By Jay Westbury, CEO, Franchise Council of Australia
We have seen a groundswell of activity, energy and celebration across our sector these past few months and I couldn’t be prouder of the leadership role the Franchise Council of Australia (FCA) has played in delivering these milestones for our members.
For the first time ever, Australia joined the global celebration of World Franchise Day, and the response was both uplifting and powerful. On 11 June, franchise businesses around the country and the world shared stories, hosted events, and recognised the people who power our sector, our #FranchiseHeroes. This was a coordinated effort to remind Australians that franchising is local business at scale: creating jobs, building communities, and giving Australians proven pathways to business ownership.
World Franchise Day gave us an important platform to promote the scale and significance of franchising in Australia, a $135 billion sector made up of 73,000 small businesses that employ over 500,000 Australians. It also marked a moment of unity, acknowledgement and purpose for our members and for the broader franchising eco-system.
I had the absolute honour of meeting Jim Penman the founder of the Jim’s group who you might say is one of the greatest entrepreneurs of the Australian franchising industry and this meeting was held on World Franchising Day – what a moment.
We’ve also been prepping for another major milestone with the inaugural Franchise Industry Awards (FIA). The response to the FIA has been exceptional. We received nominations from 56 leading franchise brands, with 83 finalists in contention across 23 individual categories.
This strong engagement is yet another reinforcement of the vibrancy and professionalism of our sector and the desire among franchisees, franchisors and suppliers to be part of something that truly showcases best practice.
Importantly, the judging process for the FIA has been rigorous and independent. We’re committed to maintaining the integrity of these awards not just in this inaugural year, but for the long term. That’s why we enlisted a panel of experienced, external judges who reviewed entries against transparent criteria. Their work ensures the FIA are a meaningful recognition of excellence.
I want to acknowledge and thank everyone who submitted nominations and extend a massive Congratulations to all our winners. Your willingness to share your stories is helping elevate the reputation of franchising and shine a light on the professionalism that defines our sector. I also extend my thanks to our valued sponsors and to the team behind the scenes who have worked tirelessly to bring the FIA program to life.
We kicked off our FIA celebrations with our Franchise Forum, a full-day program of insights and connections, open exclusively to Gala guests. This also proved a major success.
As we reflect on what we’ve achieved, it’s also important to look ahead.
Australia now has a new Parliament, and with it, new leadership on small business policy. The FCA has already extended our congratulations to Dr Anne Aly MP on her appointment as Minister for Small Business. We look forward to working constructively with Dr Aly and her team to ensure franchising remains a key consideration in policy and program development.
Dr Aly joins the Cabinet at a critical time. Small businesses including franchise businesses are navigating ongoing economic pressures and a rapidly evolving marketplace. The FCA remains focused on advocating for practical, fair policy settings that support growth, innovation and compliance. Our work on a proposed co-regulatory model reflects the sector’s readiness to lead and our expectation that regulation supports, not stifles, small business success.
We also welcomed the election of two individuals with deep understanding of and connection to franchising the Hon Sussan Ley MP as Leader of the Liberal Party and Mary Aldred MP (and former FCA CEO) as Member for Monash. Both have demonstrated strong commitment to small business and our sector over many years, and we look forward to continuing our positive and productive relationship with them in their new roles.
From celebrating our champions to engaging on policy, everything we do at the FCA is focused on delivering real value for our members. These past two months have shown what’s possible when we work together, stay focused, and stay proud of what franchising contributes to this country.
Thank you for being part of this journey.
About FCA CEO – Jay Westbury
CEO Jay Westbury brings over two decades of experience in leading peak industry bodies, including his previous roles as CEO of Retail Drinks Australia (formerly Australian Liquor Stores Association) and the Australian Travel Industry Association (formerly Australian Federation of Travel Agents). Both sectors have close ties to franchising, giving Jay a deep understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities within this industry.
