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Three North West businesses shortlisted for British Franchise Awards.

Three North West businesses, InXpress, Puddle Ducks and Right at Home have been shortlisted at the British Franchise Association (bfa) HSBC Franchisor of the Year Awards.

Founded and headquartered in Rochdale, InXpress has been shortlisted in the Brand Innovation category for the British Franchise Association (bfa) HSBC Franchisor of the Year Awards.

InXpress is a global shipping franchise organisation, founded in Rochdale in 1999. The company has seen huge success, with over 300 franchisees globally, and head offices based in Utah, USA and Brisbane, Australia, in addition to its Rochdale-based headquarters.

Ben Kirby, Franchise Sales Director at InXpress, commented: “This is an extremely prestigious accolade and we are proud that the continuous development of our franchise operation has been recognised by such an important industry body. We work extremely hard to make sure our franchisees have everything they need to succeed, so this is testament to the ongoing hard work of the team at Head Office.”

Headquartered in Holmes Chapel, Cheshire, Puddle Ducks has been shortlisted in the Brand Innovation category for the British Franchise Association (bfa) HSBC Franchisor of the Year Awards.

Puddle Ducks, a UK swim school, teaches over 18,000 children from birth to 10 years, to swim independently and beautifully and to respect the water. They also run Aquanatal classes for mums-to-be. The company was co-founded in Cheshire in 2002, by Jo Stone and Tracy Townend, who are still at the helm of the business today.

The company now boasts 36 franchisees across the UK, and currently employs an estimated 280 swimming teachers and 250 poolside assistants, customer service, office and marketing staff.

Jo Stone, Co-Founder at Puddle Ducks, commented: “We are absolutely thrilled to be finalists in the 2017 awards. Brand innovation is something we strive to achieve and to be recognised by the bfa for our efforts is very rewarding. Our team of experts at head office have all contributed to getting this far and winning would be a tribute to the whole team.”

Headquartered in Liverpool, homecare and support provider Right at Home UK has been shortlisted in the Franchise Support Award category for the British Franchise Association (bfa) HSBC Franchisor of the Year Awards.

Founded in 2010, Right at Home UK is an organisation built on delivering quality care and support to vulnerable adults. The company now supports 44 franchisees across the UK, 37 of which are fully trading, with the remaining seven completing the start-up process.

Ken Deary, Managing Director at Right at Home UK, commented: “The bfa Franchisor of the Year Awards carry a lot of weight in the world of franchising as they identify companies that are ethical, ambitious and successful in building strong networks of profitable local businesses across the UK. We are therefore absolutely delighted to have reached the finals of the 2017 Franchise Support Award. It is a fantastic endorsement of the Right at Home franchisee business model.”

Running for nearly 30 years and established to celebrate franchisors across the UK, the bfa HSBC Franchisor of the Year Awards look to recognise the very best franchise businesses, highlighting in particular franchisors who offer excellent employee support, company culture, innovation and commitment to franchising ethics.

Pip Wilkins, CEO at the bfa said: “Looking through the entries made us very proud and humbled to be part of such a successful industry, and those who are just starting their franchising journeys can take inspiration from what these brands have achieved.”

Andrew Brattesani, UK Head of Franchise at HSBC, added: “This is the third year I have been involved in picking the finalists and it is one of the jobs I dread most during the year. Comparing excellence with excellence is never easy and I can honestly say that the standard of entries we receive continues to amaze me.”

For more information and to see the shortlist in full, visit the bfa website.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Charlotte Easton .