Building a Network for Women in Franchising

What do you get when you put a bunch of female franchise-owners in one room? For resources like the Women Franchising Committee (WFC) and the Women Franchising Network (WFN), you get a place to share ideas, solve problems and celebrate the successes of women in the franchising workforce. According to the 2013 State of Women-Owned Businesses Report, the number of women-owned businesses increased by 59 percent between 1997 and 2013. Many women entrepreneurs have looked to the franchising industry for business ownership opportunities. This influx of women entrepreneurs has created a higher demand for support groups and resources to help women develop as successful business owners. That’s where organizations like WFC and WFN come in, seeking to create a network of business professionals with the goal of strengthening the success of women in franchising. “Franchising is a little bit of ahead of the curve,” said Mary Ann O’Connell, chairwomen of WFC. “The percentage of women executives in franchising is higher than the national average of women executives outside of franchising.” [caption id="attachment_9456" align="alignright" width="262" caption="Mary Ann O'Connell, chairwoman of WFC"][/caption] The main goal of resources like WFC and WFN is to support women in franchising through multiple resources and networks, allowing individuals to get involved at a local level. Founded in 1996 with the mission to “promote women’s participation in franchising by providing international networking opportunities for the exchange of ideas, resources and experiences,” WFC has since grown to include 20 local WFN chapters in the United States with another two chapters in Canada. Meetings are open to all individuals, member of not. One of the organization’s most successful initiatives is the WFC Leadership Conference, which is held right before the International Franchise Association’s national convention. The WFC Leadership Conference, now in its 14th year, includes top executive keynote speakers, franchise expert panels and a case study on the status of women in franchising. “We came up with the idea four years ago to do a case study while at the conference,” explained O’Connell. “First, we go out and find a company that has had obstacles to overcome. We then work with the company to create a case study about what the problems were and find out what they essentially did to solve the problems. At the end of the WFC Leadership Conference, we do breakout sessions to figure out how the members in attendance would solve the problems themselves.” The benefits of this exercise are twofold: members are given an exercise in problem solving, while the case study’s subject company receives advice, strategy, and possible solutions. This exercise also shows the strength of the WFC and WFN and the potential of ideas that come out from networking opportunities. Still, for O’Connell, the conference also serves as a venue to recognize the accomplishments and achievements for women in the industry. “This is where we also award the Crystal Compass Award, which acknowledges a woman who has done extraordinary work to mentor women,” continued O’Connell. “We are looking for someone who is well rounded and who is reaching out to help women reach their potential and to find a career in business.” Ultimately, like the number of women pursuing entrepreneurship and franchising opportunities, the success of WFC and WFN will only continue to grow. “The WFC Leadership Conference continues to see growing numbers and we continue to see our keynote speakers getting better every year,” said O’Connell. “Women work very collaboratively and can get an a lot done.” For more information about getting involved with WFC or WFN, click here or contact Annie Poodiack.