Pip Wilkins
The BFA has announced the finalists for the annual BFA/HSBC Franchise Awards for franchisors and franchisees.
Franchisor awards
This year the awards has two new categories for Social Enterprise and Leadership & Culture.
With the franchising sector continuing to move forward, the BFA explains that, so do the awards, and the new categories introduced are to reflect the sector’s progressive attitude.
The Social Enterprise category is for a business that has been built to respond to a demand by finding a gap in the market, while also clearly helping the wider community in some way.
The Leadership & Culture category focuses on the business’s passion, vision and values, where franchisees and staff have clearly been placed at the centre of the business so that ideas can be shared and franchisees can contribute to the company’s growth.
Two award categories have also been combined for 2019 to create the Brand Awareness & Innovation award.
Pip Wilkins, chief executive of the BFA, believes the innovative and enabling approach of the nominated franchise systems is indicative of a wider trend in the industry of allowing people to thrive through franchising.
Wilkins added: “Congratulations to all those shortlisted. This year was particularly tough, as so many franchise brands presented excellent cases for being put forward, so for those that have been shortlisted, they really have gone above and beyond in helping their network.
“The very fact that the companies put forward are so diverse is not surprising, as franchising is a diverse industry in general, and it continues to push boundaries.
“In the 20 years I have been involved in franchising, so much has changed. There are more women than ever becoming franchisees, and 18 per cent of all franchisees are now under 30, as reported in our 2018 franchise survey. This diversity, as well as many systems now being workable from home, has allowed the industry to flourish.”
The Franchisor of the Year category has six finalists and includes Driver Hire who is shortlisted for the second year running for the main title. Some individual franchise sectors have several nominations with Home Instead, Radfield Home Care and Right at Home representing domiciliary care and children’s well-being franchises has three finalists, Creation Station, Swimtime and Window to the Womb.
Sponsors’ comments
Andrew Brattesani, head of franchising at HSBC, the award sponsors, commented: “To be a finalist in any of the categories show that each business is going above and beyond to ensure the model is working well for franchisor, franchisee, and all associated staff.
“No matter which accolade the company has been put forward for, I wish all the nominated companies the best of luck when it comes to announcing the winners.”
The franchisor finalists are:
Franchisor of the Year
- Minster Cleaning Services
- Window to the Womb
- Oscar Pet Foods
- Speedy Freight
- InXpress
- Driver Hire
Emerging Franchisor
- Award Leisure
- Access4Lofts
- Radfield Home Care
Brand Awareness & Innovation
- Oscar Pet Foods
- The Christmas Decorators
- énergie Fitness
- O2
Leadership & Culture
- Home Instead
- McDonald’s Restaurants
- Right at Home
Social Enterprise
- Swimtime UK
- Wiltshire Farm Foods
- Creation Station
Franchisee awards
To showcase the young talent entering franchising, this year the Young Franchisee of the Year category has changed to two award categories to represent the emerging talent of both young female and male franchisees in the sector.
In the four additional award categories there is also a new award for Business Transformation to represent the second-generation franchisees that have taken on a franchise unit and have successfully grown the business.
The franchisee finalists are:
Young Female Franchisee of the Year
- Jennie Mills (Rainbow International)
- Charlotte Eames (The Creation Station)
- Victoria Rigby (Home Instead)
Young Male Franchisee of the Year
- Steve Mullins (ActionCOACH)
- Craig Bishop (Snap-on Tools)
- Daryl Perkins (Card Connection)
Customer Engagement
- Sarah Reeves (Bright & Beautiful)
- Berkeley Harris (Sandler Training)
- Kev & Amy Popat (Right at Home)
Lifestyle
- Allison Malone (Stagecoach)
- John & Elaine Warburton (Barking Mad)
- David Hill (The Christmas Decorators)
Multi-unit
- Steve Morris (Speedy Freight)
- Mark and Joanna Butler (Tutor Doctor)
- Mark Sadleir (Window to the Womb)
Business Transformation
- Simon White (Home Instead)
- Gill Dawson (Molly Maid)
- Ed Pockney (Driver Hire)
Brattesani commented: “Well done to all the shortlisted franchisees in their respective categories. To be recognised in this way proves how well the franchisee is working in ensuring best practice, implementing innovative approaches and helping the wider community.”
The winners will be announced at the Franchise Awards at the BFA Annual Conference on 27th June at the Vox Conference Centre, Resorts World, Birmingham.