Read the following case study about one woman’s ambition to start her own franchise and how alongside her co-founder Julane Borth (now retired), Darcie Harris grew the business into a successful and profitable franchise network.

Darcie Harris is one of many successful women working within the franchise industry. Her franchise EWF International was set up in 1998 to help promote the advancement of women entering into the business world through established franchise networks or peer advisory groups.

In an interview with The Oklahoman newspaper (August 13, 2006), Harris revealed her roots and how she became CEO of EWF International. The following is a brief excerption from the interview.

My “father was an electrician, a union man, and my mother worked in the school systems. I was the second of four children... In 1976 I moved to California with my former husband, and worked as an assistant buyer for a high-end Nieman Marcus-type department store. I always loved to work and this was part of the reason I didn't finish college...I was drawn to take more hours at work than to the huge campus of San Diego State”.

Here, Harris “worked briefly in retail and later outside sales, before working eight years at Contact Crisis Helpline Inc. It was as development director and executive director at Contact that Harris learned good management processes and the importance of a strategic plan”.

Co-founder Julane Borth, whom Harris met at Contact, were encouraged to start a niche peer advisory market for women. “They both knew members of YPO (Young Presidents Organization) who loved the idea. They also knew a lot of female business owners who were left out because they couldn't meet YPO's membership criteria, a minimum number of employees and so many millions in annual revenues”.

They started “EWF as a sideline to their separate consulting practices. Together, they grew the company to four forums in Oklahoma City and three franchises in Oklahoma City; Plano, Texas, and Tulsa. There are 120 members nationwide”.

“The 44 business-owner members in Oklahoma City employ more than 1,200 people and generate annual revenues of $268 million. Eighty-five percent renew their annual memberships”.

Darcie Harris is one of many influential and inspiring women working within the franchise industry. Her success as a business founder and franchisor is an inspiration to all women hoping to start up their own business venture in franchising. In fact her franchise model is based on helping women enter into the business and franchising industry!