Suzie McCafferty is on a mission to get more women into the world of franchising - and to dispel some of the myths around the method of doing business.
"It hasn't always had the best name, I think franchising gets confused with network marketing or pyramid schemes, which is really just down to a lack of awareness," she explains.
"It's not really on the government’s agenda, but I think it should be; and it would also be nice to get academia getting involved in building understanding around the benefits to our economy."
Of course, she hasn't always been such an evangelist for the franchising cause.
The 45 year-old from Greenbank in the south of Edinburgh studied hospitality and tourism at Queen Margret University, but aside from an internship at Cape Cod in the US during her studies, she never worked in the industry.
Graduated at 23, McCafferty was instead inspired by a talk given by Sir Tom Farmer, who explained how he built his Kwik-Fit tyre empire via franchising.
At the time she had started up a printer cartridge refilling store in Haymarket, with some regular customers asking whether it was a chain with more stores.
McCafferty took this as a sign to get involved, and by the age of 30 she had almost 70 stores stretching across six countries, from the Caribbean to the Middle East.
At that stage, she exited and moved to become a franchise director and board member of £30m turnover national recruitment franchise Select Appointments.
Three years later, that business listed and she "got a nice exit" and the freedom to try something new.
That something was consultancy Platinum Wave, of which she is the founder and chief executive, aiming to help people and their businesses grow via franchising.
"It struck me that there wasn’t a lot of advice available, I learnt about the industry by speaking to people, so that's what we're trying to do.
"For me, I couldn’t have ever built these brands without franchising - staffing, funding, fit-out, networking, etc - it needs to be done properly, with the right systems and procedures in place, in order to cede control.
"If you’re going to scale up any business, you need these things anyway, but franchising just gives the opportunity to other individuals," McCafferty adds.
Of course, many companies grow just fine without using the franchising model, but she argues that for certain sectors, the results are demonstrable.
One demonstration is the recent rise of German Doner Kebab, which McCafferty has helped build via franchising.
"I was involved from the start, the owner said he wanted to buy a kebab brand, so what started as an ambition to bring something into the UK turned into him buying the IP [intellectual property] for the company.
"They haven’t rested on their laurels though, GDK has really connected with customers, disrupted the marketplace, continually evolving service styles, amplifying everything and introducing proprietary products."
More recently, McCafferty has also been working with US burger chain Wendy's on its entrance into the UK, as well as Canadian fitness business 30 Minute Hit.
She says that while fast food is the most obvious franchise opportunity, the model also lends itself to things like gyms, children's activities, pet stores and dog walking.
As for what a first-time franchisor should be thinking about, McCafferty reckons branding is key - trademarking logos, protecting domain names and securing social media accounts - along with a solid business model and proven profitability.
Then it's a case of systemising the business, looking into what technology can help to automate and simplify things like back office support and the streamlining of supply chains.
"Then it’s all about the franchise agreement [usually a five-year term] and the operations manual; getting things out of people's heads and onto paper," she notes.
McCafferty also stresses the importance of putting in place HR support systems, especially during tough times like the pandemic and current cost crisis.
"Franchisors have been putting on education sessions for employees to help with finances, along with training for mental health and wellbeing," she says.
Franchises are separate limited companies, but get help from the franchisor on wages and staffing issues.
McCafferty admits that recruitment has been hard recently, which has pushed up wages and made many franchise outlets offer additional benefits.
She was recently awarded ambassador of the year at the NatWest Encouraging Women into Franchising Awards, as well as becoming a regional chair for encouraging women into franchising.
Off the back of the bank's recent Rose Review, McCafferty has been trying to break down barriers - often things like initial funds, relevant skill-sets and self confidence - while working to provide easier asset finance and loan schemes to get people going.
"I also offer free mentoring, half-hour sessions, and put on a group called the franchise advisory board, which was set up with HSBC and Harper Macleod.
McCafferty says it's an underestimated as part of the economy, which is estimated to be worth about £18bn in the UK alone, with 93% of franchises proven to be profitable, according to NatWest research.
"Under 30s are really getting into it at the moment, as are women," she comments.
"Even my siblings have recently joined the world of franchising, my sister and brother both worked for a bank and have now got involved - he heads up my recruitment agency, while she has bought a kitchen, bedroom and bathroom design brand."
Don't miss the latest headlines with our twice-daily newsletter - sign up here for free.
