The British Franchise Association (bfa) has named MOLLY MAID franchise owner Sandra Redmond as the Gold Award-winning Franchisee of the Year. Sandra, who has owned the Wimbledon Molly Maid franchise for over 14 years, was acknowledged by the judging panel for achieving continued sales and profit growth over the past two years in spite of the economic downturn, which reflected this year's theme 'Success in Challenging Times'.
Sandra accepted her award at a ceremony and black-tie dinner held at the International Convention Centre in Birmingham. Other franchise owners honored during the event were Silver Award winner Tamsin Brewis, of Water Babies (Banbury), and Bronze Award winner Mark Fordham, of TaxAssist Accountants (Herpenden).
"This makes me so very proud," said Sandra. "Gaining the title of Franchisee of the Year in such a challenging and highly competitive market is an enormous accolade. It is tremendous recognition for all the hard work my staff have put into the business and I thank all those who have supported me this year. This has certainly spurred me on to achieve even greater success next year!"
Sandra Redmond has maintained her number one position in the MOLLY MAID network and grew her annual sales by nearly nine per cent. "MOLLY MAID is thrilled to have such a worthy ambassador of our brand," commented the company's CEO Pam Bader. "Sandra's business has grown from strength to strength over the years and now she has set a high standard for others in the network to aspire to and with whom she can share best practice. Sandra is a true example of the level of success a franchise owner is able to achieve by following a proven, focused business plan. Congratulations Sandra on a very well deserved win."
Brian Smart, Director General of the bfa, added: "Judging these awards is always a difficult task but we felt Sandra epitomised the essence of franchising model working at its best. With nearly half of the British public preferring to use a franchise over a non-franchised business, Sandra stood out as a pioneer in a sector that is home to some of the country's most successful brands."
See the December edition of The Franchise Magazine (published 6th November) for a full interview with Sandra.
Published: 5 October 2009
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