Award-winning Wilkins Chimney Sweep Franchisor Louise Harris was surprised and delighted when she was unexpectedly a guest on not one but two radio shows to discuss the benefits of franchising yesterday.

Louise, who was recently awarded ‘New Woman Franchisor 2011’ by EWIF (Encouraging Women Into Franchising) had initially been invited to appear as a guest on ‘Mid Morning Matters’ with Mary Flavelle on Marlow FM, to discuss franchising and to encourage members of the public to attend the Thames Valley Franchise Show .

Louise proved such a natural and was so at ease in the medium that just an hour after finishing one interview BBC Radio Berkshire rang to ask her, in light of the day’s ‘double dip’ recession news, to be a guest on the Phil Kennedy Drive Time show, to give the case for a business that had not suffered during the recession. For the second time that day Louise gave an eloquent account of running a franchise business to an audience of 140,000 people across Berkshire.

Says Louise,

‘It was great! A little nerve-wracking at first but once I got into my stride, talking about franchising, it was fine. I’m so passionate about our business and franchising in general, that it’s easy to sound enthusiastic.’

On being asked to appear on the BBC Louise says,

‘The team at BBC Radio Berkshire were super and it was fantastic to be able to spread the franchising word to such a large audience; I thoroughly enjoyed myself and my husband Peter is doing a very good job of not letting my new found media fame go to my head!’