It’s that time of year again when the bees are buzzing and the flowers are blooming – summer is here and that means it’s almost time for the 2019 bfa HSBC Franchise Awards, held this year at The Vox in Birmingham on Thursday June 27.
Now in its 22nd year, the standards continue to rise and the competition keeps getting tougher. It’s been fantastic to meet with this year’s finalists, listen to their journey and decide amongst a panel of franchising professionals who should take home the award for each category.”
This has made me ponder how awards ceremonies in general, both ones like ours and franchises’ internal ones, can boost the productivity of a company. Awards ceremonies, after all, aren’t uncommon in our industry.”
Many franchise systems have designed their own awards which are usually merged with flagship events such as conferences or are adopted into end-of-the-year mini ceremonies. This gives the company the chance to celebrate with the team and be cheerleaders for each other.”
Just like the bfa HSBC Franchise Awards were created to recognise and reward the best of the best in the industry, these internal awards ceremonieshave a similar function.”
Having an awards ceremony can set the bar higher for your brand and the wider network. Everyone will begin to set higher standards and expectations for themselves and their business and, ultimately, it gives everyone the opportunity to do their best and be recognised for it.”
Not only can it translate to trust to consumers but it will undoubtedly give your network a morale boost as they’ll be appreciated for their hard graft and will be another motivator for the brand to perform stronger. Franchisees will be proud to show off their achievements and will want to demonstrate why they’ve won to their consumers, resulting in loyalty, exposure and local awareness.”
But it’s not just about raising awareness of how good people are in the company. Entering awards, whether local business awards or company awards, is an opportunity to take a step back and assess your business. Seeing the brand through the eyes of judges can give you a whole new perspective and you’ll be able to identify strengths and weaknesses that you might not have seen before.”
While you may think your business is the absolute bees knees, it can be tough to see it without the rose-tinted glasses, so be honest with yourself. Denying yourself the opportunity to see the flaws in your business means there’s no room for improvement and in the end you, your business and your team will miss out on recognition.
It may seem like a laborious task to enter an award and the process can be strenuous but it raises your business’s credibility to get nominated and provides a lot of PR value. If nothing else, it’s an opportunity to celebrate in style with your team and support your industry peers.”
Pip Wilkins
Chief Executive, British Franchise Association
With more than 20 years’ experience in the franchise sector, Pip has extensive knowledge from all areas of the bfa business and the franchise industry. She is well-known and highly regarded in franchising for her dedication and depth of knowledge.
Pip regularly speaks at conferences and seminars both domestically and internationally, as well as writing on franchising matters for national, local and franchising trade press. Pip is also a regular judge for the annual bfa HSBC Franchise Awards, the Franchise Marketing Awards and Global Franchise Awards. Pip represents the UK at both the European Franchise Federation (EFF) and World Franchise Council (WFC). The bfa has grown to be one of the largest franchise associations in Europe, and one of the most successful associations in the world.
Pip Wilkins
Chief Executive, British Franchise Association
With more than 20 years’ experience in the franchise sector, Pip has extensive knowledge from all areas of the bfa business and the franchise industry. She is well-known and highly regarded in franchising for her dedication and depth of knowledge.
Pip regularly speaks at conferences and seminars both domestically and internationally, as well as writing on franchising matters for national, local and franchising trade press. Pip is also a regular judge for the annual bfa HSBC Franchise Awards, the Franchise Marketing Awards and Global Franchise Awards. Pip represents the UK at both the European Franchise Federation (EFF) and World Franchise Council (WFC). The bfa has grown to be one of the largest franchise associations in Europe, and one of the most successful associations in the world.
