The British Franchise Association (bfa) has named TaxAssist Accountants a finalist in the 2014 bfa HSBC Franchisor of the Year Awards, supported by Express Newspapers. Now in their 25th year, the awards, taking place on 26 June at Heythrop Park in Oxfordshire, celebrate the country’s most exceptional franchisors, who are driving business growth and development through their strength of brand, innovative practices and effective business strategies.

National tax and accountancy franchise TaxAssist Accountants, which in the last twelve months launched its business model in Canada, saw client numbers in the UK increase to nearly 48,000, fee bank top £32m and sixteen new franchisees join the network, has been shortlisted for the prestigious Franchisor of the Year Award.

Karl Sandall, Chief Executive of TaxAssist Accountants said: “It’s been a great year for the network; as well as experiencing significant growth and signing our first regional Master Franchisor in Canada, we’ve picked up a number of prestigious awards including Most Innovative Tax Team of the Year and Best Training and Support provider. We pride ourselves on the support we provide our network and are delighted to be shortlisted for this prestigious award.”

Brian Smart, Director General, bfa, said: “We have been extremely impressed with the level of this year’s entrants. It’s been a pleasure to see the broad range of franchisors stepping forward and celebrating their successes in the industry. We have seen an exceptionally high standard of franchising throughout this year’s application process and have been particularly inspired by the levels of commitment and dedication that franchisors are going to, to carry out best business practice.”

Cathryn Hayes, Head of Franchising, HSBC, said: “We are always impressed with the high calibre of entrants for these awards but this has been one of the toughest judging processes I can remember, reflecting the quality and depth that is found in today’s franchise brands. This year’s finalists have demonstrated exceptional business practice and successful implementation of strategies to support their franchisees and I’m looking forward to hearing from them when they present to the panel of judges. All twenty finalists should be extremely proud to have stood out in such a highly competitive field.”

Sean Hammond, Head of Franchising, Express Newspapers, said: “These awards enable franchisors across the country to showcase their success amongst their peers and clients. Hearing the positive stories and successes of all the franchisors helps to portray franchising as a viable business option and demonstrate the successes in the industry.”