The fourth annual Encouraging Women Into Franchising (EWIF) awards has celebrated the ‘energy and passion’ of 25 female franchisors/franchisees for their achievements over the last year, thefranchisemagazine.net writes.

The inspirational women received their prestigious awards at a ceremony in London and included Pam Bader, the founder of a successful domestic cleaning service.

Presented with the Outstanding Contribution award, Bader was recognised for her work as an ambassador and mentor to other women who were considering franchising. She was also applauded for being the first female elected to the board of the British Franchise Association.

Meanwhile, the Best New Franchisor award went to Cath Harrop for her new business which sells second-hand baby and children’s goods, familiesonline.co.uk reports. The award, Harrop said, has given her the confidence to expand her franchise network, providing a work option that allows mothers to return to work flexibly.

EWIF co-chair Louise Bruce commented that women are sadly under-represented within the franchise services industry. However, she added that the role of the not-for-profit organisation was to encourage more women to use franchising to become their own boss or expand an existing business model. Undoubtedly, the 25 women honoured could provide inspiration to others that might want to consider franchising.

Bader succinctly summed up the event, saying: “Women should not sit around waiting for the merchant banker. Women are usually fantastic in franchising because they can follow a system and follow advice, but what is also needed is motivation and the entrepreneurial skills and the will to achieve.”