Finnish Franchising Association joins the World Franchise Network

Having recently announced additions to the World Franchise Network including the Franchise Association of South Africa and the Hong Kong Franchise Association, Global Franchise is overjoyed to welcome yet another prestigious franchise organization: the Finnish Franchising Association (FFA).

The World Franchise Network was formed in 2020 with the mission to gather franchise associations and trade bodies all under one roof, in order to encourage and foster greater connectivity between franchising nations.

By adding the FFA to the network, Global Franchise can work more closely with a recognized and well-respected voice of Finnish franchising, strengthening our coverage of the franchise model in this exciting market and throughout Europe.

Speaking about the partnership, Kieran McLoone, editor of Global Franchise, said: “Finland is a hugely exciting European market when it comes to franchising, so it’s a real joy to be able to announce this partnership with the Finnish Franchising Association.

“The Association’s Code of Ethics strongly aligns with our goal to promote sustainable, ethical franchising, and I look forward to working closely with Juha Vastamäki and his team to promote Finland’s franchise scene to the world.”

The FFA was founded in 1988, and works with the country’s franchise community to share best practices and distribute up-to-date information about the business model.

The FFA has a strong position in Finland and its members cover almost 70 per cent of the Finnish franchise market, which boasts a turnover of around €6bn. An important task for the Association is to handle the relations towards the authorities and franchising associations throughout the world.

To achieve its goals, the Association arranges meetings, seminars, and training sessions, as well as publishing pamphlets, books, websites to provide advice. The FFA also hosts the annual Franny Awards gala, with over 400 participents.

FFA is also responsible for the self-regulation of franchising in Finland, as there isn’t any specific franchise law in the country. Members of the FFA have self-regulation by their commitment to comply with the FFA Code of Ethics, which constitutes a set of standards similar to those of the EFF (European Franchise Federation). There is strong Finnish franchising know-how in the country, and almost 80 per cent of brands are Finnish. However, there is still a growing franchise market for foreign franchises, too.

Juha Vastamäki, executive director of the FFA, said: “Finland is the happiest country in the world and Finnish Franchising Association is more than happy to be able to join the World Franchise Network as Finland is an active member of the international franchising family. Finnish franchise brands are ready to go abroad and there are already Finnish franchising companies in 40 countries all over the world.”

As part of the partnership, Global Franchise works closely with recognized associations when covering their respective territories, sharing crucial intel and insight to ensure readers are clued up with up-to-date industry stats, regulatory updates and more.

If your organization is interested in partnering with the World Franchise Network, please visit our dedicated site for further information.