Women in Franchising
Formed in 1996, the Women's Franchise Committee (WFC) is dedicated to inspiring and encouraging women in franchising by creating a network of business professionals dedicated to strengthening the success of women in franchising. The WFC has created a number of programs and resources in order to achieve this goal, ranging from "how to" guides and conferences to local networking chapters.
MISSION
The mission of the Women's Franchise Committee is to promote women's participation in franchising by providing international networking opportunities for the exchange of ideas, resources, and experiences.
VISION
The Women's Franchise Committee is committed to providing resources for women seeking career growth opportunities in franchising.
Annual WFC Leadership Conference ** February 14, 2009
Manchester Grand Hyatt, San Diego
A half day program during IFA’s Annual Convention designed to shed light on the tools and resources men and women need to excel in becoming leaders in today’s workplace and community at-large. This year, we celebrated our 9th annual program focused on A Brave New Workplace - Creating an Innovative Environment for Today's Top Talent. The Leadership Conference is open to all IFA Convention attendees for an additional fee of $50. Planning for our 2009 conference is already underway so stay tuned for more details! You will also earn 100 Core Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) credits for attending!
Women’s Franchise Network
A network of local chapters that are designed to develop relationships with women franchising professionals and to address issues, share ideas and offer solutions related to franchising. The first chapter was launched in May, 2002 in Denver and now includes the following markets: Chicago, Denver, San Diego, the Twin Cities, Southern California, New York/New Jersey, Washington, DC/Baltimore, Seattle, Toronto, Miami, Connecticut, Richmond, and Dallas. Look for more chapters such as Salt Lake City, Phoenix and Pittsburgh to pop up across the country soon! Click here for a listing of chapters and corresponding planning chairs.
Join the WFC’s Mentoring Program
Our commitment to creating solutions for women in franchising and helping them achieve their goals has once again been the driving force in the creation of the WFC Mentoring Program. We are establishing a Mentoring Program to serve as a support network connecting women in franchising across all industries in pursuit of personal and professional growth though a mentoring relationship. This important initiative is offered to IFA members at no charge, so please join us. For further information, click here.
Profiles of Women in Franchising
Our Profiles of Women in Franchising is a compendium of exceptional women in franchising. It is posted on the IFA Web site with the intent of increasing awareness of the growing accomplishments of women among members of the franchising community and the press. Click here to view our all-new Profiles – revised as of June 2006.
The WFC’s LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE – A “MUST ATTEND” EVENT! A half-day program designed to shed light on the tools and resources men and women need to excel in becoming leaders in today’s marketplace and community at large. There is a separate fee and registration to attend this conference held during the IFA’s Annual Convention. Please mark your calendars for our program next year – Saturday, February 24 at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. You don’t want to miss it.
WFC GUIDELINES FOR ESTABLISHING A LOCAL CHAPTER WITHIN THE WOMEN’S FRANCHISE NETWORK AVAILABLE
The success of the Women’s Franchise Network continues to grow, and we have taken “lessons learned” into consideration to revise and add to our Guidelines for Establishing a Local Chapter. This comprehensive manual provides in-depth information on how to set up your own local chapter, host your first meeting, and keep the energy level high at all your meetings throughout the course of the year. We’ve included ways for customizing your chapter to meet the needs of your particular market including sample budgets, sample agendas, ideas for topics of discussion, sample handouts, and more! If you are interested in starting a chapter in your area, please contact Anne Poodiack, IFA Director of Meetings, at 202/662-0773 or apoodiack@franchise.org to obtain your own copy of the Guidelines.
WFC PROUDLY PRESENTS OUR ONLINE WOMEN’S FRANCHISE DISCUSSION FORUM
Share exceptional ideas, life experiences and business strategies with other successful women in franchising right from your computer on a daily basis. Click here to join the Women’s Franchise Discussion Forum hosted by the WFC, and start building relationships with leading franchise professionals today! Please note, the forum is not to be used for the solicitation of business.
GUIDE TO ESTABLISHING A MENTORING PROGRAM FOR WOMEN AVAILABLE!
Women’s mentoring programs are an important component in any franchise organization that can assist in developing career growth opportunities and building professional networks that women can rely on to continue to be successful in today’s marketplace. The WFC has recently created a Guide to Establishing a Mentoring Program for Women. Click here for more information and order your copy today.
