Your Man With A Van co-founder named Entrepreneur of the Year 

Catriona Robson-Scarborough, co-founder and director of removals franchise Your Man With A Van, has been named Entrepreneur of the Year at the Global Woman Awards 2026. 

The award was presented at a ceremony in central London and recognised Catriona’s role in developing and expanding the business, which has grown into a 66-branch removals franchise network. 

Your Man With A Van began when co-founder Dan Robson-Scarborough bought a van while studying music, initially using it to transport DJ equipment. Requests from friends and family for help with moving gradually developed into a removals business. 

Catriona (pictured above) later joined the company following a career in retail management, including roles with LK Bennett, Calvin Klein and Orvis. Together, she and Dan developed the systems required to turn the operation into a national franchise, including recruitment, training, technology, operational procedures and brand development. 

The company has sought to differentiate its franchise model from more traditional arrangements within the sector.  

Central to the award is the model Catriona and Dan built together: one of the lowest entry fees in UK franchising, opening business ownership to people without capital, formal education or traditional support networks; rolling monthly contracts instead of the industry-standard five-to-ten-year lock-ins; and a single fixed monthly royalty rather than commission, so franchisees keep every penny of the growth they create. 

According to the company, all 66 branches have been recruited organically through social media and word of mouth, without using paid franchise exhibitions or directory listings. The network has also accumulated more than 3,400 five-star Google reviews. 

Catriona said the business had been built around treating franchisees fairly and maintaining consistent service standards. 

Commenting on the award, she said: “We built this business one decision at a time, always trying to do right by the people who took a chance on us.” 

She is also writing a book about franchising and small business. 

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