Franchise Your Business
Pip Wilkins, chief executive at the British Franchise Association, discusses how increasing media visibility is transforming franchising into a mainstream business opportunity
The changing face of
and one that has outperformed the wider economy in both good times and bad; with growth of 10 per cent over the last two years adding to robust performance throughout the preceding downturn – the statistics don’t lie. Now, more people who are on the outside looking in are beginning to notice and understand its potential impact on individuals, companies, job creation, local communities, and regional and national economic prosperity. A look at what’s been happening in recent months, and what’s on the way, confi rms it: the f-word is no longer simply one of the business world’s best-kept secrets.
T Media maelstrom
At the British Franchise Association (bfa) we’ve worked in unison with our membership to get stories out far and wide in an assorted range of media. It’s not a simple task: with franchising spanning so many business sectors, there’s an extremely broad mix of different audiences to reach and engage. But in harnessing the power of the incredibly close-knit and supportive bfa community, we’ve achieved great success in national, regional, trade and broadcast media. We’ve developed strong relationships with business journalists that have greatly increased the visibility of franchising as an option for would-
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www.franchisornews.co.uk
he times, they are a-changing. The perception of franchising is shifting – and not before time. Those of us in the sector know it as one rife with opportunities,
be entrepreneurs. We’ve welcomed increasing numbers of people to events to raise awareness of what franchising is, how it works and the opportunities it offers. Finally, through national campaigns, we’ve showcased the truly life- changing impact that franchising can have when it’s at its best. Journalists and infl uencers are more aware of what’s happening in this dynamic and driven part of the economy, and we’re fi elding more enquiries than ever before for contributions, features, comment and articles. That’s great news for everyone!
“The f-word is no longer simply one of the business world’s best-kept secrets”
Outward looking Of course, there’s still a lot more to achieve, which is why we’re so pleased to have an external relations committee as part of the bfa’s governance structure for the fi rst time this year. This is chaired by an exceptional award-winning franchisee, Catharine Chalton of Home Instead Wirral, and features a group of impassioned franchisors and affi liates. Going hand in hand with this, I was absolutely delighted in July to welcome Emma
franchising
Wilsdon to the bfa’s senior team. She will be fi lling the newly created position of external relations and training manager, with a remit of building strong, lasting and meaningful relationships with business organisations, academic institutions and media outlets. There will also be more focus on our events encouraging people from outside the sector to take a look at what’s going on in franchising. Emma’s arrival and the new committee signify the importance we’ve placed on increasing the profi le and scope of the sector with the right people at the right level. They’ll be reaching today’s decision makers and tomorrow’s franchisors and franchisees. It’s an incredibly exciting time for outward-facing activities and we look forward to working closely with the community to maximise benefi ts.
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