Women are steadily increasing their presence in business, and the latest statistics from the franchising sector prove it. Female entrepreneurs have an added reason to celebrate this year’s International Women’s Day – there are more women owning franchise businesses than ever before.
According to the data from the British Franchise Association, there’s a 20% increase in the total number of female franchisees in the past five years. What’s more, 37% of all new franchise owners in the last three years are women.
In the past year of unrest due to the global pandemic, female business leaders proved themselves as resilient and adaptable to the new circumstances. Therefore, the tendency of more women getting into franchising is set to remain.
Fantastic Services, a home maintenance franchise company, is a fitting example of this. Some of the best and highest in profit franchisees at the company, a member of the EWIF (Encouraging Women into Franchising) association, are female. Not only that, but women like Ivanka Obreshkova were some of the first business owners to adopt the Antiviral Sanitisation service offered by the company during the pandemic and, in this way, adjust her business to the new normal. So it’s no surprise that Ivanka was an Inspirational Woman in Franchising 2020 finalist at the NatWest EWIF Awards 2019.
Why franchising is attractive to female entrepreneurs
A changing franchise landscape
The franchise field is constantly evolving. It grows each year not only in size but also in terms of available industries for prospective franchisees to choose from. Now there are many more sectors offering franchise opportunities – from property-maintenance services to restaurant and cafe chains, fitness, health and beauty, education, travel and hospitality.
The versatile franchise options allow more women to find the kind of business that will bring them fulfilment and would be aligned with their skills and interests.
No glass ceiling
Even though women’s rights and overall social status are getting more recognised and improved in recent years, the problem of pay gaps and career advancement is still on the table. Regrettably, the public record for British companies with more than 250 employees shows that in 2019 in as much as 80% of them, there was still a pay gap between male and female employees.
Nonetheless, there’s virtually no glass ceiling for women in franchising. At Fantastic Services, for example, they have absolutely equal chances of financial and professional advancement, as well as access to franchise packets, training and growth, compared to the male franchisees at the company.
International Women’s Day 2021 goes under the theme Choose to challenge, which is a great motivation to oppose the continuing status quo and go for options that allow true financial independence and equality. What’s more, by managing their own franchise businesses, women are in the perfect position to challenge the glass ceiling in the role of leaders and create a safer work environment based on gender equality.
Being your own boss
Fantastic Services franchise offers the perfect combination of set structure and freedom. There’s plenty of team support, training, established systems and automated processes for the franchisees. The business model is practically set in motion beforehand.
However, franchise owners are in complete control of their time and resources. This makes franchising even more appealing to women since they can manage their workload and create the ideal work-life balance for them and their situation. The flexible hours and financial independence give females the opportunity to create a unique business that matches their vision and lifestyle.
The fantastic women in franchising
The position of women in franchising is not just theoretical and is not bare statistics. Some of the most successful franchisees at Fantastic Services are female – Ivanka Obreshkova, Lucy Fernando, Lavinia Giuran (who is only 22 years old) are among the high achievers at the company. They make a real impact and are involved in innovating and growing the business.
Female franchisees come from both sides of the spectrum – women who have experience as employees and seek more flexibility and independence, as well as women who venture into franchising straight after graduating, determined to make their own path from the very beginning. Franchising is a great option to challenge stereotypes and limitations and give women the freedom to build their dream business and lifestyle on equal grounds.
It’s not always easy to discover which franchising concept may be right for you on your own. Luckily, Fantastic Services offer a wide range of franchise opportunities. Visit FantasticFranchise.com for more information.