Founder and CEO Suzie McCafferty also took home the EWiF Ambassador of the Year accolade
Platinum Wave Franchising scooped up multiple awards recently at the NatWest Encouraging Women into Franchising (EWiF) Awards.
The global franchising consultancy was a big winner at the awards show, which is open to men and women, beating stiff competition to take home the Service Provider of the Year award. The accolade celebrates organisations which have helped their clients with significant growth over the past year across various industries. Platinum Wave stood out from the rest after aiding a number of brands, including German Doner Kebab and Wendy’s, to launch or expand into the UK during 2021.
Every year, the EWiF annual awards celebrate the achievements of women in franchising. This year, the awards once again took place at the NatWest building in Central London, for the first time since the pandemic. Over 140 franchising professionals came together to applaud the successes of women from across the UK, in a variety of sectors.
Alongside that honour, Platinum Wave founder and CEO, Suzie McCafferty, was awarded the Ambassador of the Year accolade. The judges hailed the Edinburgh businesswomen’s work in educating people about franchising, including politicians and students, as well as her passion for encouraging women into entrepreneurship by starting their own businesses.
Suzie said: “It is a positive trend in the franchising scene and I am thrilled to help to educate and support the franchise leaders of tomorrow. It is an ever-growing marketplace with the latest economic figures showing that the UK franchising industry is currently worth £18bn, with it expected to grow to £20bn by 2024.
“So, the time for people to invest is now, with big banks currently providing a positive lending environment. This current borrowing culture aided by the latest stats showing that 93 per cent of UK franchise businesses are profitable means franchising is a great prospect for entrepreneurs in developing a new business.”
As well as accepting her own accolade, Suzie also heaped praise on her colleagues for their hard work in securing a third Service Provider of the Year award. She added: “To win Service Provider of the Year for the third time as well is a testament to the support and expertise we bring our clients year on year.
“We help brands and entrepreneurs make informed decisions on how and if they can franchise their business, providing insight and strategy on making the right steps towards building a franchise proposition. This mentorship also includes helping brands to transform their performance through scaling-up, accelerating growth and realising their brand potential.”
Helen Mansfield, managing director of EWiF, said: “This year, we’re thrilled to have awarded Suzie of Platinum Wave for her contribution to franchising. Her entry really showed how much she contributes to our industry. She’s a very worthy winner.”