Think franchising is a boy’s club? Think again

The Signs Express franchise has witnessed a 40 per cent increase in female franchisees in the last 18 months

The NatWest & BFA 2018 Report revealed that the franchising world is appearing to be even more inclusive, with the number of women taking on a franchised business growing by 20 per cent in the last two years.

There is a clear shift in the landscape and not just with franchisees. Last year, 65 per cent of people employed in a franchising business were female, making that over 400,000 in the UK alone.

One of the UK’s largest signs and graphics companies, Signs Express, concurred with the report. In the last 18 months, the franchise saw a 40 per cent increase in female franchisees. In fact, since April 2018, it welcomed three new female franchisees in Oxford, Colchester and Chelmsford, and Leicester and Loughborough.

Mayura Joshi, owner of Signs Express Colchester and Chelmsford explain, “Signage was interesting to me because every business needs it – that’s what drew me. I spoke to existing Signs Express franchisees and they come from a diverse range of backgrounds that made me feel confident getting into the sector.”

Women and the signage industry go way back, with individuals like Margaret Calvert designing an entirely new signage system for the country’s roads in the 1960s. Thus, getting into the signage franchise business can be a good fit for the ‘fairer sex’, not to mention the fact that the UK sign industry is estimated to be worth £500m.

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