Peer support is what makes franchising great, writes Lou Pannunzio, 2009 Franchisee of the Year – two or more staff and Kwik Kopy Ringwood franchisee.

Franchising is all about a team effort. When you surround yourself with people running comparable types of business, you can act on all that information, the sales tools and communication. Your peers are so important for sharing business acumen.

Imagine going into business without that support; that is such a tough environment.

Why not go into franchising? Even someone without the industry skill set can still make a success of the business. When I started at Kwik Kopy, I had plenty of reservations and doubts; I had never been in the print industry. But the wealth of support around you means fear dissipates quickly.

Running a franchise is confidence and character building.