Sign of the times

Print Solutions

Historically, men have often dominated franchising, however, more and more women are now owning and running a franchise than ever before.

With the number of women taking on a franchised business growing by 20% in the last two years, the landscape is certainly shifting and not just with franchisees. Last year, 65% of people employed in a franchising business are female, equating to over 400,000 in the UK alone.

Signs Express has been witness to this increase and in the last 18 months, the group had an increase of female franchisees by 40%. In fact, since April 2018, the award winning franchise has welcomed three new female franchisees on board in Oxford, Colchester and Chelmsford, and Leicester and Loughborough.

Women have always had roots in the signage industry with individuals such as Margaret Calvert who designed an entirely new signage system for the UK’s roads in the 60s. Since then this primarily male industry has continued to evolve and as part of this evolution, women are increasingly making their mark.

Mayura Joshi, owner of Signs Express (Colchester and Chelmsford), explained:

‘Signage was interesting to me because every business needs it – that is what drew me. I spoke to existing Signs Express franchisees and they come from a diverse range of backgrounds that made me feel confident coming into the sector.’

For those who want to run a business in a creative and dynamic industry, whilst having a dedicated support network, Signs Express, offers many opportunities for all entrepreneurs.

It is, therefore, no surprise that with the UK sign industry being estimated to be worth £500 million, owning a signage business remains an attractive proposition for people who want to combine the freedom of running their own business whilst being a part of a large franchise network.