Joel Bissitt
Having worked in franchising for almost 20 years as a franchisor, consultant & digital marketer running a leading franchise portal, what motivated me to found the QFA? I have been an entrepreneur since the age of 19 & over my 31 year career I have worked across many sectors. I always wanted to be an entrepreneur after reading about Sir Alan Sugar, Sir Richard Branson & watching The Troubleshooter on TV with the late Sir John Harvey Jones, ex ICI Chair, he shared some great quotes & one of the best was “People that don’t make mistakes are no bloody good to you at all” I started work at 18 years old as a trainee French polisher. Does anyone remember the Yellow Pages TV advert? I worked between 8am – 5pm with a short lunch break in the furniture factory during the week & then on a mobile basis every evening & all weekend for years to raise enough money to start my own business & get on the property ladder.
Having run several businesses with employees growing organically, I was very attracted to the concept of franchising. As a new franchisor myself almost 20 years ago, I started my franchising journey with lots of business experience but very little franchising knowledge. I think it’s safe to say I probably made every mistake common among new franchisors! But as the great man Nelson Mandela once said “I never lose, I either win or learn”. The problem with learning by mistakes in business however is they can be very expensive!
Through my marketing business, I would speak to many franchisors of all sizes & stages of growth & it frustrated me that many did not see the value or wish to join a franchise association so that they could learn from others & not make the same mistakes many new franchisors make. It was clear that there was a huge need for support & I spent 6 months planning the launch of the QFA to provide tangible benefits, support & guidance accessible to all franchisors.
It’s been an amazing journey so far & since launch in November 2018 the QFA has already attracted over 170 members, grown it’s team to eleven & started international expansion. I am very proud of our achievements so far, but this is just the beginning.
