Women in Franchising

Research suggests that more women than ever are looking at self-employment as an alternative to employed and corporate professions. This is for a number of reasons: women are still finding it difficult to break the glass ceiling and reach the top of their profession, as well as earn equal pay in corporate jobs to men. This has prompted a government review, but many still anticipate that true equality in the workplace is at least 50 years away. Other women seek greater flexibility in their careers than their employer is willing to give – to balance family and work commitments, with active lives and other responsibilities. And others simply want more autonomy, responsibility for their own lives and success and more freedom than a role as an employee can give.

Frankly, there are plenty of reasons why any woman would rapidly decide that working for herself is the best bet for success! So self-employment is an attractive prospect and franchising is a natural route to consider for women seeking to be their own boss.

The difficulty with self employment and setting up an independent business is that the large majority fail within the first few years. And that's no good for women who are thinking about the long term. But with a franchise, you're buying into a proven and established business model, where the hard work in setting up the business proposition, building the brand and gaining market share has already been done. This means that you get to buy a franchise territory and join a network - you'll be part of something bigger. This is great for women with natural networking, customer service and relationship skills. Many of the 'traditional' female skills, which are still largely overlooked in the corporate world, are truly valued when it comes to franchise businesses.

There are also a wide variety of franchises available, which appeals to women who seek expression and passion in their jobs. Many of the franchises have been set up by women themselves and offer rewarding opportunities in areas as diverse as events management, beauty and health care, weight management, pet services and cleaning services. You can also go into accounting, business consultancy, cost management for businesses, food services provision, cafes and restaurants, retail and plenty more! So whether your background is wedding planning or financial services, there's likely to be something that appeals to you.

Women also thrive in franchises because they take their time to research the offer carefully, rather than just jumping right in. This means researching the available franchises using a system such as a franchise A-Z directory, identifying their top picks and then spending time researching the franchise and the wider industry, its growth prospects, the brand recognition of the franchise and potential to grow. The prospective female franchisee will attend franchise expos to speak to the franchisors and won't be afraid to ask questions and get as much information as she can, above and beyond their franchisee information pack, to make the right decision.

In short, women are naturals for franchise success and it offers a great opportunity for those with the passion and enthusiasm to succeed. So don't delay, start your journey today.