More Franchise Systems

There are now 48,600 franchise units in the united kingdom, a rise of 10% from 2015. There are also 935 business format franchise systems, around double of what there were 20 years ago.

Millennial Drive in Franchising

There are more younger people than ever taking up a career in franchising as a franchisee. This is in part second generation franchisees seeing the benefits of keeping the business, and more people choosing business ownership with the backing of a network as they look to determine their own future. Currently, 18% of all franchisees are under the age of 30 as per the findings of the 2018 bfa NatWest franchise survey, a significant rise from the previous survey in 2015.

Multi-Unit Ownership on the Rise

Franchisees are increasingly choosing to own more than one franchise unit, sometimes with the same brand and other times with separate franchise systems. 36% of franchisees now run multiple units, a rise of 7% from the previous franchise survey. People are seeing value in staying in the franchising industry and expanding, and with more younger franchisees taking ownership of franchise units, this also opens up opportunities for the next generation to stay in the industry longer and build up their portfolio.

More Women in Franchising

Franchising is ahead of the wider business world when it comes to women owning and running their own business. 30% of all franchisees are women, and as per the findings of the 2018 bfa NatWest