Gráinne McCoy, semi-finalist on The Apprentice, to present inspiring keynote speech at The National Franchise Exhibition

Entrepreneurs considering franchising as the route to being their own boss should head to the UK’s largest franchise exhibition as it returns to Birmingham’s NEC on 13 & 14 October.

Visitors to the event will have access to a vast catalogue of brands offering low-cost to high-investment franchise opportunities, opening the door to business ownership for every entrepreneur, whatever their career and lifestyle goals.

Seasoned business and franchise professionals will share a goldmine of expertise and advice via a programme of over 60 free seminars and workshops covering all aspects of starting up and growing a successful business.

Those looking for added motivation to pursue their career ambitions will benefit from hearing from Gráinne McCoy, successful make-up artist, business woman and semi-finalist on The BBC’s The Apprentice in 2016.

Gráinne’s resilience and determination to succeed was apparent from a young age. After giving birth to her son at age 15, the teenager returned to school just four weeks later to sit her exams. By the age of 20 Gráinne had worked her way to the position of store manager in a retail career, but she set her sights on her dream of becoming a professional make-up artist.  

Gráinne’s grit and resolve enabled her to carve out the future she wanted and to enjoy a highly successful career as a make-up artist on a variety of European and International projects with well-known brands.

Gráinne found further success on the BBC’s The Apprentice, where her engaging attitude and no-nonsense approach to business helped her reach the semi-final stages in the 2016 series.

With a built-in ability to inspire, and a desire to mentor people to achieve their dreams, Gráinne has since been appointed as an ambassador for training provider, Qube Learning. She has also created her own programme which helps unemployed 16 to 24-year-olds pursue a career in make-up as a route into the workplace.

As a keynote speaker at The National Franchise Exhibition, Gráinne will inspire audiences with examples from her own purposeful journey to success, as well sharing tangible advice for aspiring entrepreneurs.

Gráinne comments: "I am a firm believer that success comes only to those who desire it enough to apply the focus and hard graft required to make it a reality. Wanting success is not enough. You need drive and a plan to get you where you want to be.

“I look forward to sharing my own story as an example of what determination and hard work can achieve, but I'll also be outlining some practical steps to success that the audience can take away and apply themselves.”

As well as offering visitors a treasure chest of valuable advice for achieving business success, The National Franchise Exhibition boasts an exclusive partnership with the British Franchise Association (bfa). This ensures that every exhibiting brand has been assessed as operating a viable business format franchise. Visitors can explore with confidence brands including event sponsor, the global number one franchise[1], Anytime Fitness, and McDonald’s, Flip Out and Mac Tools.

The combination of professional advice, inspiration and variety of business opportunities on offer make The National Franchise Exhibition an essential event for anyone at any stage of their franchising journey.

For more information on all aspects of the event and to book free tickets please visit FranchiseInfo.co.uk

[1] Source: www.franchiseinfo.co.uk/news/694/anytime-fitness-named-top-global-franchise-2016