Groom cuts to the chase
MELBOURNE: Kate Groom, general manager Signwave Australia business services franchise and keynote speaker at last month’s Franchising & Business Opportunities Expo at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre has some clear messages for people wanting to run their own business.
“Firstly I urge people to consider business-to-business (B2B) franchises rather than just looking at the high profile retail and service franchise systems. Secondly, there are some great opportunities for women and I challenge them to look at owning their own small business, before opting to be, or to stay an employee,” she said.
“People are unaware of the range of opportunities in B2B franchising. Many of the opportunities are five-day a week businesses selling to other people in business. You are not tied to long retail hours, or to the tenancy and leasing issues of large shopping centres. If you are looking for a business you need to think about the hours you will have to work, particularly if you are located in a large shopping centre, and the implications of future rises in rent on your bottom line.”
Groom is also concerned about the declining number of female entrepreneurs in Australia.
“Recent Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data shows that the number of female entrepreneurs in Australia is declining. That means women are missing out on the challenges, the power, the fun, the independence and the wealth creation that their male counterparts are achieving,” she said.
According to the ABS, 1.74 million new jobs were created in the Australian economy between 1995 and 2004. Some 928,000 positions went to females and 816,000 to males. Of these, one in three males set up a small business, while only one in 14 females became small business operators.
“The recent AMP.NATSEM Income and Wealth Report showed that female small business operators have more personal wealth than any other group, more than male small business operators and male and female employees alike. They have more in cash deposits, shares and equity in their homes and other property investments,” Groom noted.
“The data supports the fact that women are good small business operators and generate more personal wealth, and yet their numbers are declining,” Groom said.
Signwave Australia is the master licensee of the giant US-based Fastsigns system, which has more than 460 franchise locations worldwide. Signwave has 19 centres in Australia.
Brumby’s links with CARE
MELBOURNE: World famous children’s entertainers The Wiggles and Neighbour’s star Natalie Bassingwaighte have joined forces with leading Australian and New Zealand bakery franchise Brumby’s to help fight world hunger.
The Wiggles and Bassingwaighte helped launch the Brumby’s-sponsored CARE Australia World Hunger Campaign.
In Perth the Wiggles, ahead of their concert in the city, were joined by 23 children to show how many children die from hunger and preventable diseases every minute. Meanwhile in Melbourne, Basssingwaighte and former Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser laid flowers among 690 Melbourne Grammar students lying head to toe on the school’s main oval to show how many children die for every half hour that passes.
In North Queensland the Townsville Crocs basketball team helped launch the campaign in that city.
Brumby’s managing direct, Michael Sherlock, says the franchise chain is proud to be sponsoring the World Hunger Campaign.
“CARE is working around the world, in places like Niger, Mozambique and on our doorstep in South East Asia to prevent deaths from hunger and malnutrition,” Sherlock says. “The World Hunger Campaign is an important and easy way for Australians to take action against hunger.”
FCA pulls off political coup
CANBERRA: In a coup that demonstrates the clout of the $80 billion franchising sector, the Franchise Council of Australia was successful in securing Prime Minister John Howard for a major address to delegates at the recent National Franchise Convention. The PM received a standing ovation from a business community regulated by his government, which has proven to be the most successful small business sector in Australia.
Not to be outdone, the next morning Leader of the Opposition, Kim Beazley, also addressed over 600 delegates.
Beazley’s speech at the National Convention Centre discussed Australia’s unsustainable foreign debt, encouraging the expansion of enterprise culture through franchising as a central solution to this problem.
Beazley acknowledged that franchise businesses and the franchise industry are an important sector of the Australian economy.
“Continuing support from Australia's political leaders is crucial, particularly in keeping the economy strong and stable, and assisting with business law structures to ensure small business gets a fair go in the marketplace,” he said.
Franchise Council of Australia CEO, Richard Evans, noted that it was significant that the franchise community had come to Canberra and attracted the political leaders to speak.
“The Federal Opposition has specifically targeted entrepreneurs as a support base for the next election and we welcome their ongoing interest,” Evans said.
Top award for Fernwood founder
MELBOURNE: Through the success of Fernwood Women’s Health Clubs, founder Diana Williams (pictured above) was announced as the finalist for the 2005 Telstra Business Women’s Award for Victoria, hosted at the Sofitel Melbourne on 7 October.
With 65 health clubs across Australia and a further 23 clubs due to open by June 2006, the award is a recognition of the entrepreneurial success Williams has achieved in the business world during the past 15 years.
She established the first Fernwood Women’s Health Club in Bendigo, Victoria in 1989, when she recognised a need for women to have their own special space – a sanctuary, to enjoy regular exercise to reach their health, fitness and wellbeing goals.
Today, with national reach, Fernwood is the largest organisation of its kind in Australia, with more than 80,000 members, 2,275 employees, and an annual turnover in excess of $75 million.
Her current role as chairman of the board of directors is to manage the growth into new markets both in Australia and internationally, and to keep alive the vision of the organisation and its core purpose of ‘empowering women to shine’.
Fernwood Women’s Health Clubs is currently on the threshold of further expansion, with plans to move into New Zealand and South Africa in 2006/07.
Williams aims to float the company in the future while also developing and diversifying the offering of member services, including a full range of spa and beauty treatment facilities in each club, aimed at attracting a greater market share and providing members with a greater choice of options.
In 1999, Williams was inducted into the Australian Women’s Hall of Fame, then went on to publish her first book in 2000, titled The Women’s Club. She was also honoured by the Department of Industry, Science and Resources in 2001 for her contribution to Australian business and commerce.
As a strong advocate for women in business, Williams regularly speaks at various forums, sharing her success story with other women, which she hopes may inspire them to realise their potential.
MBE leading by design
SYDNEY: MBE Neutral Bay has become the latest MBE Business Service Centre to unveil the contemporary new interior design which continues the transformation of the franchise’s 43 centres nationwide.
MBE General Manager, Mark Jones, says the refurbishment reflects a long-standing commitment to providing the best services to local business communities and would provide them with even more convenience.
“As Australia’s leading provider of outsourced office services, MBE knows the power and impact of effective outsourcing to allow small businesses to focus on what they do best. The new MBE centre design allows us to improve that level of service significantly,” Jones says.
“By outsourcing, daily distractions are eliminated, allowing savvy small business owners to stay focused. This extends their organisation, buys them precious time and gives them access to competencies not readily available in a small office.”
To further enhance the one-stop nature of the MBE Business Service Centre, MBE has also introduced wide format and high-speed bulk scanning, full colour sign and poster production, and SMS parcel alert for clients that use its mail service.
MBE Business Service Centres is Australia and New Zealand’s only business service network offering a complete range of postal, freight, courier, document production stationary supplies and computer and office services. There are presently 43 MBE franchises spread across New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, Australian Capital Territory and New Zealand.
The Neutral Bay store was the first MBE centre to open in Australia in 1993 and has become an integral and essential part of the local small business community, providing a virtual back office to time-starved businesses.
“What started over 25 years ago in the US as an alternative to the post office has blossomed into a worldwide network of nearly 6,000 convenient business centres providing a broad spectrum of services to small businesses, distributed workforces, corporate clients and general consumers alike,” Jones says. l
11-Jan-2006