Business ownership is a life-changing and rewarding choice, but for many women, the necessary education and resources that lead to success can sometimes be hard to find. That’s why FranNet, America’s most respected leader in matching individuals with franchise opportunities, and Women’s Business Centers, a national network designed to assist women in starting and growing small businesses, recently announced a partnership to make the leap into entrepreneurship a little easier.
Women’s Business Centers, an organization funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration, represents nearly 100 educational centers throughout the United States—all designed to help women enter the world of business ownership. Through training and counseling, this network aims to “level the playing field” for women entrepreneurs, who still face unique obstacles and certain disadvantages in the business world. According to Jania Bailey, Chief Executive Officer of FranNet, this partnership will help introduce more women to the vast potential of franchising.
According to the International Franchise Association, over the past five years, the amount of women entering the franchising sector has increased 45%. Females now own more than 21% of all franchise businesses, and an additional 43% of franchised businesses are co-owned and operated by men and women together. These numbers paint a telling picture—the gender gap is shrinking, and all over the country, women are emerging as leaders within the franchise industry. But Bailey believes there’s still some work to be done to further minimize the disparity. Through this partnership, FranNet will serve as the educational arm in franchising to WBC. The company will work with the organization’s centers across the country, conduct seminars, webinars and hand out co-branded booklets—all explaining the value of franchising to the general public and WBC’s network of counselors and advisers. This way, WBC can best serve their clients by offering them detailed information on every available business opportunity and what FranNet can do to help.
“Franchising is a very attractive business model for thousands of men and women. But when it comes to franchising, our No. 1 challenge is education. People have a lot of misperceptions about what franchising is and what it isn’t. The more we can get in front of people and explain these misperceptions, the better opportunity those individuals will have in succeeding in franchising,” Bailey said. “By partnering with Women’s Business Centers, we hope to provide that much needed education to empower women to get into franchising.”
According to Bailey, FranNet also has long-standing relationships with the other two organizations funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration—The SCORE Association, a nonprofit of thousands of volunteer business counselors throughout the U.S. and its territories, and America’s Small Business Development Centers, which provides assistance to small businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs throughout the U.S. By announcing this third partnership with WBC, FranNet now works with all three small business development arms of the Federal government.
“There’s long been the perception that franchising is male dominated—and for the most part, it still is. But we’re starting to see the trend change. More women are considering franchising, they’re breaking through the glass ceiling and they’re increasingly interested in investing in and growing their own business,” Bailey said. “Our goal is to reach as many people as possible to help open their eyes to the opportunity of franchising. Our partnership with Women’s Business Center is a big step forward in that process.”
Ever thought about what it could be like to be your own boss? Like the idea of creating your own hours, doing something you love and making money in the process? Perhaps it’s time for a free consultation with a qualified and experienced franchise consultant. FranNet has a great track record of assisting individuals on their path to business ownership. Make arrangements to speak with one of our representatives today!