Women in franchising in Australia: what's measured and what isn't

• ABS, 2009-10: 4.7% of businesses were franchisees and 0.4% were franchisors, with no breakdown by the owner's sex. It is the last ABS measure of franchising.
• Franchise Council of Australia, 2023: 'around 34%' of franchise businesses are owned by women. No source is cited, and the same passage puts women-owned franchises' economic contribution at '$6 Million', which appears to be an error.
• An academic paper that circulates online puts female sole owners at 11% of franchisees against 28% for men. We could not access it, so this figure is unverified too.
• The Franchise Disclosure Register can't fill the gap, because the Code bars it from holding information about particular franchisees.
• Finance, working hours, safety, networks and exit terms tell you far more about whether a franchise will work for you than any sector percentage.

• The ABS business counts don't identify franchises, and its last franchising release (2009-10) didn't split franchisees by the owner's sex.
• Griffith University's Franchising Australia survey, the most detailed sector survey, asked franchisors rather than franchisees, didn't report franchisee gender, and ended with its 2016 edition.
• The Franchise Disclosure Register is built from franchisor-level information, and the Code prevents it from holding details of particular franchisees or sites.
• The 2023 Treasury review of the Franchising Code found franchising data generally inadequate, with information on groups such as CALD franchisees, First Nations people and people with disability even harder to find. It recommended better sector statistics.
• Industry figures usually come from member or pulse surveys answered by franchisors, and are not independently verified.

• Claim: about 34% of franchise businesses are owned by women. Source: Franchise Council of Australia, State of Franchise Report 2023, which gives no source or method. Status: unverified.
• Claim: women-owned franchises contribute about $6 million a year to the Australian economy. Source: the same report. Status: almost certainly an error, so don't repeat it.
• Claim: women-owned franchises grow by an average of 7.8% a year, faster than the sector. Source: the same report, with no source or method. Status: unverified.
• Claim: 11% of franchisees are female sole owners, against 28% who are male sole owners. Source: an academic paper circulating online that we couldn't access. Status: unverified.
• Any figure without a publisher, a year and a method: ask for the original document before you rely on it, and check what the figure actually counts.

Whatever the sector average turns out to be, these questions decide whether a particular franchise will work for you.

• Real hours: ask current and former franchisees how many hours they actually work each week, including admin, and test any 'part-time' or 'school hours' claim against their answers.
• Personal involvement: check whether the agreement requires you to work in the business yourself or allows a manager, and what happens if you are ill or take extended leave.
• Finance: ask which lenders current franchisees used, what security they gave, and whether a personal guarantee is required from you, your partner or both.
• Safety: for mobile, home-visit or late-night models, ask what safety procedures, check-in systems and training the franchisor provides.
• Networks: ask whether the system has a franchisee association or advisory council, and who sits on it. The Code bans franchisors from stopping franchisees forming or joining an association.
• Exit: if your circumstances change, you may need to sell. A franchisor must not unreasonably refuse a transfer request, and consent is deemed given if it hasn't refused in writing within 42 days.
• Evidence: use the former franchisee contact details in the disclosure document to talk to owners whose circumstances resemble yours.

• A guarantee is a serious commitment. Moneysmart says a guarantor may have to repay the whole loan plus interest, and the lender may repossess an asset used as security, such as a home or car.
• Moneysmart also warns that guaranteeing a business loan can carry higher risk, because business income can change fast.
• Sometimes you can guarantee only part of a loan, such as a set amount. Ask the lender whether a limited guarantee is possible.
• Get your own independent legal or financial advice before signing a guarantee, rather than relying on your partner's adviser or the franchisor's.
• Moneysmart lists pressuring someone to sign documents or take on debt, and making someone a company director without decision-making power or access to financial information, as signs of financial abuse.
• Moneysmart points people in that situation to the National Debt Helpline (1800 007 007) and to 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732), which offers confidential support 24 hours a day.

We only list support we could confirm on an official page in September 2026. Programs open and close, so check the current status before you plan around one.

• business.gov.au's Grants and programs finder is a free guided search of government grants and support programs, with a 'Support for women in business' option and a filter for regional or rural opportunities.
• Women in Business NSW is a fully subsidised online business training program run through TAFE NSW, listed on business.gov.au as open to applications at any time. Applicants must be 18 or over, identify as female, live or work in NSW, run a NSW-registered business with fewer than 200 employees and meet residency criteria.
• The Franchise Council of Australia's 2023 report describes a national Women in Franchising committee offering networking, mentoring and resources. Check whether it is active, and remember that the council's members include franchisors.
• A franchisee association inside a system, where one exists, can connect you with owners who will speak candidly about the business.
• If a program's eligibility is unclear, ask it in writing whether buying a new or existing franchise qualifies before you count on it.

• What hours do current and former franchisees really work, and does the agreement require me to work in the business personally?
• Who must sign a personal guarantee, and can any guarantee be limited to a set amount?
• Have I had independent legal and financial advice, separate from my partner's and the franchisor's?
• What safety procedures and support does the system provide for the way this business operates?
• Is there a franchisee association or advisory council, and can I speak to its members?
• What happens to my agreement, fees and territory if I need extended leave or have to sell?
• Which support programs have I confirmed I'm eligible for, in writing?