Article contained within:  News, UK's Top 12 Franchisees Battle it Out For No.1 Prize

UK's Top 12 Franchisees Battle it Out For No.1 Prize

The UK’s best-performing franchisees are toasting their success after reaching the National Finals of this year’s bfa Franchisee of the Year Awards, sponsored by HSBC and Express newspapers.

The 12 National Finalists, will now attend the glittering black-tie Awards Dinner, to be held at Birmingham’s International Convention Centre on Thursday 4th October.

Here, the entrepreneurs will battle it out for the top title ‘bfa Franchisee of the Year 2007’ and HSBC’s £5,000 Gold Winner’s cheque. The Silver and Bronze award-winning franchisees will also receive cheques from HSBC for £3,000 and £2,000 respectively.

The prestigious annual bfa Franchisee of the Year Awards – the highlight of National Franchise Week (1 – 12 October) – were launched in April as a celebration of the best-performing franchisees in a booming industry now employing over 370,000 people and worth an annual £10 billion to the UK economy.

Contenders vying for the top prize are:

Barking Mad - Frome, Somerset

Stewart Collins was made redundant after 15 years of working in the IT industry. Daunted by the prospect of starting again, Stuart and his partner, Tina O'Connor, bought into a franchise they could run from home. Barking Mad offers an alternative to kennels by placing pets with carefully selected host families.

Belvoir Lettings - Peterborough

Terry Lucking had no experience in the lettings industry eight years ago when he brought his Peterborough franchise. Now he manages 500 flats and has over 1000 customers. Terry’s children also now work in his growing franchise.

Chemex - Berkshire

Stephen and Margaret Crinks have owned their Chemex franchise for 15 years and, despite having no experience in the industry, have gone on to build a solid business specialising in chemical and hygiene products and systems.

McDonald’s - Uxbridge

Atul Pathak bought his first McDonalds franchise in 2003. Now, he owns a further 10 restaurants and is using his success to give back to his local community.

Mitchells & Butlers - Betchworth

Husband and wife John and Paula Briscoe met when they were at University - studying hospitality management. They had always dreamt of owning their own business and after years of working for other people, found franchising provided them with the opportunity to be their own bosses. The couple now successfully manage three pubs.

Mr Clutch - Acton

Feroz Callachand came to England in 1989 and soon after, began working at Mr Clutch as a trainee. After dedicating 18 years to the company, Feroz now owns his own Mr Clutch Autocentre.

National Schoolwear - Norwich

Husband and wife team, Ian and Sarah Bird, have found that running their own franchise gives them the benefits of being self employed, but with the backup of a structured support network. Ian and Sarah are now working on innovative ways to make buying school uniforms as stress-free as possible.

Oscar Pet Foods - Lewes, Sussex

Tracy and Cliff Marsh had an impressive 40 years experience between them in the banking industry. After facing redundancy, Cliff though it was time for a change in lifestyle. Now, not only do the couple make a living through their pet food home delivery business, but they also get to spend quality time together.

Pitman Training - Bishop’s Stortford

David Amos wanted to improve his quality of life and to spend more time with his young family. Initially setting up as a freelance trainer, David found self employment challenging. Franchising has given him the confidence and tools to succeed through an organised network. Now, David can offer a full range of secretarial, clerical and IT courses.

Revive - Warrington

Chris Webster left school without many qualifications and subsequently spent eight years in the army. After meeting his wife, he decided he did not want to bring up a family in army barracks. After a few years doing various jobs, Chris began working at Revive, a car painting service, where he soon realised the potential for him to own his own business.

Thresher - Sheffield

Kath Costello worked for the Threshers Group for 22 years as a part time sales assistant. In 1999 she made the leap and bought her own franchise offering a wide selection of convenience produce.

Your Move - York

Scott Anscomb has nearly come full circle. After working as an estate agent, Scott became head of marketing for YourMove. Finding that he missed being on the shop floor and having daily interaction with customers, Scott decided to go it alone and bought his own YourMove franchise.

The judging panel, chaired by bfa President, Sir Bernard Ingham, was looking for franchisees who could show how they have achieved customer focus – the theme for this year’s Awards. The top 12 franchisees demonstrated this by illustrating how they are tracking consumer needs and responding with systems, products and services to meet demand.

Cathryn Hayes, Head of Franchising for HSBC Bank said: “Our mission is to make HSBC the bank of choice for the British franchise industry and we are proud to play a pivotal role in meeting the financial challenges of this dynamic and important market sector.

“All 12 National Finalists are inspiring examples of the franchise model working at its very best. Their success stories are not only representative of hard work and commitment, but also testament to the vital support provided by a successful franchising business model”.

Director General of the bfa, Brian Smart, added: “The franchise sector is home to some of the UK's most successful brands. These brands have been built on the foundation of a franchisor driven to build and support a network, and franchisees who are committed to developing their own business.

“The awards recognise the very best franchisees and how their focus and drive, when supplemented by the support of a franchisor, results in the growth of a sustainable, and profitable business."

About those involved:

HSBC Bank plc
HSBC serves 15.7 million customers in the UK and employs more than 40,000 UK staff. HSBC is Britain's most recommended big bank. HSBC Bank plc is a wholly owned subsidiary of HSBC Holdings plc, and a member of the HSBC Group. HSBC Holdings plc serves over 125 million customers worldwide through some 10,000 offices in 82 countries and territories in Europe, the Asia-Pacific region, the Americas, the Middle East and Africa. With assets of US$1,861 billion at 31 December 2006, HSBC is one of the world's largest banking and financial services organisations. HSBC is marketed worldwide as 'the world's local bank'.

National Franchise Week
How often have you sat at your desk and wondered what it would feel like to ‘Escape the 9 to 5’ and be your own boss? National Franchise Week is an ideal opportunity to explore the world of franchising as a proven and established way of starting your own business. Sponsored by Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, supported by Yell and Sage, and organised by the British Franchise Association, National Franchise Week will be taking place from 1 - 12 October. It features a number of exciting events such as regional discovery days, the annual Franchisee of the Year Awards and the National Franchise Exhibition. The aim of National Franchise Week is to raise awareness of franchising as a successful business model. Franchising in the UK is a £10.8 billion industry that encompasses 781 franchise systems and employs 371,600 people. For more information on events throughout the week, visit www.nationalfranchiseweek.co.uk or contact Chris Irons (01491 637043).

British Franchise Association
The British Franchise Association (bfa) was set up in 1977 and is the only voluntary self-accrediting body for the UK franchise sector. Its aim is to promote ethical franchising practice in the UK and help the industry develop credibility, influence and favourable circumstance for growth. franchisor members have to meet the standards set by the Association in order to establish that their franchise represents a fair and ethical opportunity. The standards are adopted from the European Franchise Federation (EFF) Code of Ethics and set out in The Ethics of Franchising. More information on the bfa can be found at www.thebfa.org.

Express Newspapers
Express Newspapers is the market leader among national newspapers in the franchising industry, and the official newspaper to the bfa. The Daily Express publishes a comprehensive franchise section every Monday, as well as regular franchise supplements to coincide with the major franchise exhibitions that take place throughout the year. The company further strengthens its position in this market by publishing a weekly franchise section in the Sunday Express, and has launched a brand new franchise section the Daily Star, sister paper to the Daily Express, providing readers with the most up to date news and information on the UK franchising industry.