The Franchise Council of Australia (FCA) honoured franchising’s best in Sydney last night at the FCA NSW/ACT Excellence in Franchising Regional Awards for 2017.
Held at STUDIO, winners at the event included Beverley Taylor, who was a dual winner, taking home both the Single Unit Franchisee of the Year – less than two staff Award, as well as the illustrious title of NSW/ACT Franchise Woman of the Year.
“Winning an award like this is great recognition and it’s lovely to actually have the Franchise Council offer an award in this space. There are so many inspirational women that have driven me, like Natalie Brennan, who is such an inspiration… this will really drive me to help more women do more, not just in franchising but in business.”
Other winners of the night included Eric Celik from Pack & Send, who won the Field Manager of the Year Award, Colleen Balfour from Salts of the Earth Albury, Single Unit Franchisee of the Year two or more staff, and Matt McCarthy & Simon Hill, of Inspirations Paint winning the Multi Unit Franchisee of the Year Award.
After nearly losing her husband to asthma, Colleen Balfour decided to give salt therapy a try and was delighted to see that it greatly eased her husband’s pain. A decision was made to invest in the business and she hasn’t looked back. She says that the secret to her success is empowering her employees.
“I empower my staff to make decisions, to have input in the way we market and the way we run the centre. We’re always asking them for ideas, if something is worthwhile pursuing, and we do everything as a team,” she said.
Field Manager of the Year Eric Celik of Pack & Send, said that the best part of his role is working with franchisees to achieve their personal and business goals.
“It’s really rewarding seeing them achieve what they can in their business,” he added. “I actually started in the stores, nine years ago, so I’ve been on their side of the fence, I understand their struggles. I’ve run multiple stores, so I always came into the role as a field manager with respect for the franchisees. That’s really important and that’s one of the skills that has led me to having a great relationship with the people I lead.”
Celik acknowledges that the Certified Franchise Executive accreditation provided by the FCA has helped him immensely.
“The knowledge that the course has provided me is irreplaceable, the opportunity to attend conferences, seminars, exhibitions and network with major contributors in franchising in general, I think that has been invaluable to my knowledge and I’ve used what I’ve learnt out in the field.”
Following their success, all winners have qualified as finalists for the FCA National Excellence in Franchising Awards. The Gala Dinner will be held at the RACV Royal Pines on Tuesday 10 October at the culmination of the National Franchise Convention (NFC17).
WINNERS
NSW/ACT Multi-Unit Franchisee of the Year: Matt McCarthy & Simon Hill, Inspirations Paint, Chatswood and Cremorne
NSW/ACT Single Unit Franchisee of the Year – two or more staff: Colleen Balfour, Salts of the Earth, Albury
NSW/ACT Single Unit Franchisee of the Year less than two staff: Beverley Taylor, InXpress, Bondi
NSW/ACT Franchise Woman of the Year: Beverley Taylor, InXpress, Bondi
NSW/ACT Field Manager of the Year: Eric Celik, Pack & Send International, Moorebank