Katherine Sampson, founder of
Healthy Habits, will be the first to admit that she had very little franchising experience when she established her business which is why she decided to surround herself with good mentors.
“I have always used business coaches and have learnt so much from them. I have also joined various business groups including the Franchise Council of Australia, the Australian Chapter of YEO, Australian Women’s Network and have undertaken many short courses and attended many conferences over the past few years. All of these contacts provided me with an incredible amount of knowledge and support,” Sampson said.
A good mentor is only one part of the equation though according to Sampson who said it is also important to recruit the right people.
“(Franchise owners) will either become advocates for your business or they can destroy it for you, so it’s important that you have a strong model, great franchise partners and high business morals and values,” Sampson said.
According to Sampson, franchising can offer women more freedom in their business and personal lives. “Women bring a unique sense of life itself to the business, and have a really strong feel for what’s important to customers – and we can do so many things at once!!” Sampson said.
26-Jun-2007