees feel valued, Cruise Planners gets extremely high marks from Swift – especially the organization’s CARE Team. “Cruise Planners is the most wonderful organization to be affiliated with! The CARE Team is available on a daily basis to help with any questions I have. They support anything from a simple question in our CRM, to accounting, marketing, technology – everything. The best part is Cruise Planners home office does not sell travel themselves! They’re only here to support their franchise owners. We also have coaches that guide us and a very efficient marketing team that creates beautiful mail and digital pieces that are sent to my clients from the home office on my behalf – saving me a ton of time. While I’m not super adept at social media, it’s OK because their proprietary CPSocial program curates and posts messages on our behalf, prompting more engagement and keeping us top of mind when clients want to book. While I market myself in my community, I have the name and backing of a trusted name, Cruise Planners, which is a nationally recognized organization and that helps tremendously.”
Charting a Course as a Cruise Planners Franchise Owner
When Caroline Swift bought her Cruise Planners franchise in 2021, the industry was still in recovery mode from the devastation wrought on the travel industry by the global pandemic. It was a challenge she took seriously, and she endeavored to persevere at all costs. Charting a course – and sticking with it – remains her proudest achievement to date. “I’m most proud of how I survived the toughest period in the travel industry, taking the leap to owning my own franchise during the pandemic. Perseverance and a lot of hard work and true belief in myself and my abilities kept me going. I never gave up and never got down! Now my business is thriving, and my clients see my passion for what I do. And I’m just getting started!” It’s easy to see that Caroline Swift has a real passion for the travel industry – and Cruise Planners is helping her entrepreneurial dreams come to fruition. Though she’s still relatively a newbie in the game, what might the future hold in store for this go-getter? “At the moment, I’m continually expanding. I’m growing my staff and expanding the ‘office space’ in my home office. I’m excited for what the future holds because this truly is an exciting time to be in the travel industry!”
For more information on buying a Cruise Planners franchise opportunity:
Call: (888) 582-2150
Email: [email protected]
Visit: cruiseplannersfranchise.com
