WOMEN IN FRANCHISING SUPPORT FLEXIBILITY OF AWA’S
- EARLY SURVEY RESULTS OF FCA POLL

Early results of a recent poll conducted by the FCA’s Women in Franchising (WIF) network indicates women working in the franchise sector are supportive of the new WorkChoices legislation and AWA’s and see them as an advantage to women in the workplace.

Franchise Council of Australia (FCA) CEO Richard Evans said the FCA would continue to collect responses from over 200 leading women in franchising but early results indicated 73 percent of respondents see Australian Workplace Agreements (AWA’s) as advantageous due to the ability to negotiate their conditions and have greater flexibility with their families.

“This is great news for the success of Workchoices within the franchise sector but we must temper this outcome with the fact that the majority of surveyed women are also unclear about how to make the most of this advantage.

“With 54 percent of respondents so far saying they ‘don’t know’ how WorkChoices legislation has impacted women working in franchising, it shows how the communication methods used to educate and inform the community about the benefits of AWA isn’t getting through to women. 

“Communication and education for women was one of the key concerns voiced by the women surveyed. They are concerned the Australian Government is looking to change the legislation but not then put in the hard yards to equip women with the skills to negotiate and increase their understanding of how WorkChoices can work for them.

“The FCA calls on Government and employers to communicate with women directly using specifically targeted messages for them and not assume everyone is same,” Evans said.

“Women are making headway in small business and franchising, with almost 11 percent of franchised units owned solely by females and a further nine percent owned with a partner but predominately operated by the woman. The FCA is addressing the education of women in franchising through the Whirlwind Women in Franchising network and is holding a WIF conference in October as part of the process,” Evans said

The Franchise Council of Australia is the premier body representing this $128 billion sector in
Australia and is a representative voice to government.

Fernwood’s youngest franchisee, 25 year old Danni Pupillo, certainly doesn’t lack energy or motivation.

At the age of 23 she opened Fernwood Yarraville in Victoria. Just one year later it was named Fernwood Club of the Year 2005. But Danni didn’t rest on her laurels, she looked for her next challenge and found it in the 10-year-old Fernwood Altona Club, which she took over in October 2005.

“Taking over an existing club was very different from starting a new club,” said Danni. “It’s been a very big challenge and a huge learning curve. Every day I face something different.”

Danni’s involvement with Fernwood started seven years ago when she started at Fernwood Preston as a personal trainer.  When Fernwood Epping opened in 2003, she was part of the team.

Despite the hard work and long hours Danni has invested in the clubs, her passion is as strong as ever. Having played sport since childhood, she knows the enormous benefits of keeping fit and she’s keen to share her knowledge.

“It’s important to stay fit and healthy, and I wanted to help women achieve that. I’ve really embraced the Fernwood philosophy. It’s wonderful to have a health club where women feel comfortable, not intimidated. It’s a great place for them to come and workout.”

While Danni misses one-on-one training sessions with members, she finds watching women reach their goals with the help of personal trainers hugely rewarding. Developing good relationships with her staff is equally enjoyable. With two clubs to run, she relies heavily on her club managers and the rest of the teams.

“I constantly communicate with my staff. I have an open-book policy and encourage them to give their feedback and suggestions.

“It’s also great to have support from the team at head office. I have lots of questions and I’m not afraid to ring and ask for advice. Now I just want to get both clubs running to their full potential.”

Click here for more information on this story and becoming a Fernwood franchisee

Mortgage Choice is a great supporter of women in franchising with Mortgage Choice’s female friendliness being demonstrated in a number of ways:

Firstly, the premise of being a self-employed mortgage broker is one of work/life balance flexibility; ‘friendly’ to all people but especially primary carers of children.

Secondly, the company’s new e-learning platform (available after induction completion) allows professional development by remote for franchisees who cannot attend face-to-face courses/sessions for whatever reason e.g. family commitments.

Mortgage Choice encourages involvement with business networks including those specific to females, some of which have been created for by female franchise owners.

Mortgage Choice’s female success stories include:

Linda Mason, has been a franchise owner since 2004. Rarely has a Mortgage Choice business grown so quickly. Linda was a 2006 Young Gun of the Year (Franchise) finalist at the Australian Mortgage Awards, won the Mortgage Choice 2005 National Rookie of the Year award and was also named a 2006 High Flyer. Now, the business covers two franchises with ten staff.

Franchise manager Nicole Wickham started in 1998 as a young loan consultant. She now runs a single-person operation that is part of a well-established franchise, giving her the flexibility of controlling her own time and clients - vitally important to the single mother of two young children. Nicole was named Mortgage Choice NSW Loan Consultant of the Quarter winner and runner up a number of times.

Mortgage Choice’s female corporate staff also benefit from female friendly policies, such as work-from-home opportunities.

Click here for more information on this story and becoming a Mortgage Choice franchisee

Target Training is a national training organisation focused on staff training at all levels of the organisation from frontline staff to CEO’s.  The delivery methods range from group sessions and one-on-one coaching sessions, to business audits,e-learning, distance mode and a blended approach.  Target Training is a registered training organisation which means we can issue Australian recognised qualifications in Frontline Management, Business Management and Retail.  They also produce and publish training manuals on various sales, service and leadership topics.

Earlier this year, Louise Targett, Managing Director recruited Sheevaun Gallacher, from Perth, as a result of business demand in this growing city. Sheevaun has all the traits of a successful franchisee while she has:

• business savvy
• time management and organisational skills
• a life-long learning approach
• a passion and positive attitude with everything she takes on.

While the Target Training support office in Sydney is an all-female team; they are slow and steadily proving that it’s the women making far greater steps forward than the males!  Their male business managers and trainer/assessors appear to be enjoying rising up to the challenge!

The Target Training franchise is the first of its kind in the Australian market and is actively seeking franchisees in all states and regions around Australia.