Hello, my name is Clare Rudd. I am a Regional Director at The Franchise Consultant, and I am passionate about helping people recognise what’s possible when they take the next step in business.

Having spent more than 25 years working across business growth, marketing, leadership and development in franchise businesses and independently, I’ve seen first-hand how the right strategy, support and opportunities can transform a business and the lives of the people behind it.

That’s what drew me to the Franchise Consultant and helping more people to have choice and autonomy over their future.

For established business owners, franchising can provide a way to grow their brand, reach new markets and build a network without having to fund and operate every new location themselves. For women looking to take control of their professional future, franchise ownership can offer an alternative route into business, combining the ambition of running your own business with the support of an established brand and proven model.

At The Franchise Consultant, we help businesses explore whether franchising is right for them, develop a commercially viable franchise model and recruit the right people to grow their network.

We also work with existing franchisors who want to attract new franchisees and expand their businesses. We currently have over 40 franchise opportunities for people to buy into.

What makes our approach different is that we support both sides of the journey, from building the franchise to finding the people who will take it forward. As a British Franchise Association (Bfa) Advisor Member, our team brings more than 100 years of combined franchising experience, with UK-wide coverage and expertise across a broad range of sectors.

For me, franchising isn’t simply about expansion. It’s about creating opportunities, building something sustainable and helping people make informed decisions about their future. That includes being honest when franchising isn’t the right answer, and making sure businesses have the foundations in place before taking the leap.

I’m particularly keen to encourage more women to explore what’s possible, whether they’re ready to scale a successful business, considering franchise ownership or looking for a new direction in their career as it can be life changing for them, and those they love and care for.

My message to all women in franchising is simple: you don’t have to work out the next step for you or your business alone. With the right advice, the right model and the right people around you, franchising could open up opportunities you hadn’t previously considered.

If you’re curious about franchising, whether as a business owner or a potential franchisee, I’d love to help you explore the possibilities. If you are already a franchisor and want support with leadership, management, franchise growth or marketing, I would love to assist.

Alongside my work in franchising, I bring extensive experience in business networking, having previously led CoRe Franchise regions for BNI, the world’s biggest Business Networking organisation. This has given me a deep understanding of how to build successful business networks, develop strategic referral partnerships and create meaningful connections that drive growth.

I’m passionate about helping franchisors understand how to harness the power of business networking to raise brand awareness, generate referrals, build local relationships and equip franchisees with the skills and confidence to grow their businesses successfully through networking, and I offer training and coaching on business networking and leadership and management coaching, so if I can help you or your business, I would love to be of service!