It is exactly one hundred years since the Representation of the People Act 1918 – the act that allowed some women the right to vote. Women have come a long way since the Suffragette movement, but the recent gender pay gap revelations in the media suggest that inequality still lingers in the workplace.
Franchising offers women opportunities that the traditional workplace simply does not. The franchise industry has become increasingly popular for anyone wishing to pursue a career outside of commitments such as raising a family, caring for an older relative or getting a third-level qualification. Many franchisees today earn an excellent living working part-time or even from home, which allows them to manage their time on their own terms.
Sue Moore, President and Managing Director of Bright & Beautiful, remembers that the franchise industry in the 1990s “was a very male one, dominated by vans, men in branded polo shirts and franchises centred around the hospitality industry." Franchising, back then, was laden with restrictions and stereotypes that did not appeal to women. In 2018, however, the franchise industry has firmly embraced diversity and women have the choice to be part time franchisees, home-based franchisees, stay at home parentsand much much more.
In this blog, we celebrate the flexibility that currently exists in the UK franchise industry. There are so many reasons why women decide to become franchisees. Below, we see what motivated franchisees from SmartPA, Playful Pups, Right at Home, and Bright & Beautiful to step out and be their own boss.
Work-Life Balance
"I decided to join SmartPA after getting made redundant while on maternity leave. I’m sure most of my family and friends thought I was crazy to start a new business whilst getting to grips with the challenges of being a new mum, but the guaranteed income and flexible working model was a no brainer!
I wanted a business solution that would offer flexible working with personal growth and financial independence. I get all 3 with SmartPA.
If ever there is a client need that doesn’t play to my personal strengths, or that I don’t have time to deliver within a given lead time, the partner support system at SmartPA gives me the confidence to commit to the client then broker a support solution from within the network. This has been invaluable for the growth of my own business."
– Jo Brooks, SmartPA franchisee
"I worked for the NHS for 12 years in a variety of roles both as a manager and strategy lead specialist. However, I was growing increasingly frustrated by the never ending politics, diminishing budgets with increased workload, as well as long hours/on call commitment with seemingly little reward. I had recently returned to work from maternity leave and was travelling all around the country, leaving my little girl in her bed and returning for bath-time or worse when she was already peacefully asleep!
I noticed Bright & Beautiful by chance. I could work from home, work the same hours as before without the travel time and yet still be around more to spend time with my little girl. Best of all, if something was not working, I would be able to take immediate action, being accountable to myself.
Seven months on there has naturally been a ‘settling in’ period where I have found that owning a business is a rewarding yet steep learning curve. It is hard work but incredibly rewarding and I am relishing the challenge."
– Laura Brookes, Bright & Beautiful franchisee
Commuting
"I had been working full time, 9:30am-5:30pm, as a graphic designer in an office-based job for 11 years and paying a fortune on travel into London everyday, and it was all becoming too repetitive. I felt like it was time to make a change. Knowing that I wanted to work for myself, with hours that fitted around my family life, I researched different franchises. A massive love of mine has always been animals, dogs in particular, so when I discovered the Playful Pups franchise for dog walking and pet care services, I was immediately interested and very excited. I knew that this was what I wanted to do!
I'm looking forward to the challenge of building up my business. Walking outdoors in the fresh air everyday helps me to feel so much happier and healthier. I get to call 'working with dogs' my job, which is just a dream come true."
– Lucy Hendel, Playful Pups franchisee
"I decided to leave the city after 20 years of working in various PA roles in the insurance and banking industry due to demands on my time physically in the city, as well as a commute which would often take up to 2 hours, causing me and my family a lot of stress.
I was very lucky in my last role to have experienced working from home twice a week, so I knew I had the right frame of mind and discipline to make home working full-time. I spent a lot of time researching different ways to run a VA role at home before making my final decision to invest in SmartPA and it’s the best decision I’ve ever made. I have the freedom to take the children, who are 4 and 6 years old, to school and pick them up daily, attend nativities and parents evenings and still complete deadlines for my clients. I no longer have to pay extortionate child care costs!"
– Gillian Skendaj, SmartPA franchisee
Independence
"After 28 years of working for other people, I really wanted to work for myself,” said Michelle.
“I knew that Right at Home shared my commitment to the highest standards of care and ethics for clients and that they would support me in the areas where I lacked experience from not having run a business before.”
– Michelle Apostol, Right At Home franchisee
"Having been involved in the corporate world, mainly working for other people all my life, I decided I wanted to achieve something on my own as well as do something which provided me with a work/life balance and to which I did not have to learn a new skill-set. I did not want to be bogged down with doing my own marketing and hosting my own website which is why I turned towards a franchise option.
The beauty about having found a franchise such as SmartPA, for me, came down to three things. Being able to build a business without the need to employ anyone else, in that within the network of SmartPA, we can all tap into each other’s skillsets. Secondly, knowing there is support when you need it and finally, ongoing motivation and training from being part of a franchise. What made SmartPA stand out was their understanding of value and their commitment to their partners."
~ Annabelle Hill, Smart PA franchisee
Illness
"Prior to launching my SmartPA partnership, I had struggled to find employment due to a rather spotty work history over a few years, including taking 6 months away from a previous self-employed position for cancer treatment.
I have been able to grow my SmartPA partnership in line with improving my health and have the comfort that that support is available to me if I need to step away from my business for personal reasons. The opportunities that SmartPA has provided me include learning new skills, supporting clients in the UK, New Zealand, Australia and the US, increased self-confidence and knowing the I can continue to grow my business to the level that is right for me."
– Nicola Connor, Smart PA franchisee
Boredom
Julie Foote was an accountant before buying her Right at Home franchise, delivering quality care across East Lancashire and the Ribble Valley.
She states: "I was no longer enjoying what I was doing, and I made the decision to do something totally different. I wanted to do something with a more human impact to it. I was aware of the MD’s business success and that drew me to investigate his franchise – as a major change in career it was good to know I’d have his level of expertise behind me. I liked what Ken stood for and admired the ethos behind Right at Home.”
– Julie Foote, Right At Home franchisee
It is heartening to see more and more women taking the plunge and setting up their own franchise business. This is due, in part, to the fantastic work of organisations such as the British Franchise Associationand Encouraging Women into Franchising, but Sue Moore, President and Managing Director of Bright & Beautiful, feels there is so much more that can be done. "I would like to think franchising will be given more prominence on the curriculum in schools and promoted more to young people looking for opportunities to become entrepreneurs and build their own businesses before we get to 2020."
In 2018, women are making a firm contribution to the franchise industry and they are showing no signs of slowing down. If franchising sounds like the ideal way to start your new year, take a look at the exciting franchises on our site. A new business, suited to your lifestyle, could be on the cards for you this year!