New BFA research shows flexibility attracts women into franchising

According to a new survey by the BFA (British Franchise Association), flexibility and work life balance are the main reasons women choose to buy a franchise.

How do the BFA know this?

In February 2026, ahead of their EWIB (Empowering Women in Business) event[1], the BFA asked their members[2] what they thought the number one motivation was for women pursuing a career in franchising.

What was the result?

62% said ‘Flexibility and Work Life Balance’, 10.8% said ‘Training and Ongoing Support’, 21.6% said ‘Low Risk Route To Business Ownership’ and 5.4% said ‘Community Support and Peer Networking’.

How well represented are women in franchising?

According to the 2024 National Franchise Survey [3]sponsored by NIC Local, women make up 40% of the overall franchisee population, up 20% up from 2005.

The same survey revealed that among new recruits, 34% are women, up from 16% nearly two decades ago. Each franchisee is a self-employed business owner.

What did franchisee respondents say?

Franchisee Katie Webster, director and bespoke travel planner at The Holiday Franchise Company, trading as Escapology Travel Ltd, who responded to the survey said: “As a single parent, finding a career that offers real growth while still allowing me to be present for my two children has always been a big challenge. Franchising has proven to be the perfect solution. It gives me the flexibility to set my own schedule without sacrificing family time, while also providing a path to build a career, I’m genuinely proud of and enabling me to support my family financially. I would recommend this opportunity to anyone with children, but especially to women returning to the workforce after taking a career break to focus on their families.”

What did franchisor respondents say?

Jenna Wilson Owner and CEO of Little Dreams Consulting said: “We find Little Dreams appeals to ambitious women seeking a rewarding business they can truly be proud of but one that offers the flexibility to balance family life, while building a successful future. It’s the perfect opportunity for those who want to thrive professionally, without missing out on life’s most important moments.”

What the CEO of the BFA said

Pip Wilkins QFP, who celebrates her 10th year as CEO of the association in April said: “We are not at all surprised by these results, but nonetheless it is good to be able to share them with the country.”

She continued: “We have had a commercial failure rate of less than 6% for over 25 years, so we know that franchising is one of the safest ways to own your own business and as we’ve always suspected, women are attracted by the flexibility of a business model that allows them to build something around their caring commitments ,whilst receiving expert training and wrap around support from an experienced franchisor. We are delighted to be enabling women to build their own scalable businesses, creating long-term independence for them and their families.”

[1] https://www.thebfa.org/empowering-women-in-business/

[2] Franchisors, franchisees and service provider members who have subscribed to the BFA’s mailing list

[3] https://www.thebfa.org/industry-research/