Women in Franchising: New Report Released by Franchise Business Review

The the latest edition FBR Research Insights, a series of reports highlighting data and best practices for franchisors, focuses on the women leading the way when when it comes to franchising’s growing role in the U.S. economy.

Franchise Business Review asked the franchise community to name the women who are positively impacting the franchise industry through exceptional leadership, knowledge, and creativity. Each of the women nominated has been a driving force behind the success of their brand and their franchisees. Their influence ranges from management and services to franchise brands to mentoring, community service, and empowering entrepreneurship through franchising.

The report includes a complete list of nominees with highlights selected by our editorial team based on compelling nominations and our own research. Our selections include pioneers in the industry, up and coming franchisors, and women who are growing franchising behind the scenes.

The report also features Franchise Business Review’s research on women franchisees. The data, collected from 6,400 franchisees at 300 brands, suggests:

While there is no significant difference in flexibility or hours worked, men make nearly twice as much as women. However, more women own franchises in industry sectors that have a lower average income overall.

Men and women are closely aligned when asked if their business is meeting their financial expectations, and a whopping 90% of women say they enjoy operating their business, suggesting that female franchisees, more often than male franchisees, seek opportunities that fit their lifestyle and interests with a lower priority given to maximizing earnings potential.

This reaffirms franchises that create a culture of support and set appropriate expectations are likely to have more satisfied franchisees, even if they don’t provide the highest average franchisee income.