PACK & SEND Finalist in NatWest Encouraging Women into Franchising Award

We are delighted to announce that Deborah Dudley, our franchisee at the Salford Quays service centre, has been shortlisted as Woman Franchisee of the Year in 2021’s NatWest Encouraging Women into Franchising (EWIF) awards. EWIF celebrates the achievements of women across the franchising industry, from every sector and from businesses of all age and sizes and looks to change the face of the franchise sector so that women have a much larger presence.

EWIF’s Woman Franchisee of the Year award is a hotly contested category and we are thrilled that Deborah is one of this year’s four finalists. Deborah has always been a successful business owner with PACK & SEND, taking our Franchisee of the Year title in 2019, but this shortlisting recognises all of her achievements.

“As a single parent, I worked hard to provide a fulfilling life for my children,” said Deborah. “At times, I had to take on two jobs to financially bridge the gap. So, when my son Ryan and daughter Brogan had grown up, they became my inspiration for following my dreams and becoming a franchisee with PACK & SEND. Being shortlisted for this award is wonderful recognition – my children will be so proud.”

It wasn’t just Deborah’s inspiring story that impressed the judges. Despite lockdowns and challenges that 2020 threw her way, Deborah’s resilience, passion and determination shone through. Her Salford-based service centre provides packing and shipping solutions to customers across the globe, operating from the heart of the Quays. Her tenacity not only saw her operating the business safely for customers but also saw her business grow by 18% over the last year and generate 50 5-star reviews.

Deborah is the personification of perseverance. She constantly strives to perform at her best, and it becomes infectious for everyone around her. The team at the Salford Quays service centre are always praising her, saying how great she is as a boss and leader. This shortlisting means that her true character isn’t going unnoticed and it has already attracted the attention of the media, being included on her local news site InYourArea.

David, Assistant Store Manager of the Salford Quays service centre, is certainly one to attest to Deborah’s achievements. He explained, “To put it simply, Deborah is a great leader. Not only is she always there to offer her help and advice, but she will always make time to recognise great work. Deborah is worthy of this award because of her hard work and dedication.”

We would like to wish Deborah the best of luck as she now goes forward as a finalist against three other inspiring individuals, with a virtual event on 11th March revealing the lucky winner of the award.

You can find out more about joining PACK & SEND as a franchisee here.