Strathclyde Business School graduate Greg Aitken (25) has launched a new travel website, makemeaholiday.co.uk , which aims to provide access to a host of specialist travel agencies and take the hassle out of holidays.Strathclyde Business School graduate Greg Aitken (25) has launched a new travel website, makemeaholiday.co.uk , which aims to provide access to a host of specialist travel agencies and take the hassle out of holidays.
Users of the site complete one form with their specific requirements and get personalised replies and quotes from travel experts across the UK.
Greg studied accounting and finance at Strathclyde, achieving a first class honours degree in accounting and graduating in 2008. He then joined an accounting firm in Glasgow which specialises in owner managed businesses. He was keen to gain experience and be exposed to entrepreneurial businesses.
In August 2011 he qualified as a chartered accountant from ICAS and is now working in the company's London office in corporate finance, which allows him to continue to work with entrepreneurs and owner managed businesses but is now gaining experience with banks, private equity houses and individual investors.
Greg also took an entrepreneurship class in his Honours year which focused on running a small business and covered everything from financing to marketing and the business cycle which he has found really helpful in setting up his own business. "The business skills gained from my course such as making presentations, report writing and researching have also been invaluable in starting my own business."
With almost 60 specialist travel agents across the country already on board, makemeaholiday.co.uk can help find the perfect holiday customised to budget, timescales and tastes, whether that be an adventure holiday, five star honeymoon or tour of Scotland's castles.
Greg said the inspiration or his business came from personal experience, "I love travelling but it can be hard work searching for the right deal or trying to organise flights that match up with other activities or accommodation. Holidays should be a pleasure from start to finish and I wanted to take the hassle away by providing a gateway to travel specialists who can tailor-make holidays to each individual customer.
"People are looking for more out of their breaks now and the demand for specialist experiences is rising. We even have travel agents who focus on a particular location such as India, Rome, the Channel Islands or Norway, and we also have experts who specialise in specific interests such as diving, golf or even safaris."
He added, "There are so many small, niche travel providers who you would never normally find out about but who can offer a far better service than the big, recognisable chains. Make Me a Holiday gives holiday-makers access to these providers and, since you only need to input your details once, the travel agents do all the hard work for you."