Broxburn man starts travel company for deaf people after being made redundant twice

A man from Broxburn who has been made redundant twice in the past six years has bounced back with a complete career change which is helping people who are deaf or have hearing impairments.

David Wallace, 51, began his travel business just three weeks ago but has already had bookings from both people he knows and those he has never met.

With his new travel business as a homeworking travel consultant with Not Just Travel, David has inspiring plans to help plan holidays for the deaf and hearing impaired.

“After being made redundant twice in six years, I knew I needed a total career change,” he said, “I had had enough being indispensable. I wanted something different from life – something that I was in control of.”

David joined the army straight from school and since then, he has also worked as a driver for G4S, has delivered luxurious cars, and has worked in a number of management roles which he said was ‘worlds apart from owning my own business or working in travel.’

In February, David spent £15,000 on purchasing a travel franchise through The Travel Franchise.

It gave him everything he needed to set up his own travel consultancy from home – training, booking systems, a website head office support, ABTA & ATOL protections and a business mentor.

He completed his training three weeks ago and has since taken a step forward to do Facebook lives. His wife did sign language in the background, communicating his offer to his core market – people who are deaf or with hearing difficulties.

David Wallace has inspiring plans to help plan holidays for the deaf and hearing impaired.

He added: “My wife works with a deaf charity in Scotland, and the plan is that my new travel business will help plan dream holidays for deaf people, to help this often-overlooked community.

“Hotel chains are not doing as much as they should be and I want to be a part of this drive for change.

“My first booking was from a friend. She was looking to take her family to Orlando.”

Since then, David has helped organise a honeymoon and various trips in the UK and abroad.

He says he has been motivated to do something completely different, but also through recognising that now “is the perfect time to be a travel consultant as people are desperate to get away.”

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