Destiny's Child

1. 54.6 per cent want flexibility
2. 53.3 per cent are looking for stimulation, challenge and personal achievement
3. 48.9 per cent are seeking an improved lifestyle
4. 48 per cent see the income potential

However, it is men who seem keener to break out of the corporate mould and seek refuge from bureaucracy by running their own business; just 16.2 per cent of women cited this as a driver, in comparison to 23.9 per cent of men.

Finance was the deciding factor in choosing one franchise over another, in terms of income potential as well as initial investment and cash flow, for almost half the respondents – 47.1 per cent. Brand recognition came second, with lifestyle (business portability and flexibility) ranking third. In fourth place was the ease of business management while the final decider was related to the franchisor's internal set-up, its transparency, marketing budgets and so on.

Yet it is money that is the biggest barrier to women entering a franchise system, cited by 62 per cent of the female respondents. The perceived power balance between the franchisor and franchisee was listed by 43.2 per cent as a barrier, while the heart of the franchise concept – being bound by the directions and business protocol of the franchisor – was a deterrent for 41.5 per cent. There was also a reluctance to give a share of the profits back to the franchisor (37.6 per cent) and to meet minimum performance standards (28.4 per cent).

Food remains the most popular arena for both sexes (48 per cent) while second most popular for female respondents was the business and professional services. But then women followed a traditional path towards the female-friendly industries: health, beauty and personal services (22.3 per cent), tourism, leisure and accommodation (20.1 per cent), education and training services (19.2 per cent) and retail – other (18.8 per cent).


Comfort versus opportunity

Almost a quarter of women respondents (21.8 per cent) plan to purchase a franchise alone, a figure similar to the ale rate. However more men (61.2 per cent) will go into a franchise with a spouse or partner compared to just 52.8 per cent of women.

And while the regional areas still play second-fiddle to the urban, it is women who are more likely to make a regional move than men, 21.8 per cent compared to just 15.2 per cent.

"The reluctance for males to purchase a franchise in a rural or regional area suggests there may be a number of missed opportunities that females could take advantage of," O'Rourke highlights.

"However, the overall results show the majority of both sexes won't move from their own state and region, which reinforces the reluctance of potential franchisees to sacrifice lifestyle in order to run a successful business that provides them with flexibility and stimulation. They are looking for opportunities within the area they are comfortable in and familiar with."

Women are less confident than men about entering an arena in which they have no experience.

More than one third of women will have no experience in the industry they enter (34.9 per cent) against 41.7 per cent of men, while 18.3 per cent will have less than one year's experience. Only 6.1 per cent of female respondents will have more than 10 years experience in their chosen franchise industry.