If you have ever had a conversation with Alesia Visconti, CEO and president of FranServe, Inc., the first thing you notice is her larger-than-life personality. It shouldn’t be a surprise that the title of her first book is “The Pink Tsunami – Women’s Rise in Franchising.” Visconti’s new book is a celebration of women in franchising and a call to action for women to enter the sector. By Nancy E. Williams
Women-owned franchises up almost 25 percent from last year
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — As more women choose the freedom and independence of owning a franchise business, their success in the industry will be recognized during the second annual Women in Franchising National Appreciation Day on Saturday, October 14. The holiday was established in 2022 by United Franchise Group™ (UFG) to celebrate all women working in the franchising industry, from owners to employees and those behind the scenes.
This year, UFG has partnered with the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), the unified voice of more than 14 million women-owned businesses in the United States. UFG is an affiliate sponsor of NAWBO’s National Women’s Business Conference, October 15-17 in Austin, Texas, and will host an informative and interactive workshop on franchising for attendees.
Their partnership brings the success of women in franchising, whose numbers are growing rapidly, to the forefront. Women own 29 percent of U.S. franchises in 2023, according to Guidant Financial – an increase of almost 25 percent from just last year.
“It’s an honor to collaborate with NAWBO on this special observance day, which we created to celebrate and inspire women working in the franchising industry,” said Ray Titus, Founder and CEO of United Franchise Group. “Franchising empowers women to succeed independently while giving them all the tools and support they need.”
UFG is the global leader for entrepreneurs, offering an international network of resources and expertise to franchise owners in its family of affiliated brands and consultants. Its members have amassed more than four decades of knowledge in the franchise industry.
“We’re happy to partner with United Franchise Group and share their organization’s franchising expertise with our members,” said Jen Earle, CEO of NAWBO. “Women-owned businesses are the fastest-growing segment of the economy, and UFG is working to help more women achieve their dreams through business ownership.”
The holiday falls during National Women’s Small Business Month, as declared by the U.S. Small Business Administration. Women in Franchising National Appreciation Day celebrates women who chose a career in franchising either as a franchise owner or work for a franchise brand while bringing attention to opportunities for women in this flourishing and exciting industry.
Led by CEO Ray Titus, United Franchise Group houses a successful group of business-to-business franchise systems. Our franchised concepts specialize in personalized business services including signs, embroidery, and business brokerage. With over 30 years in the franchising industry and more than 1400 franchisees throughout the world, United Franchise Group offers unprecedented leadership and solid business opportunities for entrepreneurs.
The conglomerate first began franchising with Signarama in Farmingdale, New York in 1987, which is now the world’s largest sign franchise touting locations in 62 countries. In 2000, the first FullyPromoted opened its doors in West Palm Beach, FL and further provided branding solutions in the business community with embroidery and promotional product services.
Today, United Franchise Group has more than 200 employees with established offices in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia. Its corporate headquarters are located in West Palm Beach, Florida and also house a superior state-of-the-art training facility, where all new franchisees are welcomed to begin their journey into business ownership throughout the year.
The expertise of the team at United Franchise group provides the foundation for the continuous evolvement and growth of development services the company offers. United Franchise Group has established master licenses for its brands in more than 80 countries and has services that assist other franchise companies from conception to international expansion. In particular, World Franchisors was exclusively created by UFG to aide other franchisors in selling master licenses for their brands.
With the combination of award-winning franchise concepts, development services, and industry excellence, United Franchise Group is the global leader for today’s entrepreneurs.
Women are making waves in the franchise industry like never before, bringing fresh perspectives and innovative ideas. Their remarkable contributions have broadened the horizons of franchising, paving the way for everyone to experience the thrill of business ownership. By Rose Mango
WOW is right! Women in franchising are creating business ownership opportunities every day, adding value and access to wealth for themselves and their futures. By Dawn Abbamondi
Each year, we reach out to you, our readers, and ask you to nominate a woman franchisor who has gone above and beyond her business’s expectations and has inspired you the most. This year, results left us awestruck. We had more nominations than ever before!
Whether you are 28, 42 or 56, if you are considering a franchise now, choose with intent. If you are looking to provide a service that is not available in your market, you may choose to offer solutions to a specific and targeted age: young adults, working parents, or those in the sandwich generation – still raising their kids but helping to care for their aging mom or dad. By Dawn Abbamondi
The number of women in the franchising industry continues to grow. Today, women either own or co-own about 265,000 franchises in the U.S. To give that figures some context, that’s approximately 35% of all U.S. franchise outlets, up 24% from just a decade ago. But these numbers represent a mere snippet of the impact women are having on the franchising industry and the wider business world. By Sue Bennett
Each year we reach out to you, our readers, and ask you to nominate a woman franchisor who has gone above and beyond her business’s expectations and who has inspired you the most. This year we were excited about the number of nominations that came in and were genuinely motivated by their stories. These next several pages are a culmination of the top 50 nomination results.
As a co-chair of the International Franchise Association’s Women in Franchising Philadelphia Chapter, I make an effort to advocate for women in franchising and mentor younger – or less experienced – up-and-coming franchise leaders. This includes those people who are in roles as franchisors, franchisees and suppliers, helping to foster great relationships for existing and aspiring franchisees in local communities across the country. By Dawn Abbamondi
Franchising is no longer a man’s world. As of 2019, women own or co-own over 35% of the franchise outlets in the U.S. – around 265,000 – according to the Franchise Business Review research firm. And in some industries, such as interior decorating, they far outnumber their male counterparts. A June 2018 Forbes article reported that back in 1995, the proportion of women-owned franchises was less than ten percent. By Sherri Wehner