FRANCHISE NEWS The latest reports from businesses in franchising
Trevor Brocklebank announced as new bfa chairman
n At the 2016 British Franchise Association (bfa) AGM and chairman’s dinner, which took place on 8 December at the Hyatt Regency hotel in Birmingham, Trevor Brocklebank was announced as the bfa’s newly elected chairman. Trevor, the CEO of Home Instead Senior Care, will take over from Simon Bartholomew, who reached the end of his three-year term. Trevor said of his new position: “It is an immense privilege to become chair of the bfa, which was hugely beneficial to our company when we first started franchising. The organisation has a key role to perform in supporting ethical franchising across the UK.
“When franchising is done well, it is a superb business model and I am looking forward to being able to support its success and expansion across the UK over the coming years.” Upon his departure, Simon commented: “It has been a great honour to chair the bfa for the last three years. Over this time,
there have been many changes to the organisation and I believe that I hand over a very strong association with a dynamic leadership. “I am delighted that Trevor has been elected as chair. The strength he will bring to the role will help the leadership team build on their objectives and see our association grow further to remain at the top of the franchise industry both here in the UK and on the international stage.” Mike Goddard was announced as the newest bfa companion. Simon said: “Mike’s support and commitment to UK franchising and the bfa has been unwavering. He has shown huge dedication and passion, not just to his own business, but to franchising as a whole.” The AGM saw the senior team at the bfa summarise the year’s achievements, and comment on future plans for 2017. In his closing remarks, Simon highlighted the double-digit growth of franchisor membership, and the positive impact Pip Wilkins has made since her appointment as CEO earlier in the year.
UK ranked fifth best place to start a business in Europe
n The UK is the fifth best place to start a business in Europe, according to a new index compiled by foreign exchange company World First. The index, which is based on criteria such as GDP growth, vat, business births and deaths, and education levels, scored Spain 10th, France 14th and Germany 25th as European startup hubs. The Republic of Ireland took the top spot as the “best country for ambitious businesses looking to grow in Europe”, due to a combination of low corporation tax rates, “easy access to finance”, and strong economic growth. World First also noted Ireland’s recent
progressive economic policies as a magnet for fast-growing companies, with the likes
Trevor Brocklebank
of Facebook, Google and Microsoft all having opened up offices in the country. Elsewhere, Malta, Latvia and Slovakia
scored in fourth, third and second place respectively in the rankings. Outside of Europe, the UK is ranked as the eighth best country to start a business, as reported by Global Entrepreneurship Week in November. Edward Hardy, an analyst at World First, commented on the UK’s award: “Despite the uncertainty caused by the UK’s vote to leave the EU, the UK remains one of the best places to do and start a business in Europe, which bodes well for a post- Brexit UK.
“As the fastest-growing G7 economy, the UK provides many businesses with a very competitive tax system and access to a huge range of diverse talent. These key characteristics are what the current government will be keen to highlight when negotiating any trade deals with Europe and the rest of the world post-Brexit as they seek to convince foreign firms that the UK is open for business.”
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BusinessFranchise.com | February 2017
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