Editorial

More and more women are giving up their day jobs to take on the challenge of being their own boss, and Franchisors are reaping the rewards of this influx of extraordinary talent!

The Women in Franchising news series allows us the opportunity to introduce you to just some of the ladies who are making it big in franchising.

We all talk about wanting to give our boss the flick and work for ourselves, and these ladies have actually done it! 

We hope you enjoy these inspirational stories.
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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.

Danni gave the Altona Club a much needed make-over and is working hard to give members the best Fernwood experience she can.

“Taking over an existing club was very different from starting a new club,” said Danni. “The Altona Club was tired and run-down. 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. She was doing a degree in Applied Science, majoring in human movement and nutrition, at the time. 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 have two managers who are really on the ball, which makes a big difference. 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.”

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Female Franchisee Hits a One-In-A-Decade Milestone

The fourth-ever female Mortgage Choice franchise owner (all of who remain in the network), Stephanie Cook, is celebrating her 10-year anniversary.

The major business milestone is a huge accomplishment for Stephanie, who was the ninth New South Wales franchisee for the nationwide company.

Starting from scratch in a home office, Stephanie moved into a shopfront after only three years. She happily boasts to helping several thousand people in and around Chatswood NSW source a property loan to suit their lifestyle and finances.

The ambitiously savvy mother and businessperson is watching her business grow within a full-steam-ahead mortgage broking market, which now sources 45% of all new home loans.

Stephanie said, “When I first found the Mortgage Choice model through a friend who used the service, I decided that it was time to restructure my own home and investment property loans. After learning more about the service offered, and successfully changing my home loan, I enquired about buying a franchise. I haven't looked back since!”

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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.

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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.

Dave Hundt, Chief Executive of women’s fitness franchise group Contours is riding the Australian fitness wave of success.

Contours, which opened the doors of its first franchise in March 2005 in Bendigo Victoria has in just 24 months developed into not only one of Australia’s largest and most successful fitness chains but also one of Australia’s fastest growing and successful franchise models.

With 175 franchises purchased since the March 05 opening, more than 100 of these currently operating and with an average of five new studios opening every month, the Contours model is quickly becoming the dominant force in the Australian female fitness market.

Hundt, who has been at the helm of the company since its introduction to Australia, puts Contours’ success down to a number key points of difference that allow the franchise group to differentiate itself from its competitors.

“With an initial investment of below $100,000 our franchisees can break even in the first few weeks of operation with known monthly revenues for the year ahead,” Hundt said.

“In the first 18 months of operation, Contours amassed over 80 franchisees with over 8,000 studio members and generated revenue in excess of $7 million dollars. Based on current growth, the group will be poised to generate revenues in 2007 of over $25 million with a net profit projection of between $5 million and $10 million.”

“We’ve set up relationships with all suppliers that our franchisees are likely to need to run their business which allows franchisees the time to focus on serving members rather than worrying about how to keep their business running smoothly,” he said.

“We also ensure that all franchisees are given the appropriate tools to ensure maximum exposure through group advertising, promotions, media relations and community or cause initiatives.” Hundt said.

With studios now open in all Australian states bar Tasmania and the Northern Territory, the reach of the franchise is quickly being felt in all corners of the country.

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Bark Busters Director, Val, says: “Bark Busters has always had a very high percentage of female Franchise owners. 

At present we have 10 female totally owned and operated Franchisees here in Australia.  With 4 in Sydney, 1 in the ACT, 4 in Queensland and 1 in South Australia. 

Many have been with us for years and years, others are quite new. 
We are finding that we are getting more and more professional people making enquiries these days.  The reasons could be numerous.

• They can see that they can run their own very successful businesses from home.
• Many can combine children and business successfully, as women can very often be well organised and multitasked.
• Many “top” positions in Companies are very male orientated. Females often feel they will never make it to the top job.
• They can put in the hard work and reap the rewards, both financial and lifestyle that the corporate world could not give them.
• Most importantly they see the skills we are looking for and know with confidence that they can do it successfully.

We also have many husband and wife Franchisees where they are both out earning an incredible income successfully running their business together.

I for one felt wonderful to be earning great money when we joined Bark Busters.  My husband had always been the bread winner so to speak, then for the first time we were on equal ground earning capacity wise. 

We also found that putting in the time and effort into something we had unlimited passion for, was not only very rewarding financially, but the lifestyle it gave us was wonderful.”

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Women franchisees driven to success with waterless car washing

Australian owned, and now international, waterless car washing and detailing franchise system, Ecowash Mobile, is proving to be a unique business opportunity for women.

Sue Taylor and Elia Napiza, franchisees of Ecowash Mobile Sydney Central, spoke at the last Franchising Expo in Sydney.

Sue believes that they have found a great business opportunity for women.
“Owning my own business is a complete lifestyle change. I was office-bound for 20 years and now not only do I work outside but I have more freedom in regards to when and how hard I decide to work,” she said.

“With Ecowash Mobile, we can work around and manage both our family life and business.

“Of course, as with any other business, we also face new challenges everyday as we learn new things and change the way we operate. One of the biggest challenges we come across is to convince people that we can clean their car without water. We offer demonstrations to show that an Ecowash can be done and that it gives amazing results,” she said.

Nej Rawnsley operates the Queensland Master Franchise as well as the Brisbane local franchise with her husband.

“We wanted to work for ourselves and be in control of our financial future. With Ecowash Mobile, we have a great flexibility. Plus, it is such an innovative idea. We love introducing the new concept to customers and see their reactions. They’re just blown away,” she said.

Jim Cornish, Managing Director of Ecowash Mobile, is impressed by the work ethic of his women franchisees.

“The Ecowash Mobile women franchisees have all been doing very well and I put this down to hard work and a great attitude. They are amongst the most successful franchisees we have,” he said.

Ecowash Mobile currently has six women franchisees with room for many more as the franchise is looking to expand in all states across Australia.
The Ecowash Mobile approach uses an exclusive product range that includes a 2-in-1 wash and polish biodegradable compound. The compound is sprayed onto the car exterior, encapsulates surface dirt that is then removed with a soft cloth. The polish does not only leave a protective coating that lasts four to six weeks, but the whole process is guaranteed not to scratch.

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Karen Matthews is one of Australia’s youngest female CEOs and is the mother of two children along with heading Australia’s first skincare franchise. Karen mixes a leadership style of bright, down to earth humour along with driving technical expertise and business acumen. She is also an articulate and engaging speaker and speaks regularly about issues close to her heart such as strategic growth, the company vision, triple bottom line reporting, corporate governance and mentoring.

Since joining Australian skincare company Ella Baché in 1999, Karen has taken calculated risks to the business. Ella Baché is now available in 53 countries of which Australia provides a third of export sales from Paris. Karen has overseen the creation of Ella Baché’s Great Suncare range and she has also developed Australia’s first skincare franchise model. Karen also managed the Ella Baché College of Skin and Beauty Therapy into a successful business and has nurtured the company’s Manufacturing and Distribution Warehouse and local research facility.

Ella Bache’s position today as Australia’s authority on beauty business franchising is attributed to a unique franchise model that nurtures and supports its business owners.

In January 2007, BRW named Ella Baché among its fastest growing franchises of the year. Over the past 3 years Ella Baché has a recorded revenue growth of 53.56% and annual store growth of 44.12% with 71 franchises currently in operation and solid growth forecasts 50 more in 3 years.     

Since joining Australian skincare company Ella Baché in 1999, CEO Karen Matthews has been responsible for developing and guiding Ella Baché through its hugely successful transition into Australia’s first skincare franchise by implementing a unique model that gives back to the salon entrepreneur.

“We offer one franchise fee, which is rare to the world of franchising. Our support of is phenomenal and we’ve perfected fulfilling the dreams of people who only once dreamt of running their own business,” said Karen Matthews, CEO Ella Baché.

Ella Baché provides an ongoing training service to its franchisees on business management, running a salon, Ella Baché products and promotion of the brand as well as providing updates on new products, periodic business reviews and rewards franchisees with a cash back incentive scheme and performance incentives.

“It’s a great time to be a part of our established franchise business; we are continuing to report steady growth in an area of franchising that performing extremely well. The health of our unique salon franchise model means that we are in a fantastic position to continue to build on the successes of the past years. Continued growth in a number of franchise salons, means that our Brand grows in strength, offering greater incentives to our franchisees. We are proud and excited to be performing so well in such a challenging environment.”

Taking two years to develop, the Ella Baché franchise model is a distinctive system moving business from a traditional distribution set-up where salons purchased the product from the wholesaler, to a model enabling Salons already buying and selling Ella Baché products to move to the franchise system and take new retailers on as franchisees..

“At Ella Baché, we are committed to our franchisees business and we work hard at building co-operative relationships,” said Karen Matthews, CEO Ella Bache. If a franchisees business is doing well and they are selling more to customers, they buy more products from us. a fees-only arrangement encourages growth, which represents a constant drain on the business.” said Karen.

Franchisees are encouraged to train through the Beauty Therapy College. Since coming on board Karen has managed the Ella Baché College of Skin & Beauty Therapy into a successful business and this month the college moves to a new premises in North Sydney and features the very latest in facilities and equipment.

The College offers a 12 month course providing graduates with an Undergraduate Diploma. Short courses and post-graduate workshops are also available for Ella Baché Therapists, salon owners, non-Ella Baché Therapists and the general public.

Karen has been instrumental in cultivating a friendly and socially responsible company culture that encourages creativity, individuality, results and ‘realness.’

“The challenge remains in taking this amazing 50 year old brand into the future with a truly unique model underpinned by franchising, education and an incredible commitment to the philosophy of the brand and values across everything that we do. We are passionate about this because it is exactly who we are – it is not just words,” she said.

Franchisees are offered a five-year contract with an option for two additional five-year periods.

Click here for more information on becoming
an Ella Baché Franchisee.

Much more than just a store, Samsara is a lifestyle philosophy that embraces furniture, culture, art and music from around the globe allowing consumers to create their own unique sanctuary.

A determined and charismatic Giovanna Aryafara who started this successful business in Mudgeeraba on the Gold Coast 15 years ago says her forward plan is to open 10 franchises each year for the next three years!

The female domination of Samsara’s strong management team plays a key role in driving the Samsara brand forward into successful franchising:

• Giovanna Aryafara, founder of Samsara and Managing Director – the ultimate leader of the team.  A visionary and pursuer of beauty!  She leads like she lives -  “passionate and true”.

• Gail Donald, National Franchising Manager –  a strong background in  real estate, marketing and administration provides skills in the role of site selection, legal compliance, and ongoing relationship management of the  franchisees.

• Julianne Keegan, Merchandising Manager – a master of product placement creating the total “Samsara Experience”, a wealth of talent and experience in merchandising, interior design and store layouts.

• Diane Finke, Marketing Manager – leader of the young (female) graphic design team, her visualisation of Samsara’s branding and marketing is of world class standards – bringing Giovanna’s clever photography into a realm of its own.

After only 12 months of launching the first franchised store, Samsara’s success has been remarkable with the seventh new licensed store opening in Port Macquarie, NSW, in October.

This all adds up to one conclusion…women and franchising do make a successful combination!

Click here for more information on becoming a Samsara franchisee

With more than 50 years combined experience in the healthcare industry business partners Ms Judith Monteath and Ms Liz Offer are proof of the potential for success of women in franchising.

The two allied health professionals from Western Australia currently head the unique franchising concept We Can Respite Services, which provides temporary and ongoing care to individuals who are intellectually disadvantaged, affected by acquired brain injuries or autism spectrum disorder.

The pair recognised Australia’s burgeoning healthcare crisis and boldly stepped out earlier this year to cure the problem with a unique franchising concept that will provide relief for thousands of families across the country.

Ms Offer said she did not regret the decision to begin the franchise arm of the business and recommended it as a rewarding career choice for women.

“The franchising industry is growing and providing more opportunities for women and they are taking the plunge and starting their own businesses, which is great to see,” she said.

“Franchising is a great way to reduce the risk of owning your own business as essentially you are in business for yourself but not by yourself. The added benefit is the flexibility to work around your family and other important activities in your daily or weekly routine.”

Ms Offer and Ms Monteath initially established the business as We Can Community Services in 2003 after realising the business potential for a private facility that could answer the need for increased respite care.

Ms Offer said the next step was to secure franchises across Australia.

“We Can franchises are ideal for people who are ready for the rewarding challenge of becoming a care service provider and are looking to fulfil an essential need in the community, but who also want to share in the profits of a solid business opportunity.”

Ms Monteath said after close to three decades in the industry she was fortunate enough to be able to put her extensive experience and qualifications to good use with this exciting venture.

“Like many in the healthcare industry, I started out in a ‘hands on’ role as a carer and soon worked my way up to day supervisor where I managed staff and the day-to-day operations of a hostel,” she said.

“Although this was a rewarding experience which gave me numerous qualifications in social work and allied health, I always dreamed of owning my own business in which I could marry commercial viability with my desire to help others.

“Fortunately, I had the opportunity to realise this dream by establishing the first We Can Community Service in Perth which started with two clients and one carer and has grown to support 120 clients and employ 40 staff members.

“By franchising the concept Liz and I are hoping to fulfil similar business dreams for carers across the country.”

Click here for more information on becoming a
We Can Respite Services franchisee

Women in Clark Rubber

Clark Rubber is a fun and bright icon retailer with an offer that is focused on delivering a lifestyle of products for its customers – it is also a retailer that provides outstanding business opportunities for all Australians.

According to Clark Rubber General Manager Corina Vucic, women in the Clark Rubber business are not the silent partners.

Corina said that Clark Rubber stores are driven by women who have chosen to own and operate a small business.

“Their decision making has been influenced by wanting to invest in a business that allows them to lead a team of passionate people wanting to find a solution for their valued customer. These women have chosen to build their wealth and contribute to the family finances,” Corina said.

“The modern small business owner is a risk taker. They are driven by an appetite to lead a fulfilling life which includes owning and operating a small business and living their life to the fullest.

“Women in franchising have found a tried and tested business model which enables them to lead profitable businesses in conjunction with their fulfilling lives and their responsibilities.

“Young women in today’s modern world are encouraged to enter the commercial world of small business. These women are well educated and have dreams to build profitable businesses.

“The women of today are seeking opportunities from franchise systems that enable them to buy a business with a framework which will support their business goals throughout their journey - not just at the beginning.

“The expectations from Women in Franchising is to belong to a brand which has vision and direction at board room level, is a socially responsible brand, a brand that is engaged in today’s social issues, gives to the broader community and encourages the modern woman to build a profitable businesses.

“Women in small business add an element of detail which is respected and needed in a business. There are many successful women in franchising who have contributed significantly to the sector.

“Their contribution has ranged from being leaders of brands to a successful franchisee who is the strongest advocate of the brand.

“As business coaches the approach of women is via people management techniques. The ability to act on emotional intelligence is fruitful for the business and the team members. Women communicate in a style which is non-threatening. This style enables them to seek out the heart of the issue, therefore determining the best outcome.

In a retail environment women manage the ambiance projected to the customer via empowering the sales floor team members and rewarding them for their outstanding achievements.

At Clark Rubber, women are not the silent partners.

Click here for more information on
becoming a Clark Rubber franchisee

First time franchisee drives phenomenal growth

After just three years as a first-time franchisee owner, Pauline Holmes has steered her Wendy’s Victoria Point store in South East Brisbane to success.

The results speak for themselves – Pauline recently won Wendy’s prestigious National Franchisee of the Year Award for 2006, has driven a 20% growth in sales in the last 12 months and is currently tracking an increase of 30% over the last quarter.

“Given that this is the first business I have owned, it’s wonderful to be in this position after just three years,” Pauline said.

“When it came to making the decision to buy the business, I did a lot of research including talking to several other Wendy’s owners as well as sitting down with my accountant who had previous experience with Wendy’s.

“In hindsight, it was a great decision and I couldn’t be happier.”

Pauline has applied a customer service background in the finance industry to her new role and largely attributes her success to an ongoing commitment to her local community.

“I support the local schools and sporting groups whenever I can and, while I think it’s a role that all local businesses should play, it has resulted in a large group of loyal customers who support my business in return,” Pauline said.

Testament to her success is the fact that Pauline recently became an “Accredited Franchise Trainer” to help share her knowledge and experience with new franchisees joining the system.

“Training is a challenging but great experience – if anything it benefits me because it keeps me on my toes!

“I’m also very passionate about customer service and my staff share that passion so it’s fantastic to have a positive and enthusiastic team behind me.

“I get a lot of support from my husband and two children and I really enjoy the freedom that comes with owning a business that doesn’t involve much out of hours work.  

“In saying that, it has been three years of hard work but I’m really looking forward to the challenges that lie ahead and continuing to grow the business.”

Established 27 years ago, Wendy’s is one of Australia and New Zealand’s most successful franchises.

There are 300 Wendy’s stores across Australia and New Zealand putting smiles on the faces of three-quarters-of-a-million consumers every week.

Today more than 89% of Australians over the age of 13 recognise the Wendy’s brand.

Click here for more information on becoming a Wendy’s Franchisee

Up until the late 1990’s, owning a business has mainly been a male dominated role with the stereotype of a powerful ‘sharp-shooter’ often lingering around, but not anymore … women are increasingly rising to perform the duties of sole business owner, partner, CEO and franchisee.

One franchise that is experiencing this is Home Entertainment Express. Their number one franchisee, Alison Hope, has received ‘Franchise of the Year’ three years running. Not to been outdone, the ownership of the number 2 franchise in Australia now belongs to Deidre Barnes. Their stories, although both successful, are vastly different:

Alison Hope always knew she wanted to work for herself. During her later school years, her mind was not on what course she would study at university or what sort of employment she wanted, Alison focused on what type of business she wanted to own.

Now, at only 27 years of age, Alison has been the proud owner of a Home Entertainment Express franchise for five years, servicing the Penrith and Lower Blue Mountains areas. But the decision didn’t come easily … Alison maintained right from the beginning that she would do as much research as possible to find a franchise that suited her needs.

It was a small franchise that would catch her eye and would change her life forever.

“When I came across Home Entertainment Express, the initial attraction was the fact that it was so different from any other franchise I had investigated so far. After my first enquiry, I soon realised it was their unique service that made it so different.”

In Alison’s first weeks of commencing her new business, she made a profit of approximately $1,200 a week. Now after five years and with three full-time staff under her belt, she brings in around $5,000 a week!

Since her franchise began and grew, Alison has been named ‘Franchisee of the Year’ three times, has paid off the mortgage on her house and is now starting a family, something she says only could have been possible with what Home Entertainment Express has provided her ... flexible lifestyle, a high income and support from the Franchisor and fellow franchisees.

“My success has encouraged others to start a Home Entertainment Express franchise, namely my sister and friend who have been reeling in the success for a year and a half now. We all agree that we would never be where we are today without the honest support, modern systems and lifestyle Home Entertainment Express has provided us with”.

Deidre Barnes certainly must not be overlooked either. After starting her Dapto franchise in 2003, Deidre has experienced enormous growth of her business, won numerous awards and is now the number two franchise in Australia. Not bad for someone that works four days a week and balances family with work!

Back in February 2003, it wasn’t Deidre looking for a franchise, it was her husband. Again, after a lot of research, Home Entertainment Express proved to be a clear winner. When the decision was to be made, Deidre’s husband was unable to fulfill the commitment of Franchisee so Deidre stepped in and has not looked back since. Deidre describes the initial experience as ‘overwhelming’, given the fact that she hadn’t worked for 10 years.

During the past 4 years, Home Entertainment Express has exceeded Deidre’s expectations and her growing business is definitely a credit to her successes with her clients. And her career highlights so far? “I love the people”, says Deidre, “I love working with the franchisor and I love my regular customers. I’ve seen families grow up and the relationships I have with my customers definitely make my job worthwhile.”

Click here for more information on becoming a Home Entertainment Express Franchisee

With no water, a long and proven history, superb results, and genuine environmental content – NoWet Waterless CarClean has been given the Australian Ecolabel for Environmentally Innovative Product and Service.

Leonie Weber of NoWet Waterless CarClean tells us: "As a woman in franchising I am proud of the women who have come on board with NoWet.

One of our top detailers is a woman in Perth.  We headhunted Carlene from an imported car dealership to work in the Perth City Convention Centre Car Park for NoWet.  Carlene has been detailing cars for almost 20 years and she is a consummate professional.

Where previously it took her two and a half hours to wash, chamois, wax, polish and fully detail a car, she now does a better job in 40 minutes using NoWet!  But more importantly, she no longer gets headaches, feels tired or nauseous, because she is now using a genuine environmental product in NoWet and not the chemically filled ones she was using before.

She is so rapt in the results and how much better she feels, that she bought the franchise!

Many women have joined NoWet - and they chose us for the same reasons Carlene did and they do a fantastic job."

Click here for more information on becoming a NoWet Franchisee

HydroDog – Mobile Dog Grooming

Happy Tales from our Female Franchisees!

HydroDog is the perfect business opportunity for women.  Their caring attitude towards their doggy clients comes naturally and their ability to multi task make women ideal candidates for HydroDog.  Women also excel in customer-service skills which helps them to build extremely successful businesses.

We have many women in the business who work around the school day – it’s flexible and a great money earner.

Here are a few of statements from our franchisees:

In the three years of owning a HydroDog franchise, I have built a successful business.  It gives me a great sense of achievement and self-satisfaction, and has shaped me into a more confident and happy person. I have control of my life. I say when, where and how and that's very empowering.
Sarah, Victoria

Since joining the HydroDog team, I have gained experience in business and organization skills. After my family, HydroDog is the most exciting venture I've ever been part of. Watching my business grow is very fulfilling. Working with dogs is the greatest!
Alex, Queensland

Since becoming a HydroDog franchisee I’ve never looked back.  Every day is different so I’m never bored, I am out in the fresh air, I get to work with dogs and have some freedom in what I do.  It’s a very rewarding job, and I go home feeling happy, and knowing that I have made all the dogs feel great too.  I love all of the doggies so much I could not imagine doing anything else. Tenille, Victoria

HydroDog is the perfect business opportunity for women.  Their caring attitude towards their doggy clients comes naturally and their ability to multi task make women ideal candidates for HydroDog.  Women also excel in customer-service skills which helps them to build extremely successful businesses.

We have many women in the business who work around the school day – it’s flexible and a great money earner.

Here are a few of statements from our franchisees:

"In the three years of owning a HydroDog franchise, I have built a successful business.  It gives me a great sense of achievement and self-satisfaction, and has shaped me into a more confident and happy person. I have control of my life. I say when, where and how and that's very empowering." Sarah, Victoria

"Since joining the HydroDog team, I have gained experience in business and organization skills. After my family, HydroDog is the most exciting venture I've ever been part of. Watching my business grow is very fulfilling. Working with dogs is the greatest!" Alex, Queensland

"Since becoming a HydroDog franchisee I’ve never looked back.  Every day is different so I’m never bored, I am out in the fresh air, I get to work with dogs and have some freedom in what I do.  It’s a very rewarding job, and I go home feeling happy, and knowing that I have made all the dogs feel great too.  I love all of the doggies so much I could not imagine doing anything else." Tenille, Victoria

Click here for more information on becoming a Hydrodog Franchisee

Franchising’s a delight for
this entrepreneurial woman

For Michelle Turner, running her own business had never been on the cards. Yet when the opportunity arose to become part of the Bakers Delight network, she jumped at the chance and has never looked back.

That was 1993, and 14 years on Michelle has been involved with seven Bakers Delight franchises to date. She currently owns two very successful businesses in Wellington Village and Mountain Gate located in Melbourne's southeastern suburbs.

“I had a successful career in payroll administration, working for the largest companies in Australia, yet I was looking for a way to escape the daily grind,” explains Michelle.

“My husband was working for Bakers Delight head office, and one day came home excited about the potential opportunity for me to take the franchising route and go into business for myself.

“I didn’t even consider looking at any other franchise systems because Bakers Delight was such a well-known, trusted brand and every franchisee I spoke to said I’d be mad if I didn’t do it!”
 
When Michelle bought her first franchise in 1993, not only was franchising still a relatively new concept in Australia, but it was also still a very male-dominated sector. 

In fact, Michelle was one of a small handful of franchisees in the Bakers Delight network.  Imagine the surprise when she was also the first woman to become a Bakers Delight multi-site franchisee.
 
As a Bakers Delight franchisee, Michelle has been able to create a chosen lifestyle without the constraints of a nine-to-five job.

Particularly now, with two young girls aged 11 and seven years old, Michelle relishes the flexibility that operating her own business offers. 

“At a time where there is so much discussion about working mothers, I feel lucky that I’ve been able to step away from the business to bring up my young children, and to re-enter the workforce when I was ready.

“If I hadn’t decided to go out on my own and invest in a franchise I never would have been able to have the flexibility I have now as a small business owner.

Michelle credits her success as a franchisee to the support she receives from head office and other franchisees in the network.

“I could never have started my own business by myself, and that’s the beauty of franchising.  It allows you to run your own business but with the support and experience of an established and proven system. As a franchisee I can tap into expert advice from marketing, sales and human resources just to name a few – we’re never left to go it alone. There is always someone there to assist us run the most successful business we can.

Michelle’s advice to potential franchisees is to focus on the development of staff and follow the systems.

 “Staff are the cornerstone to the success of your business. A happy team means happy customers.

“If you tap into the resources provided by the Bakers Delight team, the systems, support and experience, the opportunities are endless.” 

Sisters are doing it for themselves at bb's cafe
bb's cafe amazing female franchisees are devoted to their stores and strive to achieve their business goals and targets. Over the recent years, bb's cafe has seen an increase in individual or groups of women buying and operating their own bb's cafe franchise. These motivated women are the driving force behind the success of their business and own some of the most successful stores in the bb's cafe franchise system.

The bb's cafe Chermside franchisees Jennifer and Vivian are a prime example of this. Since opening their store at Westfield Chermside in December, they are have managed to position themselves as one of the systems top performing stores. These business-savvy women are dedicated to their franchise and have thrived in the bb's cafe system.

bb's cafe Stafford owner Sarah is another one of the systems successful female franchisees. Since acquiring the bb's cafe Stafford store in 2006, she has dedicated herself to her business and as a result now owns one of the top performing franchises. Her dedication to her store and her ability to excel in the bb's cafe system is a credit to her determination.

Retail Food Group readily encourages their franchisee to excel in all areas of their business. Full training and a turn key operation is provided to allow all franchisees to shine in their chosen franchise system.

Dynamic Women find franchising success pampering pooches

Women franchisees mean business at Aussie Pooch Mobile (APM) and the statistics speak for themselves. While national figures show that only 20% of small businesses are owned by women and 11% of franchises bought by women, APM comprises over 65% women.

And they are extremely successful women at that collectively winning numerous awards including Franchisee of the Year/Franchisee Woman of the Year on a national and state basis, Telstra Business awards and Consumer community voted awards.

Founded in 1991 by a then 21-year-old Chris Taylor, today one of Australia’s most successful and influential business women, APM was the first franchise system of its kind, and is still the largest franchised dog wash and care company in the world with over 155 operators in Australia, United Kingdom, Malaysia, New Zealand, New Caledonia and the USA.

But what is the draw-card for women and why are they proving so successful?

“Aussie Pooch Mobile has been built on a basis of an extended family, both from our customer’s point of view with their dogs being an extended member of their families and our franchisees being part of the Aussie Pooch Family.

“This family business suits women with a passion for dogs, a caring nature and a will to succeed. As a mother of two I understand the need of today’s woman in the work place and have established support and ongoing training and development that allows women the opportunity to create a successful business while balancing their family and leisure time. Franchising is the ultimate business model to allow women the opportunity and confidence to create a business for themselves but not by themselves,” explains Taylor.

And it works, just ask Karen Garner from Victoria who explains why she purchased a franchise in 1996.

“While I wanted to be able to run my own business I had no idea where to start. The whole concept of what Aussie Pooch Mobile offered to their customers appealed to me, as well as the fact that it was all set out for me in the operator’s manual. I could see the incredible success of other women franchisees that were in the similar circumstances of running a business while raising young children. Because they had proven it could be done, made it an easy decision to enter the franchising sector.”

Today Karen manages a team of successful franchisees, helps out with the marketing of the overall business and balances her family and leisure time. She has also placed as a finalist in Franchisee of the Year.

“It is such an honour working with these dynamic women who are doing so incredibly well in their business,” says Taylor. “At APM we acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of these women and encourage others to take a chance and change their lives.”

So at APM it’s ‘secret women’s business’ but men are also more than welcome.