It was a glorious night for Suzie McCafferty of Platinum Wave Franchising, who was a double winner at the recent EWiF Awards in Bishopsgate, London. Suzie was not only named Service Provider of the Year, she also collected the prestigious award for Overall Woman in Franchising.
This particular award is chosen from among those who were named winners of the nine other EWiF categories. Sponsored by NatWest, the annual EWiF Awards celebrates the success enjoyed by women who work in the UK’s franchising industry.
Another company to collect more than one award was Right at Home with Amy Patel Popat named Franchisee of the Year, while Heather Wehrle was recognised as Employee of the Year.
This year’s EWiF (Encouraging Women into Franchising) ceremony was staged on Tuesday, May 16th, at the NatWest building in the City. This was the 13th annual EWiF Awards which, in 2023, attracted more than 130 entries.
According to an EWiF press release: ‘The theme for this year’s event, ‘Breaking Through Barriers’, was in recognition that running a franchise of any size is not easy. As was evident time-and-time again, competition was fierce, with one category announcing two equally-deserving winners.’
This year’s award winners:
New Franchisee (sponsored by Moneypenny)
Emily Kerrison (Kidslingo)
Emily opened a franchise, tapping into her personal passions for languages and teaching. She smashed her first year targets by signing up many more students than she’d planned for.
New Franchisor (Daisy First Aid)
Jenna Wilson & Fay Smith (Little Dreams)
Jenna and Fay launched their Little Dreams franchise in 2021, with the aim of helping more babies and parents enjoy a good night’s sleep. They quickly expanded their offering, giving franchisees a second income stream to help meet demand.
Employee of the Year (Boddy Matthews)
Heather Wehrle (Right at Home UK)
In 2022, Heather led the network on a mission to change how the care industry is perceived by the UK public. As a result, she tripled job applications for franchisees and earned promotion. She is now a Director of the franchise.
Service Provider (NatWest)
Suzie McCafferty (Platinum Wave Franchising)
Mentor and advisor, Suzie guides brands with their UK launch or expansion. She has extensive knowledge of the franchising industry, while her own business – Platinum Wave – grew so swiftly she hired a new Development Coach to help meet this demand.
EWiF Ambassador (Little Movers)
Ruth Brown (Home Instead)
Ruth is highly respected for her commitment to franchising, as well as her desire to collaborate with others. She’s empowered many women to start businesses, while educating others about the franchising industry. She has truly encouraged many women to become franchisors and franchisees. Ruth also focuses on the importance of wellbeing.
Young Woman in Franchising (McDonald’s Restaurants)
Asha Marie Richardson (Razzamataz Theatre School) and Holly Stepien (Bloom Toddler Classes)
Joint-winners in this category: Asha, once an employee, now runs her own business. She also mentors a previous teacher of hers to run their own franchise. Last summer she spent six weeks in Ghana with the charity she’d founded.
Holly was once a client but now runs her own business. She has purchased three further territories and, in May 2022, launched a brand new franchise initiative with her Bloom Toddler Classes’ franchisor.
Franchisee of the Year (Atlas Mapping)
Amy Patel Popat (Right at Home)
Amy has become a trusted franchisee within the network, with the head office team often seeking her advice and feedback on developments. She also initiates ideas and last year led research into boosting staff retention.
Franchisor of the Year (Novuna Business Finance)
Jenni Dunman (Daisy First Aid)
Jenni needed to increase staff numbers and upgrade systems in order to accommodate her ever-growing network. She collaborated with new customer sources, developed new courses and connected with people across her industry to help inspire growth potential.
Inspirational Woman of the Year (Platinum Wave Franchising)
Angela Sterling (Lingotot)
Angela went above and beyond to make a real difference to both her own business, as well as other franchises too. Angela revolutionised her own business model, and how the company operates, while enjoying many conversations with MPs – including the Prime Minister – with whom she explained the benefits of franchising.
Overall Woman in Franchising (British Franchise Association)
Suzie McCafferty (Platinum Wave Franchising)
Suzie was crowned the Overall Woman in Franchising. She dedicated her time to helping budding franchisors achieve their goals. She also battled unrelenting personal challenges. She’s a true inspiration and role model for all women in the industry.
To find out more about EWiF and the ceremony itself, please visit: www.ewif.org.
