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“Always be open and transparent with those around you” Joanna Askew, franchisee at Conexus Tuition, Colchester There will always be unforeseen obstacles - some you can plan for and some you can’t. I’ve learned how important it is to be aware of your customer base, the changing demographics of your market area, and adapting your business plan, while sticking to your values. My biggest challenges have been keeping the faith, maintaining a positive mindset, and knowing my worth. I was in a permission-driven industry previously, and at times very little autonomy was given. We had to continually justify outcomes at the expense of planning time. As a franchisee, the opposite is true. In a world where we place too much value on competition, winning and losing, and status, have faith in yourself and value others. My business will continue to support families in our community, and I intend to expand my team, open more venues and win more contracts. Think about the ethos you want to create and lead by example. Keep focusing on the ‘why’ – what is the real purpose of your business? Use visualisation techniques and keep a gratitude journal. Always be open and transparent with those around you, showing vulnerability isn’t always a bad thing. “Franchising can be a less risky and more accessible way to start a business” Fiona Mackenzie, franchisee at Mathnasium, Richmond With little knowledge of starting up a franchise, I particularly struggled with the set-up stages, from sourcing funding and acquiring a premises to managing a team of builders during the fit-out stages. I was very fortunate to have the ongoing support of the head office team, who were able to advise and mentor throughout the initial phases. Additionally, balancing the demands of running a franchise business with family and personal responsibilities can be challenging for women in franchising. However, following initial hard work, the business has been successful very quickly, and in time this will allow me to manage my own work schedule and balance personal responsibilities. I managed to surpass my expected growth by the end of year two in just six months. After just seven months, I’m already hoping to complete on a second site, which is both exciting and scary at the same time. Franchising can be a less risky and more accessible way to start a business compared to building a business from scratch. “Don’t waste time and energy constantly comparing yourself to others” Rebecca Newenham, franchisor at Get Ahead People have been my biggest challenge and over time I’ve clearly recognised that not everyone is your right client or franchisee, and that’s absolutely fine. Keep your eye on the prize, follow your own journey and don’t waste time and energy constantly comparing yourself to others. This is your life and you must choose the right path for you. Launching my first franchise in Leeds has to be one of my proudest moments – it’s over 200 miles away from Guildford where I am based, so to see Fiona, my franchisee, take our brand and start her business journey without me being there was awesome. I’ve now started mentoring business owners over the past two years, which I love. I’m also a franchise consultant which fits perfectly alongside my franchisor role. In addition, I’m hoping to train as a humanist celebrant later this year so I can conduct naming ceremonies. “Above everything, trust your gut” Georgina Broadhurst, franchisee at Just Shutters, Surrey The cost-of-living crisis has meant customers are looking for the keenest price, while our margins are being squeezed. I have a lot of data available to help drive efficiencies in the business, analyse cost and margin, and protect profits, all while delivering high levels of service and customer satisfaction. I’d advise other women hoping to follow in my footsteps to do their research, ask ALL the questions, talk to a wide variety of relevant stakeholders, and then analyse the data that’s available. But over and above everything, trust your gut. I also put a lot of thinking into how best to reach our customers, what’s important to them, and how to keep them coming back for more. It’s paid off; we have very high levels of repeat business and referrals. WHAT-FRANCHISE.COM 45