UK’s best franchisees shortlisted for bfa awards

20 of the UK’s best franchisees have been announced as finalists for the bfa HSBC Franchisee of the Year Awards 2016.

Recognising “the highest standards, performance and business excellence of entrepreneurs across the country”, the shortlist includes franchises such as O2, Tutor Doctor and McDonald’s.

The 20 franchising entrepreneurs will present to a judging panel of industry experts on 13 and 14 July 2016 with the winners announced on Thursday 29 September at Birmingham Town Hall. The full shortlist is below:

Young Franchisee of the Year (aged 30 or under)

• Luke Hodgson, Snap-on Tools Milton Keynes
• Heather Ratcliffe, Swimtime West Midlands
• Ben Witcomb, Metro Rod Newport, Hereford and Gloucester

Female Franchisee of the Year

• Tricia Craig, Metro Rod North East
• Clare Jefferies, Home Instead Wimbledon and Kingston
• Cherry Lewis-Taylor, McDonald’s Essex
• Alex Scotchbrook, Tutor Doctor Surrey

Microbusiness Franchisee of the Year (less than £100,000 turnover)

• Richard Bryan, Wilkins Chimney Sweep Tyneside North
• Mike Lethbridge, TruGreen Newbury and Basingstoke
• Matthew Snell, Trophy Pet Foods Swindon and North Wiltshire

Customer Service Franchisee of the Year

• Nathan Holmes, Revive! Cambridge
• Zak Patel, O2 Yorkshire
• Dez Ward & Emma Lea, Molly Maid York and Harrogate
• Jane Wiles & Ray Allenby, Signs Express Portsmouth

B2B Franchisee of the Year

• Lee Brimecombe & Paul Nebbett, in-toto Exeter
• Kevin Lawley, Minster Cleaning Services Norfolk and Suffolk
• Andy Mee, Business Doctors North Bucks and Oxfordshire

Olderpreneur Franchisee of the Year (aged 55 or older)

• Steve Brown, Rosemary Bookkeeping Newbury
• Peter Eccles, Snap-on Tools Bridgwater
• Charles Folkes, Caremark Redcar and Cleveland

Pip Wilkins, CEO of the bfa, said:

“With around 45,000 franchise-owned businesses in the UK, we’ve had to make some very tough choices to get down to 20 finalists. Selecting just a handful of exceptional business owners to go through is extremely difficult.

“These are outstanding entrepreneurs that are leading the way in franchising and we’re set for an even more difficult task ahead in choosing the winners.”