Women mean business
- Awards Preview 2016
by Simon Lord
last updated 28/10/2016
Reviewing the recent MYOB survey which found that women are increasingly the owners of SME businesses in New Zealand, I was struck by the fact that this is nothing new in franchising.
In the very first year of the Franchise Awards, back in 1995, one of the two top franchisees was Robyn Hulena of Wendy’s Supa Sundaes in Riccarton. The following year, solo mum Tracey Houston of Lollipop’s took out the top franchisee title, then a series of husband-and-wife teams won up till 2002, when the winner was again a lone woman – Wellington’s Angela Ferguson.
In fact, it’s not until the 11th year of the Awards, in 2005, that a solo man – Shiraz Hajee – was named New Zealand’s top franchisee, and it’s a feat that has been achieved only twice since. Karleen Hennessey restored women’s place at the top in 2006 and although Ivy & William Joe’s names are both on their record-breaking run of Supreme Awards from 2012-2014, it’s Ivy who runs the business.
As the table below shows, women have been named as New Zealand’s top franchisees at the Awards in 18 out of 21 years so far. Last year, for the first time, a whole family won the title, with women in the majority there, too. It’s an impressive record – but who will come out on top on 12 November?
Which sector
The Supreme Franchisees of recent years have often come from the food sector, with friendly rivals Columbus Coffee and The Coffee Club battling over the title – in fact, we have to go back to 2010 to find our last non-café winners. Will that change this year? Franchisees in the few years before that came from Fastway, Crest and Anchor, so it can be done.
On the franchisor front, the Supreme Franchise System of the Year title has moved around sectors in recent years – commercial cleaning with Paramount, health with Specsavers and retail with Paper Plus, although Columbus Coffee and The Coffee Club have been top brands here, too.
One thing worth noting is the longevity of many of the franchise systems which win awards. All of the brands which won titles back in 1995 are still with us, and many of the franchisees, too. It reflects the fact that excellent franchise systems are not just properly set up in the first place but also adapt constantly to meet changing customer demands.
It’s this focus that makes the annual Westpac New Zealand Franchise Awards so important as a measure of who’s doing it right – and why the results of the Awards matter to potential franchise buyers.
We’ll have full coverage of the Awards on our website on 9th November. To get the results the moment they’re announced, subscribe to our newsletter.
|
Year |
Winner |
Title |
|
1995 |
Stirling Sports |
Franchise System of the Year |
|
Robyn Hulena |
Retail Franchisee of the Year |
|
|
Bruce Grant/Judith Friar |
Service Franchisee of the Year |
|
|
1996 |
Fastway Couriers |
Franchise System of the Year |
|
Tracey Houston, |
Franchisee of the Year |
|
|
1997 |
Stirling Sports |
Franchise System of the Year |
|
Alistair & Debbie Boyd |
Franchisee of the Year |
|
|
1998 |
Star Mart |
Franchise System of the Year |
|
Bryan & Rosemary Gore |
Franchisee of the Year |
|
|
1999 |
Green Acres |
Franchise System of the Year |
|
Steve & Cathy Wilson |
Franchisee of the Year |
|
|
2000 |
Action International |
Franchise System of the Year |
|
Brent & Jo Williamson |
Franchisee of the Year |
|
|
2001 |
Bakers Delight |
Supreme Award |
|
Phil & Gill West |
Franchisee of the Year |
|
|
2002 |
Fastway Couriers |
Supreme Award |
|
Bakers Delight |
Franchise System of the Year |
|
|
Angela Ferguson |
Franchisee of the Year |
|
|
2003 |
Mike Pero |
Supreme Award |
|
Pete’s Post |
Franchise System of the Year |
|
|
Sharon Heincen & Alan Phillip |
Franchisee of the Year |
|
|
2004 |
CleanTastic |
Supreme Award |
|
|
Star Mart |
Franchise System of the Year |
|
|
CleanTastic |
Franchise System of the Year |
|
|
Tina & Gerard Kennedy |
Franchisee of the Year |
|
2005 |
Laser Electrical Group |
Supreme Award |
|
|
Shiraz Hajee |
Supreme Award |
|
2006 |
Laser Group |
Supreme Award |
|
|
Karleen Hennessey |
Supreme Award |
|
2007 |
Carpet One |
Supreme Award |
|
Alan & Michelle Cook |
Supreme Award |
|
|
2008 |
Paramount Commercial Cleaning |
Supreme Award |
|
David Compton, |
Supreme Award |
|
|
2009 |
Columbus Coffee |
Supreme Award |
|
Bill Sampson |
Supreme Award |
|
|
2010 |
Columbus Coffee |
Supreme Award |
|
Nick & Clare Thomas |
Supreme Award |
|
|
2011 |
Paper Plus |
Supreme Award |
|
Nigel & Carmeena Heney |
Supreme Award |
|
|
2012 |
The Coffee Club |
Supreme Award |
|
Ivy & William Joe |
Supreme Award |
|
|
2013 |
The Coffee Club |
Supreme Award |
|
Ivy & William Joe |
Supreme Award |
|
|
2014 |
Specsavers |
Supreme Award |
|
Ivy & William Joe |
Supreme Award |
|
|
2015 |
Paramount Services |
Supreme Award |
|
The Hall Family |
Supreme Award |
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