Entrepreneur Magazine: Lightbridge Academy in The Rise of Female Franchises

The Entrepreneur Magazine article highlights the rise in the number of women entering the franchising sector and the shift of the industry itself as more women drive growth. According to the International Franchise Association, women owned 27 percent of franchises in 2017 compared to 20.5 percent a decade back. Female franchisees throughout the article specifically point to franchising as an investment that offers lower risk, a scalable model and a better quality of life for women looking for a greater work-life balance.

Lightbridge Academy President & COO Gigi Schweikert says the influx of women has changed the way franchisors operate, leading to positive changes that ripple across the system.

Said Schweikert to Entrepreneur, "One thing that's refreshing with the amount of women we have as franchisees is that they're not afraid to pick up the phone and say, "How do we do this?" We're able to smoke out a lot of potential problems because they ask a lot of questions."