Industry Profile - Women in franchising – the sky’s the limit
According to the latest figures from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) there has been a significant fall in the number of women getting top jobs. However, reports from the franchising world show a different trend with a record number of women choosing to start their own business.
Evidence shows that women are finding it increasingly difficult to juggle careers and the demands of young children, and often have to take lengthy career breaks to raise families. Franchising paints a much more positive picture for women, and many women are turning to tried and tested business models to be masters of their own destiny, rather than slaves to the corporate ladder.
Franchising offers women the opportunity to run their own successful business, without having to sacrifice their family life. There are franchises to suit every kind of interest and different life circumstances, including part-time or flexible franchises and home-working. Here are some views from women franchisees themselves:
Recognition Express specialises in badge manufacture, signs, business gifts, plaques, awards and promotional products, and there are 46 centres across the UK. Sally Findlay, 39, owner of Recognition Express in Mid-Surrey since April 2004 gives her reasons for leaving the corporate ladder and becoming a franchisee:
“I enjoyed the time I worked at the smaller companies more than at the big ones. Big companies are slow to make decisions, it is all about the shareholder and I always felt I never did any actual work that meant anything! A friend has a franchise and has for years and suggested I look into franchising. I had never thought about running my own company, it was never a goal, and I had no ideas but when I started to look into it franchising takes care of that problem as you are basically buying someone else’s tried and tested idea.
Only a woman will understand this, but now I can wear open toe-ed sandals in the office with no fear of it damaging my promotion prospects. It makes me smile every time I do it!”
Diane Taylor has been running ComputerXplorers in the S Midlands, assisted learning on computers for 3-13yr olds in schools, nurseries and other settings.
“In most professions you pay a personal price for pursuing your chosen career. Having found myself in retail field management it was 60+ hours, 2 overnight stops, phone calls 24 hours a day and weekend working; this was every week not just occasionally.
“This year, for the first time ever, I have been able to attend my daughters’ schools summer fete which is held on a Saturday in July, SALE time, a compulsory day at work. Choosing a Computer Xplorers franchise has enabled me to get back in the driving seat of my life rather than be on the treadmill of work. ComputerXplorers has given me the skills and equipment I need to make my business a success and will continue to help it develop. With 2 young daughters attending primary school my franchise has become relevant to my family rather than taking me away from them. My 2 daughters are my ambassadors both now achieving outstanding in I.T. on their last school report and who would complain when Mummy shows you how to make an animation using your favourite toys? Becoming a ComputerXplorers franchisee has enabled me to prepare children for the future whilst making positive changes to my own family’s. What is it worth to me? You can’t put a price on being there for your children.”
FASTSIGNS is a sign and graphics franchise, with 24 centres currently in the UK. Lorraine Sullivan, 36, started her FASTSIGNS franchise 6 months ago and has never looked back.
Lorraine says: “I gave my life and soul to the companies I worked for and my family life suffered as a result. I wanted to stand on my own two feet and I stumbled across franchising when I was searching for ideas about what to do next. Being a female working in the sign industry is great. My clients are bowled over when they see that I can climb up a ladder and do all the practical stuff. I think they find me approachable and easy to talk to, and I’m passionate about customer service. Being successful in business is about building good relationships, and I think women are good at that. Women can achieve anything they want to. They just need to believe in themselves and other people will too.”
