P
eople choose to look at franchising as a way of going into business for many different reasons. Sometimes, it’s the opportunity to buy into a
business that has a proven track record. It could be because you want access to an established brand, or because you want to know that you have the ongoing training and support to help make you successful. But one of the reasons the British Franchise Association (bfa) is hearing more and more is people searching for a better work-life balance. One of the great advantages of investing in a franchise is being your own boss and working on your terms, whether you’re looking for a good work-life balance to spend more time with a partner or children, or just for the freedom to drive your own agenda in your own way. Franchising comes in all different shapes and sizes, with the flexibility to allow franchisees to drive their business forward and get the right balance and fit for them. The recent bfa HSBC Franchise Award winners are a great example of how diverse the franchising sector is and showcase the flexibility of franchising at its best.
Female Franchisee Tamsin Brewis of Water Babies started her journey into franchising in 2004 from her spare room. At the time, she had two small children, a part-time job and a lot of people telling her she was mad, but she took the plunge and, 13 years on, she now teaches 1,750 babies per week with an amazing team.
In her initial application, Tamsin says: “My family have always been an inspiration to me, and without them I would never have started my Water Babies business. At every step they have been there to help and encourage, regardless of the hurdles we encountered.”
Micro Business Award This category was introduced in 2013 to recognise those that have chosen to come into franchising to get that better work- life balance or take control of their own destiny. This year we showcased a variety of businesses, including Wilkins Chimney Sweep and The Creation Station. The winner, Ruth Morris of The Creation Station, launched her franchise because
Chief executive of the bfa, Pip Wilkins, with Caremark franchisee Hannah Drury and UK head of franchising at HSBC, Andrew Brattesani
she lacked quality time with her young family. She wanted to reclaim this but still achieve her ultimate dream of working for herself.
Customer Focus
Eliott Ray runs the largest Dyno plumbing franchise in the network. Before franchising, he had a career in sales and consulting, but took the decision to join his father in the franchise and has since seen the business soar, surpassing every key performance indicator that had been set. Eliott says: “Our people make our business and, therefore, we invest significant resources in them. We recruit solely on attitude and develop individual skills for the role from there, allowing us to create a team that meets the needs of our customers greater than any other.”
Franchisee Innovation Suzanne and Gary Horton were both solicitors when they came across franchising and took the leap of faith in 2011. Once they were in the network, they had a dream to design and build the perfect swimming pool for their Puddle Ducks customers. So, alongside managing a growing franchise business and raising a young family, they put together a business plan, sold their family home and purchased a failing public house, transforming it into a pool and family home in just over a year!
Young Franchisee Franchising isn’t all about needing a vast range of experience or a longstanding business background to be successful. The bfa saw three great finalists prove that they were dynamic, driven and passionate about franchising, and all of them were under 30 years old! The winner of this category stood out on the night as the first ever bfa HSBC Franchisee of the Year chosen by the audience. Hannah Drury of Caremark took over the business when her stepfather sadly passed away. Despite the circumstances, she has taken the business forward with passion and watched it grow from strength to strength.
On winning the people’s choice award, Hannah says: “It’s so exciting and I’m so grateful to everyone for recognising the hard work and passion that young people can bring to the industry.”
These are just five snapshots of how franchising has helped many people find their place in the business world and achieve both their personal and professional goals. A characteristic common in franchising and a key driver to success is passion; all of the award- winning franchisees were driven and passionate about the product or service they bought into, which really shone through on the night!
September 2017 |
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