A free members’ resource signposting you to other useful organisations supporting women in the workplace.
whichfranchise.com, another one of our return2workmums experts, believes that women and franchising are a good match for a successful business venture.
Whichfranchise.com advises why women are so ideally suited to running their own business and why a franchise business could fit their needs particularly well.....
Women are at last making their presence in franchising known. In the past 10 years, the number of franchisors looking to specifically recruit women has tripled. This has been reflected in the increasing numbers of successful women who are now running their own franchise business across a wide variety of industries – health and fitness, fast food, B2B, cleaning, estate agencies, home furnishing, pet care, children services, gardening, beauty, printing, care services – to name just a few.
With one in five small businesses failing within their first year of operating, this can be a major financial and social commitment for most to undertake. However, the concept of franchising as a tried and tested system helps reduce the risks considerably, making it an ideal route into business start-up for women.
Why are women and franchising such a good match?
More and more women are realising that starting their own business is not as daunting as it sounds, and in fact they have the ideal skill set for running a successful business. This includes:
• Being good listeners and building lasting relationships more easily
• Many women prefer fulfilling work in a pleasant culture to building empires
• Ability to prioritise and being detail-oriented
• Being organised and having the ability to handle numerous tasks
As with any small business, franchising can require the franchisee to be director, sales person, IT guru and admin person in the same day…women are born to multi-task!
"Many women who have been running a home and raising a family have many of the attributes needed to run a business successfully - they are decisive, energetic, organise well and are used to doing at least three things at once! If you have these qualities you may be well suited to running your own business but if you are unsure what to do, then franchising could be just the thing."
Cathryn Hayes, National Franchise Manager, HSBC
Business support and guidance
As the cliché goes…“get into franchising for yourself, not by yourself”. One of the major benefits of franchising is the ongoing support you will receive. A franchise network is only as successful as the individual franchisees; franchisors know this and so invest heavily into their support and training programmes. So though you would be your own boss, you would also benefit from a network of people at your disposal to provide help and support when needed.
This support is particularly sought after from women as it not only gives reassurance and peace of mind, but more importantly the drive and motivation to achieve your goals in a business of your own. The “glass ceiling” doesn’t exist in franchising; women in franchising can be as successful as they want. The harder you work, the greater the rewards.
The support and experience of the franchisor is particularly important for those women re-entering the workforce after a length of absence, such as raising children. Many feel “out of touch” with today’s working environment, in particular with advancements in technology, and so feel they no longer possess the necessary experience, skills and knowledge to successfully start-up and manage their own business.
“A third of the female population would start a business if it wasn’t for the fear of failure.”
Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 2003
By buying a franchise, you are buying into the training, support and experience of the franchisor, allowing you to choose to get into a business that is different from what you did previously. You would receive comprehensive introductory training, including general skills as well any specific training required for the type of business you are buying into. Your franchisor would also assist you in setting up the business, provide you with an operation manual on how to manage the business, assist with undertaking marketing activities and provide ongoing support and advice. All you need to run a successful business!
Be your own flexible employer
The lack of flexible working arrangements is a major issue for those women with, or planning to have, children. It upsets the requirement for balancing work and family life.
Women who want to temporary leave employment to have children are usually unable to re-enter business at the same position in which they left. Instead they can be forced into unwanted part-time and temporary positions, usually involving low skilled work.
“80% of women compared with 17% of men are responsible for looking after the children or arranging childcare facilities.”
The Barriers Start to Fall, Barclays 2000
With franchising, an opportunity is created for experienced and ambitious women, seeking greater job enrichment to continue operating at a high level, whilst also providing the flexibility you require to juggle your home life with work.
Franchising therefore offers women the flexibility and creativity of a smaller business with the assurance and efficiency of a larger organisation.
This all adds up to one conclusion…women and franchising make a successful combination.
To find out more about buying a franchising and currently available business opportunities, please visit www.whichfranchise.com