Franchise Canada March/April 2021

SEE OUR STORY ON PAGE 10-11

SEE OUR AD ON NEXT PAGE

FOR MORE INFO, VISIT MMFOODMARKET.COM/EN/FRANCHISING

CELEBRATING 40 YEARS

M&M Food Market continuously evolves to meet the ever-changing needs of Canadians

REAL FOOD FOR REAL LIFE. A REAL OPPORTUNITY.

the future is frozen As more people turn to meals prepared at home, M&M Food Market has become the franchise to own.

Times are changing and our stores are changing right along with them.

Never standing still, innovating, and adapting to the challenges of today while

preparing for tomorrow has been a key to success in our 40 year history.

Learn more about a franchise opportunity built for today and tomorrow at mmfoodmarket.com.

BURRITO, PITA & WRAP FRANCHISES ACROSS CANADA

HIRING TIPS FOR YOUR FRANCHISE

FOCUS ON SUPPORT SERVICES/SUPPLIERS To receive a FREE digital subscription to Franchise Canada Magazine, subscribe to Franchise Canada E-News for FREE now

CELEBRATING THE

DIVERSITY IN FRANCHISING

Franchisees from all backgrounds showcase how anyone can find success through franchising

HELPING YOU DO MORE BUSINESS IS OUR BUSINESS Create a consistent payment experience across your franchise locations.

Welcome our Consumer, Small Business and Corporate Cardmembers at your franchise locations. When franchisees accept American Express Cards, they get access to complimentary marketing programs such as American Express Maps®¹ so Cardmembers know you welcome their business.

To learn more about the benefits of accepting American Express, and how we can support your marketing efforts, visit www.americanexpress.com/canada/becomeamerchant

1. American Express Maps features eligible American Express Card accepting small merchants and is intended for general reference purposes only. It does not represent a comprehensive list of all Card accepting merchants. Data is updated from time to time and may not be 100% accurate. For a list of eligibility criteria or to access Frequently Asked Questions please visit https://icm.aexp-static.com/content/dam/one-amex/merchant/en-ca/footer/default/CAFAQs.pdf.

Driverseat is a perfect franchise for couples... although many of our franchisees have a business partner or lead the business themselves.

At Driverseat, franchisees hire Chauffeurs, market to customers and are an important part of their community as they build their transportation business. Owning a Driverseat franchise is rewarding in more ways than just the great revenue.

This pandemic resilient business has experienced incredible success over the past year, with growth in new locations and in top line revenue.

The business model is simple. Each franchisee provides Chauffeurs and in some cases shuttle vehicles for pre-booked transportation services like weddings, medical appointments, tours and employee transportation for companies. There simply is no other business that has this much opportunity.

Be part of a growing dream with a business that enjoys high gross margin in a specialized field.

Contact us for more information! www.driverseatinc.com/franchise 855-374-8390

CFA Franchisees Choice Designation 4 Consecutive years

Winner of CFA Awards of Excellence

Extensive training and support programs

State of the art business technology solutions

Chamber of Commerce Innovation Award

CONTENTS FRANCHISE

MARCH/APRIL 2021

CANADA

Looking for a franchise?

Discover

the best franchise business opportunities available now

Go in business for yourself with the support of a credible franchise system! With hundreds of franchise opportunities, LookforaFranchise. ca is the most comprehensive online directory of legitimate franchises available in Canada. We make searching for a franchise easy – you can find franchises by company name, location, investment, or industry. Begin your search now and realize the dream of running your own business.

Get Started Today!

• Information your can trust • Credible franchises opportunities • Narrow your search • Contact franchisors directly • Get the info you need

LookForAFranchise.ca

4 Canadian Franchise Association

20 COVER STORY

20

CELEBRATING THE DIVERSITY IN FRANCHISING Franchisees from all backgrounds showcase how anyone can find success through franchising

21 PART 1: Female

Forces in Franchising

24 PART 2: Fearless Female Franchisees

27 PART 3: Diverse Franchisees Thrive

30 PART 4: Putting

FEATURES

32

5 Things You Should Know When Hiring for Your Franchise Franchise Canada explores tips and advice to help you hire star employees for your franchise

36

All Wrapped Up Franchise Canada explores flavour-packed burritos, pitas, and wraps that are served in franchises across Canada

SPECIAL FRANCHISE FOCUS

Care Into Franchising

43

Franchise Support Services/Suppliers How they can help you on the path to franchise success!

www.cfa.ca | www.FranchiseCanada.Online

Franchise Canada is published by the Canadian Franchise Association www.cfa.ca | www.FranchiseCanada.Online

DEPARTMENTS

53

HOME-GROWN & LOCALLY-OWNED 100% Canadian Franchise Systems

56

MILLENNIALS IN FRANCHISING Putting the “Can” in Cannabis How millennial franchisee Jasper Ly started a successful Spiritleaf franchise during the challenges of 2020

59

LEADERSHIP PROFILE A Love for Learning Oxford Learning Centres president Lenka Whitehead shares the inspiring story of how she found more than tutoring services for her son at Oxford

62

A DAY IN THE LIFE Putting Pets First Pet Valu franchisee Kayla Orleck expands her lifelong passion for pets, community, and family dynamics

65

THE FIRST YEAR All Decked Out Franchisee Theo Melburn achieves big wins during his first year with Hickory Dickory Decks

68

ICONIC BRAND Achieving an Iconic Milestone Explore brands who reached 100 franchise locations in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020

72

SHOW ME THE MONEY 4 Franchises for $500K+

74

FRANCHISE FUN Making Math Fun UCMAS Mental Math’s Anand Karia puts passion first both inside and outside of his work in franchising

78

FRANCHISE TUTORIAL Tutorials 21 & 22 This issue: • Introduction to Reporting • Introduction to Audits

COLUMNS

9 CFA CODE OF ETHICS 14 INDUSTRY NEWS 76 ASK THE EXPERTS 82 MARKETP­LACE 89 ADVERTISERS’ INDEX 90 GIVING BACK

CATCH UP ON SEASONS 1, 2, AND 3 NOW!

LISTEN & LEARN

Tune in to the Franchise Canada Chats Podcast!

Available on Google Play, iTunes, SoundCloud, Spotify, and Stitcher Radio

FranchiseCanadaChats.ca Visit www.LookforaFranchise.ca to find further information about the franchises featured in this March/April issue.

Franchise Canada

March | April 2021 5

PUBLISHER’S MESSAGE

C

JOIN THE DIVERSE FRANCHISE COMMUNITY

anadians, including those in the business community, continue to face challenges as the world grapples with the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. All businesses have been impacted, with many being forced to close their doors to customers during lockdowns, or in some unfortunate cases, for good.

As we look to start on the road to recovery, however, it’s important to note that businesses that have found ways to adapt are continuing to support their communities. New businesses are also opening their doors to consumers, many of which are franchise systems.

The franchise business model is resilient and continues to provide opportunities for Canadians to make their entrepreneurial dreams come true. This is because franchisees are small business owners who have the strong systems and support of the franchise brand behind them. The increased support from the franchisor is an asset during times of uncertainty, when it can be particularly daunting, not to mention risky, to go it alone.

Another distinct advantage of operating a franchise is that you join the diverse Canadian franchise community, where anyone, regardless of their background, can find business success. This means you not only have the support of the franchisor behind you, but also the entire Canadian franchise network of like-minded business owners who are growing the franchise industry by contributing to their own communities.

This Diversity in Franchising issue highlights the inclusivity of Canadian franchising. In the cover story on page 20, we share the inspiring stories of 12 Canadian franchisees. These successful business owners are showcasing how anyone, no matter their age, gender, race, or place of origin, can make it in franchising with the right brand behind them (and a lot of passion!). They share how they’ve found success, even amid the latest challenges, along with their insight into the benefits of being part of such a diverse franchise community.

Beyond the cover story, we also feature the success stories of franchisees who opened their franchises during the pandemic. On page 62, we take you through a day in the life of Ontario Pet Valu franchisee Kayla Orleck, who opened her location in the spring, and is adapting to continue serving her pet-loving customers through curbside pickup.

We also introduce you to Hickory Dickory Decks franchisee Theo Melburn (page 65), who completed the first year with his Kanata, Ontario franchise last March, when

6 Canadian Franchise Association

he also went on to open a second franchise in the Ottawa region. Millennial Spiritleaf franchisee Jasper Ly also shares his story on page 56, highlighting how his passion for franchising helped him adapt to the challenges of opening a retail cannabis franchise during the pandemic’s second wave.

Franchisees find this success when they partner with the right brand that offers the strong systems and support to guide them through difficult times. Three brands that have risen to the occasion and successfully navigated the challenges of COVID-19 are Massage Addict, Metal Supermarkets, and Osmow’s, all of which hit the milestone of opening 100 locations during the pandemic.

On page 68, these brands explain how they’ve continued to put people first.

Support is a key advantage to the franchise business model, and the Special Franchise Focus shines a spotlight on franchise support services/suppliers. These franchise experts help franchisees through the essential due diligence process before signing the franchise agreement. They also provide services to help with operations once the franchise is up and running. Turn to page 43 to learn more about how franchise support services/suppliers help foster franchise success.

Beyond this issue, we encourage you to explore FranchiseCanada.Online, where more franchisees share their stories through online content, podcast episodes, videos, and more. You can also subscribe to Franchise Canada E-News, our twice-monthly FREE e-newsletter.

By subscribing to Franchise Canada E-News, you receive a free digital subscription to Franchise Canada magazine.

Franchising is resilient and remains a pillar in Canadian communities from coast to coast. As we navigate the latest challenges brought on by the pandemic and move toward recovery, franchising remains a strong option for those looking to make their business dreams come true.

We hope this issue inspires you to learn more about franchising and how it can help put you on the path to business success, and we look forward to welcoming you into the diverse franchise community.

Sherry McNeil President & CEO, Canadian Franchise Association

www.cfa.ca | www.FranchiseCanada.Online

Everything you need to create your franchise future!

Buying a franchise can be an overwhelming process.

The good news is you don’t have to do it alone. Franchise Canada is here to guide you through the franchise process, with everything you need in one spot: www.FranchiseCanada.Online

Franchising 101: Easy-to-read resource articles and tutorials can help kick-start your franchise success!

LookforaFranchise.ca: Explore the wide range of available franchise opportunities in our online directory Ask the Expert: Hear firsthand from franchise professionals as they answer common questions from prospective franchisees

Franchise Canada Chats: Listen to inspiring franchisees and franchisors who are building their businesses and connecting with their communities Franchise Canada TV: Find interviews, tutorials and guides, information about key franchising topics, and more!

Franchise Canada E-News: Get the latest Canadian franchise opportunities and updates delivered to your inbox through our FREE e-newsletter

Ready to Learn More? Subscribe to the digital edition of Franchise Canada Magazine today!

WWW.FRANCHISECANADA.ONLINE

CFA BOARD OF DIRECTORS BOARD CHAIR Gerry Docherty*, Good Earth Coffeehouse PRESIDENT & CEO Sherry McNeil*, Canadian Franchise Association 1ST VICE CHAIR David Druker*, The UPS Store TREASURER Lyn Little, BDO Canada LLP

PUBLISHER

Canadian Franchise Association (CFA)

SECRETARY & GENERAL COUNSEL

Larry Weinberg*, Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP

VP, CONTENT & MARKETING Kenny Chan

PAST CHAIR John DeHart*, Hartify Franchise Consulting

EDITOR Lauren Huneault

CHAIR, LEGAL & LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Andrea Lee

Darrell Jarvis*, Fasken

CHAIR, FRANCHISE SUPPORT SERVICES

Kirk Allen, Reshift Media

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Stefanie Ucci ADVERTISING SALES Nav Matharu AD COORDINATOR Andrea Lee

DIRECTORS

Steve Collette, 3rd Degree Training/Actual Nutrition John Gilson, COBS Bread Terry Hould, ServiceMaster of Canada Limited Andrew Hrywnak, Print Three Franchising Corporation Rimma S. Jaciw, CFE, WSI Digital Ken Otto, Redberry Restaurants Ryan Picklyk, A&W Food Services of Canada Inc. Gary Prenevost, FranNet Stephen Schober, Metal Supermarkets Family of Companies Frank Stanschus, Little Kickers *Executive Committee member

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Jessica Burgess, Roma Ihnatowycz, Gina Makkar, David Chilton Saggers, Karen Stevens, Stefanie Ucci, Jordan Whitehouse, Kym Wolfe FRANCHISE FUN ILLUSTRATION Sam Gorrie FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION:

Nav Matharu nmatharu@cfa.ca

TO SUBSCRIBE TO Franchise Canada

visit www.FranchiseCanada.Online or call 1-800-665-4232 ext. 238.

We invite your comments, questions and suggestions. Please contact us at editor@cfa.ca or 1-800-665-4232.

NATIONAL SPONSORS

The CFA wishes to acknowledge and thank these National Sponsors for their support throughout the year.

Find out more about these companies at www.cfa.ca/sponsorship

© 2021, Canadian Franchise Association.

All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced by any means, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of the publisher.

Publications Mail Agreement No. 41043018 Legal Disclaimer The opinions or viewpoints expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of the Canadian Franchise Association (CFA). Where materials and content were prepared by persons and/or entities other than the CFA, the said other persons and/or entities are solely responsible for their content. The information provided herein is intended only as general information that may or may not reflect the most current developments. The mention of particular companies or individuals does not represent an endorsement by the CFA. Information on legal matters should not be construed as legal advice. Although professionals may prepare these materials or be quoted in them, this information should not be used as a substitute for professional services. If legal or other professional advice is required, the services of a professional should be sought.

8 Canadian Franchise Association

www.cfa.ca | www.FranchiseCanada.Online

CODE OF ETHICS

T

he Canadian Franchise Association (CFA) is dedicated to encouraging and promoting excellence in franchising in Canada. Each member of the Association agrees to abide by the CFA Code of Ethics and to further the Association’s goals of encouraging and promoting ethical franchising in Canada. Each member of the Association agrees to comply with the spirit of this Code of Ethics in its general course of conduct and in carrying out its general policies, standards and practices. The following are considered by the Association to be important elements of ethical franchising practices: 1.

Franchise system and franchise support services members should fully comply with Federal and Provincial laws, and with the policies of the Canadian Franchise Association.

2. A franchisor should provide prospective franchisees with full and accurate written disclosure of all material facts and information pertaining to the matters required to be disclosed in advance to prospective franchisees about the franchise system a reasonable time [at least fourteen (14) days] prior to the franchisee executing any binding agreement relating to the award of the franchise.

3.

A ll matters material to the franchise relationship should be contained in one or more written agreements, which should clearly set forth the terms of the relationship and the respective rights and obligations of the parties.

4. A franchisor should select and accept only those franchisees who, upon reasonable investigation, appear to possess the basic skills, education, personal qualities and financial resources adequate to perform and fulfil the needs and requirements of the franchise. Franchise systems and franchise support services members of the Association should not discriminate based on race, colour, religion, national origin, disability, age, gender or any other factors prohibited by law.

5. ­­­ A franchisor should provide reasonable guidance, training, support and supervision over the business activities of franchisees for the purposes of safeguarding the public interest and the ethical image of franchising, and of maintaining the integrity of the franchise system for the benefit of all parties having an interest in it.

6. Fairness should characterize all dealings between a franchisor and its franchisees. Where reasonably appropriate under the circumstances, a franchisor should give notice to its franchisees of any contrac-

tual default and grant the franchisee reasonable opportunity to remedy the default.

7. A franchisor and its franchisees should make reasonable efforts to resolve complaints, grievances and disputes with each other through fair and reasonable direct communication, and where reasonably appropriate under the circumstances, mediation or other alternative dispute resolution mechanisms.

8. A franchisor and a franchise support services member should encourage prospective franchisees to seek legal, financial and business advice prior to signing the franchise agreement.

9. A franchisor should encourage prospective franchisees to contact existing franchisees to gain a better understanding of the requirements and benefits of the franchise.

10. A franchisor should encourage open dialogue with franchisees through franchise advisory councils and other communication mechanisms. A franchisor should not prohibit a franchisee from forming, joining or participating in any franchisee association, or penalize a franchisee who does so.

11. A franchise support services member in providing products or services to a franchisor or franchisee should encourage the franchises to comply with the spirit of this Code of Ethics. A franchise support services member should not offer or provide products or services if legislative or professional qualification is required to do so unless the franchise support services member has such qualification.

LOOK FOR EXCELLENCE As you investigate the many franchise opportunities available to you, you will see a special logo featured in franchise literature, on franchising websites and in franchise tradeshow booths. This logo identifies franchise systems and franchise support services/suppliers as members of the Canadian Franchise Association (CFA). You should be on the lookout for this symbol when researching franchise systems or assembling a team of franchise support professionals to assist in your search. CFA encourages and promotes excellence in franchising in Canada and members of the Association voluntarily agree to follow the CFA’s Code of Ethics in pursuit of these goals. Start your search for your franchise dream with a CFA member.

Visit FranchiseCanada.Online today.

Franchise Canada March | April 2021 9

ADVERTORIAL

SERVING THE COMMUNITY M&M Food Market celebrates 40 years of putting meals on Canadians’ dinner tables amid the COVID-19 pandemic

BY STEFANIE UCCI

S

ince 1980, M&M Food Market has been putting delicious and nutritious meals on Canadians’ tables from coast to coast, becoming a trusted dinner guest and the country’s leading retailer of frozen foods.

In October of 2020, M&M Food Market celebrated reaching 40 years in business. However, while commemorating this milestone, they were hit with the unexpected and challenging journey of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Through the difficult and changing times, the brand came together to implement new protocols to protect franchisees, staff, and customers while staying top of mind for hungry Canadians. They continuously evolve to keep up with dynamic and ever-changing needs, as seen through their “The Future is Frozen” mindset, which focuses on providing quick and easy frozen meals for customers to serve their families.

The future is frozen for healthconscious Canadians In recent years, M&M Food Market has transformed to keep up with Canadians’ changing eating habits.

Consumer insights identified key needs that helped shape the brand positioning of “Helping Make Real Food for Real Life,” which acted as the foundation for changes to more than half of their product offerings that were either newly created or reformulated.

Additionally, spring 2018 marked M&M Food Market’s success as the only food retailer in Canada with an entire portfolio of products that contain no artificial colours, flavours, or sweeteners, remaining a key differentiator that sets them apart from their competition. In addition to that promise, the brand offers more than 35 gluten-free products spanning across all of their frozen food categories.

A new shopping experience If you’ve visited an M&M Food Market in the past few years, you likely noticed that many aspects of the shopping experience have recently changed. The M&M Food Market team worked together to reinvent the company through one of the most transformative rebranding efforts in the Canadian retail industry which began in 2016 after Searchlight Capital acquired the brand and changed the name to M&M Food Market and innovated virtually every aspect of the business. This included a variety of changes to the in-store experience to appeal to more people and stay top of mind for existing customers.

The new store design includes features such as a modern “kitchen” layout, no more counters, reach-in and easy-to-shop freezers enabling self-serve shopping, full-colour packaging featuring appetizing product photos, and new uniform and

ADVERTORIAL

training programs for in-store Meal Advisors.

In addition, M&M Food Market also created a fresh website for customers to shop online for products and schedule in-store pickup, curbside pickup at every store, or home delivery to most markets in the country.

Facing the unexpected challenges As nearly every franchise across the country has experienced, the COVID-19 pandemic has introduced its own changes and challenges to M&M Food Market. Fortunately for this brand, they’ve seen a spike in demand for their products and a significant increase in sales since March 2020.

Using quick planning and working closely with their valued suppliers and distribution partner, the M&M Food Market team managed to maintain a steady stream of products to all of their locations across Canada.

They’ve even seen an influx of new customers along with old customers who have been re-introduced to their brand.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, M&M Food Market saw a significant spike in sales from their eCommerce channels during the pandemic as more customers shopped online to comply with social distancing protocols.

M&M Food Market’s number one priority is protecting the health and safety of their customers and in-store

teams. They have introduced numerous safety protocols and changes, including a corporate sanitization program and employee diagnosis protocols, suspended in-store sampling, limiting the number of people in stores, curbside pickup, and more.

They’ve also recognized the need to support children, families, and seniors in their communities and did that through donating more than $300,000 in masks, gift cards, and food to hospitals, Boys & Girls Clubs of Canada, and HelpAge Canada programs.

Supporting their franchisees With more than 300 locations across Canada, the M&M franchise is a wellknown and trusted Canadian brand that has positioned itself as a household name.

Franchisees have support from the moment they join the franchise, as they’re provided with the tools, training, and assistance they need to build their business. Franchise Partners benefit from joining an established brand with regional and national advertising, public relations campaigns, and more than three million weekly flyers sent to customers.

The M&M Food Market team is looking for new franchisees who are passionate about the brand and excited to grow their business with the backing and support of the franchise. As active members of their communities, Franchise Partners get to know their customers and get

involved with local charities, nonprofit organizations, and community groups.

As for training, each Franchise Partner goes through comprehensive in-class and on-site training from experts in all areas and is offered ongoing support from head office and regular communication with Area Managers.

During the pandemic, M&M Food Market also introduced Real Academy, a new online training platform, to facilitate an additional layer of training for new and existing Franchise Partners to share best practices. The M&M team hosts training sessions and webinars in a virtual classroom to efficiently train team members regardless of where in the country they are located.

Prospective franchisees who are considering joining the franchise community right now should be prepared to work hard but can also look forward to the rewards that are well worth the grit.

A key to the M&M brand’s 40 years in business is their ability to never stand still, innovate, and adapt to the challenges of everyday while preparing for a brighter tomorrow.

A lot has changed since the first M&M store was opened, but their dedication to offering customers top-quality, simple-to-prepare foods, and best-in-class personalized customer service remains at the heart of everything they do. REAL Food for REAL Life. A Real Opportunity.

Visit their website for franchise opportunities they have available nationally at www.mmfoodmarket.com.

TM

CHICKEN Training. Support.

Unparalleled growth.

All that’s missing is you.

20%

Sales Growth in 2020

10%

Increase Average Unit Volume 2020

20

New Stores Opened 2020

Your new life begins today

We made the right choice with Mary Brown’s. They treat us like family and provide us with endless support. They have given us the opportunity to grow, to take part in decision making and to work with other franchisees from many different cultural backgrounds and a head office team committed to diversity.

Waqar Azam & Aysha Waqar Franchisees

Don’t just be your own boss.

Be your own success story.

Winner of the Franchisees’ Choice Award 10 years running 50+ years in business 100% Canadian owned and operated

franchising@marybrowns.com

|

marybrowns.com

INDUSTRY NEWS

Your source for what’s happening in Canadian franchising Ledgers Partners with Loyalty Brands to Create Bookkeeping and Tax Powerhouse Ledgers Canada and Loyalty Business Services have created a partnership to rapidly expand both companies in Canada and the U.S. As a part of the collaborative growth initiative, Loyalty Business Services will become Ledgers USA to enhance brand awareness throughout North America.

The newly formed Ledgers team is comprised of leaders from several different successful companies to create what is expected to become the largest bookkeeping, tax, payroll, and compliance reporting firm servicing owners of small businesses throughout Canada and the United States. Gordon Haslam, who founded Ledgers Canada and built Ledgers to an industry leader in Canada since starting the company over 25 years ago; John Hewitt, who has built two of the three largest retail income tax service companies (Liberty Tax & Jackson Hewitt Tax) and who has over 52 years of experience building successful, major companies; and Steve Rafsky, who championed the turn-around and growth of Padgett Business Services for almost 20 years, are all excited to collaborate to build a company to help small- and medium-sized business services firms focus more on the growth of their businesses.

Ledgers Canada and Ledgers USA will offer tax preparation and consultation, payroll, management financial reporting, and other services using modern, cloud-based technology to meet today’s clients’ needs.

For the business services owner, it is a value-based annuity in a business sector that is exploding.

14 Canadian Franchise Association

The firm will expand its locations through its affiliation and franchising models. The firm has developed a system to enhance growth and scalability of each location, as well.

The Ledgers system includes stateof-the-art technology to manage client onboarding and workflow and modern client acquisition programs that include inbound and outbound marketing that are enhanced with integrated search engine optimization, social media, and other robust programs. This coordinated growth program implementation affords Ledgers efficiencies that individual operators would not usually be able to employ. In addition, the companies will enhance work capacity for its locations by offering access to Ledgers’ central team of professionals.

According to Gordon Haslam, who will continue to oversee the Canadian operation, “I am excited to expand with the Loyalty team. This collaboration will help both companies grow and prosper through experience, strong leadership, enhanced systems, and innovative marketing.”

Metal Supermarkets “Forges” 2021 U.S. Franchise Expansion Plan The phrase “Big things come in small packages” isn’t one typically associated with the metals distribution industry, where immense products and massive volumes are the order of the day. But Metal Supermarkets is defying these prevailing industry norms.

The North American leader in small-quantity metals has achieved something that few others in 2020 have been able to do – it has consistently broken year-over-year monthly revenue records, truly living up to “Big things come in small packages.”

www.cfa.ca | www.FranchiseCanada.Online

“The strong momentum we’re demonstrating now has been brewing for several years. Our ability to withstand the pressures of the pandemic was no surprise because we’re set up to thrive in every type of economic condition,” says Stephen Schober, the 14-year president and CEO of Metal Supermarkets and an executive with more than 30 years in the franchise industry. “When you blend our niche market with a solid business system and an unrelenting commitment to customer experience by our franchisee partners, Metal Supermarkets emerges as the standout metals supplier in every community that we serve.”

Known for its convenience, speed, product variety, and fixation on customer service, Metal Supermarkets announced in December that it is riding this wave of progress to move ahead with a strategic franchise growth initiative that will expand its presence to 150 locations by 2024.

Occupying a stable and important niche in the $200 billion U.S. metal distribution industry, future U.S. expansion is on the horizon.

Metal Supermarkets is targeting new franchise development throughout New England, the Midwest, Texas, and the Southwest. Designated as an essential business, the concept offers a recession-resistant, innovative, and durable opportunity for interested franchise investors.

Each location provides solutions to customers’ ongoing and regular metal needs in both the business-tobusiness and business-to-consumer categories. With an innovative and diverse product base and no-minimum product order quantity, Metal Supermarkets has driven strong average gross margins of more than 50 per cent during the last four fiscal years.

INDUSTRY NEWS “Remaining dedicated to our proven business system, while focusing on our core value of constant improvement, has allowed us to establish Metal Supermarkets as the local one-stop shop for countless businesses and individuals who need metal,” says Schober. “To make sure that we’re always operating at peak performance across the franchise system, we offer opening and ongoing training and support. Plus, the comprehensive marketing programs and operational support we provide to our franchisees allow them to focus on delivering outstanding customer service, a key to earning customer loyalty and repeat business.”

Pizza Nova is First to Launch Field Roast’s Plant-Based Pepperoni Pizza Nova and Greenleaf Foods, SPC, owner of Field Roast Grain Meat Co™ (“Field Roast”), announced in early January the addition of Field Roast Plant-Based Pepperoni to all Pizza Nova locations. Delivering a similar flavour and texture as traditional pork pepperoni, this is the first time Field Roast Plant-Based Pepperoni will be available to consumers anywhere.

“We are proud to offer a plantbased pepperoni that delivers on our Puro Promise of sourcing high-quality products that do not compromise on taste. The addition of Field Roast Plant-Based Pepperoni to our menu will allow us to expand our offerings and better serve flexitarians, vegetarians, and vegans alike—always in the same careful and loving manner,” says Domenic Primucci, president of Pizza Nova.

Available from January 11, Field Roast Plant-Based Pepperoni is the first pepperoni alternative to be made with pea protein, not soy, and offer the same protein per serving (6g) as traditional pork pepperoni.

Unlike competitive products, the Plant-Based Pepperoni has fat marbling and delivers an authentic, bold pepperoni taste, crafted with fresh spices, including whole pieces of fennel, cracked black pepper, garlic, and paprika.

For consumers looking for more flexibility without sacrificing taste, Pizza Nova will offer the Plant-Based Pepperoni as a permanent menu item. It is available as a topping for pizzas and panzerottis, and as part of six new plant-based creations, including the ‘Planteroni.’

“Pizza Nova is the first major Canadian pizza operator to offer the groundbreaking Field Roast Plant-Based Pepperoni,” says Adam Grogan, COO of Greenleaf Foods.

“We’re excited to partner with them because of their commitment to crafting flavourful, quality foods, just like Field Roast.”

In addition to Plant-Based Pepperoni, which is expected to roll onto retail shelves in Canada and the United States later this year, Field Roast’s portfolio includes more than 25 plant-based meats and cheeses, all boldly flavoured and made from vegetables, grains, legumes, and fresh herbs and spices.

FASTSIGNS® Ranked #1 in Category on Annual Entrepreneur Franchise 500 List for Fifth Consecutive Year FASTSIGNS International, Inc., franchisor of FASTSIGNS®, the sign, graphics, and visual communications franchise, announced in January it has been ranked the #1 franchise opportunity in its category in Entrepreneur magazine’s Franchise 500® for the fifth consecutive year. Recognized as an invaluable resource for potential franchisees, the Franchise 500® ranks

FASTSIGNS as #44 overall — the only sign, graphics, and visual communications franchise to be recognized in the top 100 — for its outstanding performance in areas including unit growth, financial strength and stability, and brand power.

“We are incredibly proud to once again be the #1 franchise opportunity in the sign, graphics, and visual communications sector. After such an unprecedented year with so much uncertainty, our business model continued to show its resiliency and FASTSIGNS emerged strong and poised for growth in 2021,” says Mark Jameson, chief support and development officer at FASTSIGNS International, Inc. “This recognition is proof of our outstanding international network of franchisees and their commitment to serving their communities as well as our exceptional franchise support team that worked around the clock to help the system succeed.”

FASTSIGNS signed 31 franchise agreements to develop new, cobranded, and conversion centres worldwide and the opening of 30 locations, including the brand’s first centre in the Dominican Republic.

Much of FASTSIGNS’ success in 2020 can be credited to centres being deemed essential businesses, allowing franchisees to pivot their services to focus on what matters most — serving their customers.

FASTSIGNS is aiming to sign at least 35 franchise agreements across the U.S. in markets such as Southern California, the Midwest, New England, and along the Northeast Corridor. FASTSIGNS is particularly focusing on its co-brand and conversion programs, which help existing business owners add a FASTSIGNS to their store or fully convert their business to a FASTSIGNS franchise.

FASTSIGNS is known in the industry for equipping its franchisees with tools vital to securing the ongoing success of each individual location. In addition to the brand’s online

Franchise Canada March | April 2021 15

INDUSTRY NEWS FASTSIGNS University, FASTSIGNS partners with 1HUDDLE, a workforce-training platform that converts unique training content into sciencebacked, quick-burst training games that are proven to accelerate workforce productivity.

Express Employment Professionals Accelerates Franchise Development and Welcomes 50 New Franchisees in 2020 Express Employment Professionals, the global staffing provider franchise, announced in January that it experienced significant growth in 2020, signing a total of 61 franchise agreements to bring 27 new offices to key target markets, while continuing operations at 34 existing locations and welcoming 50 new franchise operators, systemwide.

In February 2020, Express Employ-

ment Professionals also acquired direct hire staffing firm Frontline Recruitment Group, further expanding its global footprint into Australia and New Zealand for the first time.

“The global workforce was hit hard in 2020 by COVID-19 and each industry sector had different needs at different times. Despite the challenges and complexities that the pandemic presented, our franchisees rose to the occasion and helped fill thousands of jobs last year,” says Bill Stoller, CEO of Express Employment Professionals. “We feel humbly grateful to be able to make an impact on people’s lives in the way we do, and we’re excited to grow this impact in the years to come.”

Since its inception 38 years ago, Express has become the dominant brand in the staffing franchise sector, growing to more than 830 locations across three countries.

Express’s longstanding reputation as a staffing industry leader, top-tier unit-level economics, and proven track record of success have been driving forces behind its accelerated franchise development, and the brand is positioned for continued growth in 2021. This year, the company plans to open new offices in key areas across the globe: throughout the U.S. in California, New York, and Ohio; in Ontario, Canada; as well as South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.

Throughout 2020, Express was also recognized among the franchise and staffing industries’ most prestigious accolades, including Entrepreneur magazine’s Franchise 500, Franchise Direct’s Top 100 Global Franchises, the Canadian Franchise Association’s Recognition Awards, and ClearlyRated’s Best of Staffing ® Client and Talent Awards.

Vancouver here we come!

TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®’s last frontier to complete our coast to coast development in Canada

Why TWO MEN AND A TRUCK? Contact us for more information

866.684.6448

twomenandatruck.ca

• Join an award-winning franchise system that lives by a core value of inclusion • A proven combination of moving, storage, & junk removal services benefitting both customers and franchisees • Single & multi-unit opportunities available

Each franchise is independently owned and operated.

16 Canadian Franchise Association

www.cfa.ca | www.FranchiseCanada.Online

INDUSTRY NEWS Express Employment Professionals is a flexible staffing franchise for people, communities, and businesses. The company works with job seekers to help them find the right job for their skills and experience, and annually employs over 552,000 people across more than 830 franchise locations worldwide. Express has been recognized as the staffing category leader on Entrepreneur magazine’s prestigious and highly competitive Franchise 500 ranking of the top franchise opportunities for 10 consecutive years and its franchisees have average annual sales per territory of over $6 million in the U.S. Heart to Home Meals Donates Thousands of Frozen Meals to Food Banks Heart to Home Meals, Canada’s leading senior meal delivery service provider gave back to the community

with a donation of more than 10,000 meals to The Salvation Army.

The Salvation Army, among their many charitable works, plays an important role in providing meals to those in need. Contributions such as this to food banks are even more crucial now with COVID-19 having increased the numbers of Canadians dealing with food insecurity.

“This has been a challenging year for all Canadians, but perhaps few were more heavily impacted by the pandemic than those among us who are food insecure” says Nigel Richards, president of Heart to Home Meals. “And [during] the season of giving, we are happy to be able to contribute to the great work The Salvation Army is doing to feed those most vulnerable.”

These meals were distributed to various food banks, shelters, and daycare centres across the Greater

Toronto Area and beyond.

In addition to the donation to The Salvation Army, Heart to Home Meals also donated nearly 5,000 meals by December 31, 2020 to The Daily Bread Food Bank, one of Canada’s largest food banks which strives to end hunger in urban communities.

Always Best Care Reports Significant Growth in 2020 Leading into 25th Year Always Best Care Senior Services, one of the leading senior care franchise systems in the United States, announced in January that it achieved significant growth amid an unprecedented year for the home health care industry, launching eight new territories in untapped markets including Naperville, Illinois; Thousand Oaks, California; Upper Chesapeake, Maryland, and its first location in the state of Utah.

COMMUNITY more important th tha an ever

Own your own community Coffeehouse. franchise@goodearthcoffeehouse.com 1-888-294-9330

www.goodearthcoffeehouse.com/franchising

Franchise Canada March | April 2021 17

INDUSTRY NEWS Most notably, the brand celebrated international expansion with the signing of a Canadian Master Franchise Agreement and the opening of Always Best Care of Oakville in the province of Ontario.

Demand for in-home care rose quickly during the COVID-19 pandemic, with long-term care facilities like nursing homes identified as hot spots for the virus’s transmission.

This emerging industry trend catalyzed considerable growth within Always Best Care’s system. Throughout 2020, several existing franchisees reinvested in Always Best Care, resulting in a total of 18 franchise territory renewals, and serving as a true testament to the brand’s sustainable positioning and long-term viability in a rapidly evolving landscape. Additionally, four established operators expanded their portfolios with Always Best Care through the

acquisition of new and existing territories, emphasizing the brand’s best-in-class franchise opportunity and unlimited potential for success.

As a result of these acquisitions and expansions, Always Best Care grew its brand presence in states like Florida and New Mexico, as well as welcomed new owners to territories in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and California.

“2021 marks Always Best Care’s 25th year in business and coming out of an unprecedented year, I couldn’t be more optimistic about the future and longevity of our brand. Despite the challenges our industry faced, I’m incredibly proud of how our dedicated corporate team and franchisees rallied alongside one another to reach new heights and best serve our clients and their needs during such a high-risk time,” says Jake Brown, president and CEO of Always

Best Care. “As we reflect on the franchise development growth we experienced in the midst of the pandemic, most of which was driven by existing franchisees, we’re fortunate to have such passionate, talented, and proud owners alongside us as we kick off a milestone year.”

Digital Main Street Partners with GetintheLoop to Pilot in Toronto Digital Main Street is pleased to announce that GetintheLoop has been selected to offer its mobile marketing solutions to the hundreds of businesses of Kensington Market BIA, Riverside BIA, Lakeshore Village BIA, the Eglinton Way BIA, the Broadview Danforth BIA, and the Beach Village BIA in Toronto through the Community Collaboration Program this winter. The program has the goal of onboarding 240 main street businesses (40 per BIA) to the

When Did You See The Sign?

FASTSIGNS of Brantford, ONT

™

As a growing $29 billion industry, signage and graphics will be in demand as long as businesses need to be seen. FASTSIGNS® will be there to create captivating, high performing visuals for businesses around the world.

• Over 735 locations in 9 countries • Business-to-Business hours • Low staffing requirement • Professional business clientele • Seeking Domestic & International Franchisees • 50% Off Franchise Fee for Veterans and First Responders

Congratulations Donna & Jackie for being featured for Diversity in Franchising!

Jackie Raymond & Donna Bilodeau FASTSIGNS of Windsor, ON

For more information: Mark Jameson | 214-346-5679 | mark.jameson@fastsigns.com

18 Canadian Franchise Association

www.cfa.ca | www.FranchiseCanada.Online

INDUSTRY NEWS GetintheLoop platform and 50 have already come online. Funding for this pilot is made available through the Digital Main Street Future Proof program.

GetintheLoop’s technology connects local shoppers to local businesses by providing real-time mobile offers and promotions. Users receive push notifications and emails highlighting specials, incentives, and loyalty programs that are available from nearby small businesses. Participating businesses can feature both in-store and online offers, promoting curbside pick-up, delivery, buy now use later, and other timely offers based on the current market conditions. Digital Main Street is supported through FedDev Ontario funding and in partnership with ventureLAB. “The Government of Canada is pleased to support the Digital Main

Street and see innovative technology pilot studies, like this one with GetintheLoop, broadening digital access to main street businesses. We are proud to work with Digital Main Street partners including Toronto Association of Business Improvement Areas (TABIA), Communitech, Invest Ottawa, and the Regional Innovation Centres to help our innovation ecosystem grow stronger,” says The Honourable Mélanie Joly, minister of economic development and official languages and minister responsible for FedDev Ontario.

“We believe that local businesses form the foundation of a vibrant community. GetintheLoop is a simple and effective location-based mobile marketing platform that helps bricks-and-mortar businesses reach local residents via their smartphones, email, and the web with relevant and timely content and offers.

Shopping local is more important than ever, and our technology helps communities stay connected while promoting local businesses during this critical time,” says Chris Pinkerton, president of GetintheLoop.

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Franchise Canada March | April 2021 19

COVER STORY

CELEBRATING THE

DIVERSITY IN FRANCHISING

Franchisees from all backgrounds showcase how anyone can find success through franchising

There’s more than meets the eye when you explore franchisees across hundreds of brands in Canada. On the outside, you see hard-working and passionate entrepreneurs who made their dreams of being a Canadian business owner come true. But they all play a dynamic role in the franchising industry.

One of the great things about franchising is that it welcomes anyone with a desire to own their own business and contribute to their community. Regardless of their background, anyone can find success in franchising with a lot of passion and the right franchise brand behind them. Walk into any franchised businesses near you, and you could likely find individuals from diverse backgrounds, genders, or age groups.

Join Franchise Canada as we introduce franchisees from coast to coast, who share their unique experiences and franchising success stories. From women to Aboriginals to new Canadians, get inspired by these franchisees, who are contributing to the diverse franchising community. Though they’re all different, they share one thing in common: a love for franchising.

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COVER STORY

PART 1: FEMALE FORCES IN FRANCHISING Donna Bilodeau and Jackie Raymond of FASTSIGNS International Inc., Stephanie Bennett of Good Earth Coffeehouse, and Rhoda Udumukwu of TWO MEN AND A TRUCK Canada

BY KYM WOLFE

For many franchisees, finding business success while providing essential resources to their communities is vital to their franchising story. These four women own franchises across Canada and, despite investing in a male-dominated industry, have persevered to become leaders who inspire and motivate their teams.

“WE WORKED REALLY WELL TOGETHER, AND WE KNEW WE COULD MAKE A GREAT PARTNERSHIP." Donna Bilodeau, FASTSIGNS International Inc.

DONNA BILODEAU AND JACKIE RAYMOND, FASTSIGNS International Inc. Twenty-some years ago, Donna Bilodeau and Jackie Raymond’s children attended the same school, and the two women got to know each other through their volunteer work. “We worked really well together, and we knew we could make a great partnership,” Bilodeau recalls. When the opportunity presented itself, they purchased a FASTSIGNS franchise in Windsor, Ontario, and have since grown it to almost $1 million in annual sales.

Bilodeau worked in customer service for a large financial institution, while Raymond was in graphic design at a printing firm. Both realized the value that a franchise system would offer. “Our royalties pay corporate salaries, and we take full advantage of their expertise,” says Bilodeau. She and Raymond appreciate the research and development that the franchise undertakes, along with the resources made available to them. University of FASTSIGNS courses ensure that they and their employees are continuously updating their skills and knowledge base, and initiatives like the newly introduced ‘click and call’ sales and marketing tools help them manage their business more efficiently.

The franchisor was also instrumental in helping guide the women through the purchase of a subcontractor’s business in 2020, giving them the ability to fabricate light boxes and other specialty sign products in-house. That required their fourth move in 20 years, each triggered by the need for more space. They started in a 1,200 squarefoot retail space, but the business evolved, and larger digital printers were purchased, so they needed drive-in bays to do vehicle wraps, and most recently, a place to

“WE ARE NOT SELLING THEM A COMMODITY; WE ARE SELLING SOLUTIONS.” Jackie Raymond, FASTSIGNS International Inc.

park a trailer and bucket truck for sign installation. They now operate in a 7,800 square-foot standalone building with a fenced yard with eight employees and take on co-op and summer students.

The majority of business is B2B, and Bilodeau and Raymond say that as women working in a male-dominated industry, they have worked hard to educate themselves about their clients’ businesses and to learn the commonly used lingo and terminology. “We want to talk their language,” says Raymond. “We are not selling them a commodity; we are selling solutions.”

The women also note the positive changes at the franchise level since a female, Catherine Monson, took over the helm as CEO of FASTSIGNS International. (In September, Monson was named 2019 Most Admired CEO by the Dallas Business Journal. Monson was also named Chair of the International Franchise Association in 2020 and will remain in the position through 2021.) “There has been a shift in focus from top line sales to profitability,” says Bilodeau.

Bilodeau and Raymond have always supported local charities. To celebrate 20 years as co-owners, they decided to get involved in 20 different causes last year, some chosen by their staff. While COVID-19 put a crimp in their plans, they hope to complete the 20 in 2021.

Visit FranchiseCanada.Online to read more diverse franchising stories, and for exclusive content about the importance of diversity in franchising!

Franchise Canada March | April 2021 21

COVER STORY

“A LOT OF CUSTOMERS CHECKED IN TO OFFER THEIR SUPPORT, AND CAME FOR TAKEOUT. A LOT TOLD US THAT THEY WANT TO SUPPORT WOMEN IN BUSINESS.” Stephanie Bennett, Good Earth Coffeehouse

STEPHANIE BENNETT, Good Earth Coffeehouse Stephanie Bennett comes from a family of strong women.

She has five sisters and one brother, raised by a woman who had immigrated to Canada from Jamaica. “My mom had her own cleaning business, and wanted her children to own bigger businesses,” says Bennett. She was extremely proud when Bennett and her younger sister Cynthia Noronha purchased the Good Earth Coffeehouse franchise in Airdrie, Alberta, just north of Calgary, in November 2019.

As a student at the University of Calgary, Bennett had spent a lot of time at the Good Earth Coffeehouse on campus. That included “Hours of studying, fuelled by delicious and wholesome food when I didn’t have time to go home and cook,” she says. “Good Earth left an impression on me.” After graduation, she worked as a software engineer, eventually moving to work for the City of Airdrie.

But Bennett had a yen to become an entrepreneur.

“I talked to my sister and asked if she wanted to help me realize my dream, and we’ve been working together ever since,” she says. During their first year, COVID-19 reduced business and then a fire shut down the café completely for two months.

When the pandemic hit, “Good Earth researched resources and communicated constantly with us, and our regional manager visited often,” says Bennett.

While Good Earth Coffeehouse is a 30-year-old brand, Bennet is fairly new to the business. “We had not gone through these economic ups and downs, so we were going through that learning curve with our franchisor.

When I talked directly to the manufacturer to tweak the design of our barriers, they shared our ideas with other franchisees.”

One reason the sisters chose Good Earth is that it aligns with their desire to connect people in their community. “We provide a venue for Airdrians to enjoy events organized by the community. Our community loves our food and drinks, they are comforting and wholesome. We provide local jobs, and we’ve partnered with the Boys and Girls Club to give youth a position that will help them develop work skills,” says Bennett.

The café is the kind of place that encourages people to sit, relax, and chat, but that wasn’t possible with COVID-19 restrictions. “A lot of customers checked in to

22 Canadian Franchise Association

offer their support, and came for takeout. A lot told us that they want to support women in business.”

This past year, Black Lives Matter also opened the conversation about diversity, says Bennett. “They are supporting a business owned by women of colour, but mainly they say, ‘We’re here to support you because of the service you give us.’ I have no doubt that once the restrictions are lifted and we are back to being fully open, we will be busier than ever.”

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COVER STORY

“FOR ME, BEING A WOMAN IS AN ENABLER. MULTITASKING COMES NATURALLY, AND I HAVE A ‘NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE’ MINDSET. I THRIVE AND STRIVE FOR EXCELLENCE REGARDLESS OF GENDER.” Rhoda Udumukwu, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK Canada RHODA UDUMUKWU, TWO MEN AND A TRUCK Canada Rhoda and Nicholas Udumukwu came to Canada from Nigeria as professional immigrants, he with experience in the banking sector, she in the oil and gas industry.

After hearing about the successes that friends in Western Canada had as TWO MEN AND A TRUCK franchisees, the couple opened their own location in Ontario.

“We had job offers, but we felt that this would offer us a better work/life balance,” says Rhoda. “We need to pay attention to our four children, and this franchise offers mainly daytime hours. We needed a business model that has a proven track record, an established brand, the know-how, high success rate, and market awareness.

After due diligence, we felt TWO MEN AND A TRUCK was the best choice. The technological resources are sophisticated and user friendly, the tools and resources for success are readily available. Primarily franchisor support played a huge part, and through the entire gamut [of startup activities] they were awesome!”

Rhoda has always worked in a male-dominated industry and says, “For me, being a woman is an enabler.

Multitasking comes naturally, and I have a ‘nothing is impossible’ mindset. I thrive and strive for excellence regardless of gender.”

She is using her experience, nurturing abilities, and management skills to build a good team and positive corporate culture. “People just want to be treated fairly and with kindness, and to feel valued.” In the beginning, Rhoda was involved in some of the actual move and pack jobs, “to show them that I have the hands-on ability to do this – and that this business is not just about the muscles, but also the skill.”

The family relocated to Windsor in December 2019, with a planned opening in March 2020. Rhoda says, “Starting the business with all the bottlenecks presented by the COVID-19 pandemic is an accomplishment in itself. Moving is considered an essential service, but hiring staff was difficult at the time. With support from the franchisor and our own doggedness, we were finally open for business in September.”

The delay caused financial stress for the family, partially alleviated when the franchise helped negotiate an agreement to defer pick up (and payments on) the trucks

they were purchasing. The Udumukwus are also covering a large geographical territory with both Windsor and Sarnia markets, and feel the need to open a satellite office in Sarnia in the near future to better serve that market.

As soon as they were able to open, the phone started ringing right away. “Corporate put ads in the Windsor daily paper and sent them an article about us, and we got calls from people who had seen the ads,” says Rhoda.

“We intend to capture our market fully in the next 18 months, and our goal is to have our children work for and run the business in the future.”

Franchise Canada March | April 2021 23

COVER STORY

PART 2: FEARLESS FEMALE FRANCHISEES Suzan Grace of Beyond the Classroom, Brigitte Chagnon of SpeedPro, and Marnie Farn of Lice Squad.com

BY GINA MAKKAR

Having a diverse workforce is about more than just equal opportunities. In fact, employing people of all backgrounds, genders, and age groups can breathe new life into a franchise. Here’s how three female franchisees with unique stories and diverse backgrounds are shattering the glass ceiling and making a big impact in their industries.

"I DO THINK THAT PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT ETHNIC BACKGROUNDS HAVE A LOT TO OFFER. WE NEED TO BREAK DOWN THE BARRIERS, AND FRANCHISING MIGHT BE ONE OF THOSE WAYS. IT’S A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD A BETTER COUNTRY TOGETHER.” Suzan Grace, Beyond the Classroom SUZAN GRACE, Beyond the Classroom As a teacher for more than 20 years, a tutoring company was a natural transition for Suzan Grace, who began her journey with Beyond the Classroom as a tutor. “It’s a great company to work for, so I started pursuing the franchising route.”

With age comes wisdom, and for Grace, knowing herself and what she wanted was a springboard to becoming a franchisee at 50 years old. “It was my mid-life crisis,” she laughs. “People hit 50 and start to think of retirement, whereas I’m thinking I’m going to ramp this up, but I’m going to do it on my own terms.”

The concept is a great fit, as it still allows Grace to do some teaching and help people in a new way. Though learning to run a business was a challenge early on, she embraced a new skill set with strength and determination.

“People are often afraid to branch out. They’re comfortable, and they don’t want to take risks.” For Grace, her greatest triumph is learning to be a successful businesswoman. “For me it’s like ‘wow, I’ve actually done this.’”

She also likes the close-knit feel of a smaller franchise and the responsiveness of a forward-thinking franchisor.

Owner Cathy Thompson implemented an online system in the months prior to the pandemic, a move that helped the concept shift seamlessly to a virtual presence.

“When we were locked down in March, we were ready. It made a huge difference in being able to pivot.”

Grace’s advice to women over 50? “If you have the right attitude and courage to do it, then you can really change your life and take it to a whole new level. I finally looked at myself and asked, ‘Will I regret not taking this chance?’ The answer was yes.” She adds that like most things, if something feels good, carry on. If it doesn’t,

24 Canadian Franchise Association

something is not right, and it’s important to pay attention to that feeling.

For Grace, women, men, and people of different ages and ethnicities all have a place in the business world.

“Overall, I am happy with how it has worked out for me.

I do think that people of different ethnic backgrounds have a lot to offer. We need to break down the barriers, and franchising might be one of those ways. It’s a good opportunity to build a better country together.”

www.cfa.ca | www.FranchiseCanada.Online

COVER STORY

“I WANT TO BE A STRONG, INDIG­ENOUS BUSINESS OWNER. I WANT TO BE A ROLE MODEL FOR OTHER INDIGENOUS WOMEN. THIS IS THE KIND OF BUSINESS THAT CAN HELP ANYONE FROM ANY BACKGROUND, INDIGENOUS AND NON- INDIGENOUS FAMILIES WHO ARE SUFFERING FROM HEAD LICE.” Marnie Farn, Lice Squad.com MARNIE FARN, Lice Squad.com As a hairdresser, Marnie Farn was accustomed to beautiful hair, but hadn’t experienced head lice until her daughter came home with it while in first grade. When searching for help, Farn found Lice Squad.com, but they were located far away in Ontario. “There weren't any resources in Saskatoon. The only help was what we could get at a drugstore. Nothing seemed to work.”

The lack of services in the lice industry sparked Farn’s interest, and in 2013, she became a Lice Squad.com consultant, operating a mobile business in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

“I really enjoyed the work. People are always so appreciative of what we are doing. You almost get a high because people are so thankful.” A year later, she became a franchisee.

Though head lice is common, it still comes with a powerful stigma. “As a young mom with a child with head lice, I did freak out.” Starting as a consultant was a good way for Farn to gauge if she could handle it. “I learned that unless you’re rubbing heads with clients, the chances of getting head lice is very slim. Just learning those valuable bits of information made all the difference. I am grateful to be taught by an amazing set of supportive people.”

Farn says she likes that she can promote and stand behind safe, environmentally friendly products. “When talking to and working on clients, you can easily say ‘this is not going to hurt your child or your environment.’ That’s important.” As the only franchisee in Saskatchewan, it’s a challenge to serve clients as far away as Regina or Prince Albert. Farn often ships products to more remote locations and has been known to drive over two hours to serve clients in need.

From the start, Farn’s goal was to own locations throughout the province. “I want to be a strong, Indigenous business owner. I want to be a role model for other Indigenous women. This is the kind of business that can help anyone from any background, Indigenous and nonIndigenous families who are suffering from head lice.”

“I have people who come in from all walks of life. The

bugs do not discriminate. Often, there’s a stigma people have, and it shouldn’t be that way. That’s why I am proud of who I am and what I am doing,” she adds.

As for prospective franchisees, Farn says having life experience helps when talking and dealing with people.

“It’s not always the young person. Someone of a different age group or background would do well. I’m Indigenous.

I’m Metis. There is a large Indigenous population in Saskatchewan, and someone who is an Indigenous person would do quite well in this field. It’s a great business and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.”

Franchise Canada March | April 2021 25

COVER STORY

“IN OUR INDUSTRY, WHICH IS CREATIVE, HAVING A DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW AND WAY TO SEE THINGS HELPS WITH FRESH NEW IDEAS. IT’S A BIG PART OF OUR DAILY WORK, SO TO HAVE THAT FRESH NEW LOOK OR LITTLE TWIST TO THINGS IS IMPORTANT.” Brigitte Chagnon, SpeedPro

BRIGITTE CHAGNON, SpeedPro Brigitte Chagnon was born in Canada and relocated to France for a business opportunity with Nortel. While there, she ended up starting a Canadian franchise, Fruits & Passion. When the concept was bought out by a new owner, Chagnon and her husband decided to move back to Canada to be closer to family after 20 years away. She knew she wanted to purchase another franchise business, and once at home she took her time, attending shows in search of new and exciting franchise concepts. “I was coached through FranNet to get a little closer to what was available. Through them, I was introduced to SpeedPro.” As an Ottawa franchisee for the last five years, she enjoys being part of a strong, supportive franchise system. “Each franchisee has the freedom to run their business the way that they want. We can run our business and adapt it to our specific markets.”

As a small team of three, she says she’s hoping to grow. “We are looking very good for growth. I wasn’t really sure if we had a specific market to address, but with the pandemic, we have had a lot of requests for vehicle graphics from trades that probably relied heavily on home shows.”

26 Canadian Franchise Association

Returning from France after many years was a challenge for Chagnon, as her network didn’t stretch far beyond family. She promptly joined networking groups and business associations and began connecting with local businesspeople. “It helped kickstart things, otherwise I feel I would have really struggled.”

Before committing to the franchise, Chagnon spent a few days with an existing franchisee to understand the day-to-day routine and what it entails. She recommends this approach to anyone considering a franchise. Once on board, she says to “Take the time to really think things through and have your business case. Work the numbers and be conservative. Don’t expect a huge return the first months of opening your business. Keep at it and have fun.”

For Chagnon, people of all ages and backgrounds are important to franchising, because they bring life experience and a different perspective. A pivotal part of any successful design is coaxing clients to reveal themselves and adapting the design approach to suit individual personalities. “In our industry, which is creative, having a different point of view and way to see things helps with fresh new ideas. It’s a big part of our daily work, so to have that fresh new look or little twist to things is important.”

www.cfa.ca | www.FranchiseCanada.Online

COVER STORY

PART 3: DIVERSE FRANCHISEES THRIVE Meli Holt of COBS Bread, Rahul Kumar of Driverseat, and Ankit Patel of Teriyaki Madness

BY JESSICA BURGESS

Franchising is an industry that allows people to follow their individual passions to find success, but there’s no single way to thrive as a franchisee. Here, three franchisees that represent women and new Canadians share their franchise journeys as they’ve followed their entrepreneurial dreams.

“BRINGING TOGETHER SUCH A VAST ARRAY OF KNOWLEDGE AND LIFE EXPERIENCES WITH A SIMILAR PURPOSE IN BUSINESS IS PRICELESS.” Meli Holt, COBS Bread

MELI HOLT, COBS Bread Meli Holt, who operates a COBS Bread franchise in Suter Brook, British Columbia, started her professional career in a medical laboratory. She joined the franchise industry after her youngest child started school. “I needed to find work that would allow me to still put family first,” she says, which is a message she felt reflected back from the company. From there, Holt learned every role in the COBS Bread system and eventually decided to purchase the location, giving her the opportunity to serve up freshly baked goods daily to her community.

Not only did the COBS Bread franchise concept speak to Holt’s personal and professional goals, but she felt she was able to bring her multitude of skills to the table in her role as a franchisee. “No matter what age, gender, background, etcetera, you come from, a franchise allows you to break away from the stereotype others can put upon you. I am a single, Indigenous woman of three (now grown) children. If you look at the stereotype I could be labelled with, it could sound very different,” says Holt.

“My diversity makes me more valuable than anything to my business.”

The ability to stay true to one’s own goals and values in business is something franchising makes more accessible to many. “Seek out opportunities with your own priorities clear to you. For example, mine was ‘family first,’ and I found the perfect franchise opportunity for me,” advises Holt. “In a successful franchise, you will be able to bring the best attributes of yourself to make the franchise even more successful.”

Holt adds that the diversity of COBS Bread franchisees benefits the entire company. “Bringing together such a vast array of knowledge and life experiences with a similar purpose in business is priceless.”

Beyond that, Holt says communication with your franchisor and other franchisees is key to a sustainable franchise operation. “The number one benefit of being a franchisee is the support in a proven system. Our particular franchise network is very supportive and transparent. I can reach out to anyone at the corporate office or to other franchisees for advice. The more successful we [each] are as a franchisee, the more successful the franchise will be – it should be a win-win!”

Franchise Canada March | April 2021 27

COVER STORY

“AS SOON AS WE STARTED OPERATING, COVID-19 HIT US HARD, AND WE HAD TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX.” Rahul Kumar, Driverseat

RAHUL KUMAR, Driverseat Rahul Kumar began his professional career in investment banking, but the 2008 financial crisis provided the impetus to look seriously into the idea of franchising.

Born in India, Kumar immigrated to Canada in 2011 and began working for Driverseat, which provides chauffeur and driving services to customers.

“I was interested in franchising mainly because it involves a proven system with guaranteed returns,” explains Kumar. “You have a system that is proven to generate profits and you also get the knowledge of how to run your business.”

After experiencing the kind of insecurity from the market crash in 2008, the stability of franchising was especially appealing to Kumar, who knew that joining a successful franchise affords franchisees the opportunity to become an immediate part of a thriving company.

The COVID-19 pandemic has reminded many of the economic crises of decades past, which means Kumar has been especially proud of the ways Driverseat has been able to respond during these uncertain times. “As soon as we started operating, COVID-19 hit us hard, and we had to think outside the box.”

Kumar, who operates a Driverseat in Calgary, came up with the new Shop & Drop program aimed towards helping seniors. “We would shop for people and deliver the products to their houses,” explains Kumar. “This way we not only helped flatten the curve, but also kept some of our chauffeurs employed.”

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For their efforts to benefit their community, Kumar’s franchise was featured on the cover of the Calgary Herald, something the whole team can be proud of. While changing laws based on health mandates have led to some difficulties for car services around Alberta, Kumar is confident that Driverseat will see their clients through this difficult time and into the future.

Finally, Kumar’s advice for those looking to get into franchising is to look for companies that show a proven track record, who have examples of successful franchise locations you can look to for guidance as you get started.

“Sometimes it can be easy to get into a business that has already been proven successful,” says Kumar, adding, “Especially with support from franchisors, you will be able to get so much done in so little time.”

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COVER STORY

“ANY AGES, GENDERS, [OR] BACKGROUNDS CAN GET INTO THESE FRANCHISE SYSTEMS. YOU WILL BE SUPPORTED BY LOTS OF EXPE­RIENCED PEOPLE." Ankit Patel, Teriyaki Madness

ANKIT PATEL, Teriyaki Madness Ankit Patel owns a Teriyaki Madness franchise set to open in May 2021 in Regina, Saskatchewan. Patel moved to Canada in 2019, coming from Georgia, USA, by way of India. In India, Patel and his family were heavily involved in food manufacturing, and when Patel’s cousin moved to the United States, he began franchising with Subway. As it would happen, Patel began his own venture into food service at the same company. “I started my career as a sandwich artist at Subway, working my way up to being a supervisor for the company,” he says.

Working in the food service industry for all those years made Patel eager to become a franchisee within an existing successful food service franchise. “In a franchise system,” Patel notes, “there are a group of people who work with you and are more like your business partners.” More than that, the supportive nature of franchising was ideal to Patel: “Others are there not just for their own benefit, but for yours too.”

In keeping with that, Patel and his partners, Jatin Patel and Mihir Mewada, who will be the first Canadian Teriyaki Madness franchisees, have certainly felt the support from headquarters as they get set to open. “The franchisor never lets you feel that you are on your own.

They are always there to help whenever you’re stuck and there is a great team of experts to help,” Patel says.

In terms of who an ideal franchisee might be, Patel reiterates that there is no one way to succeed in franchising.

“Any ages, genders, [or] backgrounds can get into these franchise systems. You will be supported by lots of experienced people,” Patel explains, emphasizing the idea that every franchisee in the system has access to the same

wealth of support and resources. “It is just like following a recipe to cook,” Patel says of the accessible way that Teriyaki Madness has laid out the onboarding process.

The ability to foster community among franchisees is a clear benefit of this franchise system. “You have a builtin support system,” says Patel, adding that best-in-class training is followed by continuous support from personal business coaches who work with you to achieve the goals that you have set out for yourself and your franchise location.

For those wondering whether franchising might be right for them, Patel suggests careful consideration of the benefits. “It’s less risky than starting a business from scratch, and you can ask for help if you need it.”

At a time when uncertainty is seemingly at an all-time high, the stability of franchising offers possibility moving forward.

Franchise Canada March | April 2021 29

COVER STORY

PART 4: PUTTING CARE INTO FRANCHISING Debbie Bell and Gaurav Tyagi of Comfort Keepers, and Eugenia Ordonez of Scholars

BY STEFANIE UCCI

There are dozens of industries that franchisees can invest in, many of which provide important and meaningful services for their customers. We introduce you to female and new Canadian franchisees whose diverse backgrounds are just the beginning of their inspiring stories as they invested in businesses that make a real difference in their communities.

“IT’S GOOD TO SEE WOMEN OWNING THE FRANCHISES AND NOT JUST WORKING FOR THEM.”

“IF YOU THINK YOU’D RATHER BE A JOB GIVER THAN A JOB SEEKER AND HELP YOUR COMMUNITY, JUST SEE WHAT YOU LOVE THE MOST.”

Debbie Bell, Comfort Keepers

DEBBIE BELL, Comfort Keepers For Debbie Bell, her background in the corporate world combined with a love for homecare made her the ideal candidate to join the Comfort Keepers team. Bell is currently in her sixth year as a franchise owner in Winnipeg, Manitoba and says that she’s “loved every minute of it.

Best thing I’ve ever done in my life.”

Bell’s franchise journey began when she and her husband were looking for a senior homecare company to hire for her in-laws. “That’s when I started researching and came across Comfort Keepers and fell in love with their whole philosophy and idealism. I love this; it allows me to get into helping other families who are struggling,” says Bell.

Throughout the years, Bell says she’s had lots of successes and achievements, including three years of top sales and relocating a large group of caregivers up to Thunder Bay, Ontario. “We did that for a year and a half so that was a very big challenge, but we did it.”

Now, Bell looks towards the future, where she hopes Comfort Keepers will become a household name.

“There’s a lot of people out there that don’t know this is even available,” explains Bell. “The system has always stated that mom and dad live at home, and they need to go to long term care when they can’t function anymore.

And that’s not the case. Keeping them at home is one of the best things you can do.”

As a female business owner, Bell says she believes “there shouldn’t be distinction between a female and male business owner, or an ethnic background. To me, it’s all the same and it’s the individual person that brings experience. We have a mix of male and female owners but it’s good to see women owning the franchises and not just working for them,” says Bell.

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Gaurav Tyagi, Comfort Keepers GAURAV TYAGI, Comfort Keepers When Gaurav Tyagi immigrated to Canada from India in 2013, he had a variety of knowledge under his belt. With an IT background, Tyagi had the skills that offered him a range of jobs, but he ultimately had the drive for entrepreneurship.

In October 2020, amid the second wave of the COVID19 pandemic, Tyagi opened his own Comfort Keepers franchise in downtown Hamilton, Ontario with a desire to help seniors in his community. “I started thinking, ‘how can I help?’ and to be honest when your parents are back in India and you can’t do anything, you can just talk to them online, I started feeling more for the people who were suffering in old age homes,” explains Tyagi.

Tyagi says joining a senior care business with little experience in the field was a challenging endeavour, but he praises the strong support and proven system from Comfort Keepers that made it possible.

As for advice Tyagi has for aspiring entrepreneurs: “If you think you’d rather be a job giver than a job seeker and help your community, just see what you love the most.

Understand which companies share the same values.”

He adds that most immigrants who are new to Canada usually land in and around the Greater Toronto Area, but he advises that you don’t need to stay there. “It’s not like you have to serve one million people to make a difference. A small town of 10,000 people can also give you the growth targets that you’re looking at.”

Working with Comfort Keepers allows Tyagi and his team of caregivers to help “elevate the human spirit” in seniors, as the brand’s tagline goes. “We [franchisees] are not taking risks,” says Tyagi. “We’re just finding the right opportunity to get our success story together.”

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COVER STORY

“I WILL TRY AS HARD AS I CAN TO ALWAYS BE MY OWN BOSS. SO THAT’S ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS THAT ATTRACTED ME TO A FRANCHISE.” Eugenia Ordonez, Scholars

EUGENIA ORDONEZ, Scholars Before Eugenia Ordonez moved to Canada nearly six years ago, she used her business background to work for a variety of household name brands in the marketing and advertising industries. After immigrating here from Mexico, Eugenia developed a desire to become a business owner. In November 2020, she opened her Scholars franchise and made her dream come true. Scholars is an education franchise that offers tutoring and mentoring for students of all grades in any subject area.

With Scholars, Eugenia says she was welcomed with open arms and reflects on her positive experience when she decided to become a franchisee. “I’m a 55-year-old, Mexican, single mother who just arrived in Canada, and I’m trying to open a business and Scholars embraces me and helps me do everything,” says Eugenia. “Nobody stopped and said, ‘hey are you sure?’ It was so open, easy, and welcoming and that’s what I loved.”

Eugenia lived in many countries before landing in Canada, including Portugal and Brazil, before moving to Mexico, where she worked in the family business for 15 years. Once in Canada, she lived in Oakville, Ontario, and then eventually moved to Niagara-on-the-Lake when her daughter left for university. As luck would have it, Eugenia moved close to where Scholars was looking to open a new franchise in St. Catharines.

It was while managing businesses in Mexico that

Eugenia learned how nice it is to be her own boss. “I never want to go back to working for someone else if life allows me to. I will try as hard as I can to always be my own boss. So that’s one of the main things that attracted me to a franchise.”

As a new Canadian, Eugenia says her biggest challenge was the build-out process, including how to work with contractors, construction teams, architects, materials, timelines, and permits. She adds that doing payroll posed a challenge, as she knew how to do it in Mexico really well, but it was different in Canada. ‘So, learning everything from scratch was really difficult,” she says.

Fortunately, Eugenia has the strength of franchising and the Scholars head office team to support her. She praises Scholars for reacting quickly to the COVID-19 pandemic and migrating to the online platform that she was trained on and could use following her franchise’s grand opening, which occurred during closures from the second wave.

Eugenia’s biggest advice for anyone looking to join the franchising community is to “Do research and know your numbers. You should be aware that you need to have enough money to survive until the business is successful.”

“Canada has been so nice to me and we’ve had such a nice experience,” adds Eugenia. “[Scholars] connects me to Canadians in a way I don’t think I could get any other way. This is a way to help and give back.”

Franchise Canada March | April 2021 31

5 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW WHEN HIRING FOR YOUR FRANCHISE Franchise Canada explores tips and advice to help you hire star employees for your franchise

BY STEFANIE UCCI

A

s a franchisee, you’re responsible for the hiring of all staff members in your franchise.

These employees will represent your brand and interact with customers every day, so it’s important that you onboard people who are an ideal fit for your team.

While skills and qualifications are the first step to the hiring process, you should look beyond those to consider the candidate’s personality and performance. You should also examine where you want to post your job openings to ensure you attract the right candidates, and keep in mind that you always have your franchisor and fellow franchisees as support. Throughout the hiring process, you should consider how a candidate will work with your existing staff and customers, and you can get the second opinion of a colleague before onboarding a new employee.

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Here, Franchise Canada explores five tips that you should know when hiring for your franchise.

1. BRAINSTORM REALISTIC QUALITIES AND SKILLS FOR YOUR IDEAL CANDIDATE There are many qualifications that you’ll be looking for when you hire team members. When thinking about who would make the ideal candidate for a position, it’s important to think beyond the job title and responsibilities.

You should consider what type of skills, qualifications, and personality traits you’re looking for. But keep in mind that there’s more to a candidate than just the skills and experience written on their résumé, and you’ll find out more about their personality during the first phone call or interview.

For example, for management positions, you may want a motivating leader who’s also a team player that can

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5 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW WHEN HIRING FOR YOUR FRANCHISE positively influence and inspire other staff. For customerfacing positions, you could look for a social personality who isn’t afraid to approach customers and strike up a conversation to make a sale. Some positions may require staff to be able to work independently or as part of a team.

You should also think about your skills in reading people from a first impression. Ask yourself whether you’re able to gauge whether a stranger will be a good or bad addition to your team. The first interview will allow your candidates to delve into their personal skills and qualifications, but it also gives you a chance to see how they interact with people, their general demeanour, and if they talk about themselves with passion and can represent your brand well.

2. DIVERSIFY YOUR JOB POSTING PROCESS Today, most jobs are posted online to a variety of websites, which helps promote postings to a wider range of candidates. However, this may overwhelm you with many applications that can take a while to sort through.

The key is to post your job openings on websites that ensure you receive applications from the most suitable candidates. You should also tailor the description, duties, and qualifications to include the technical

and experience-based skills that you’re looking for, to ensure that you’re getting applications from those who are most qualified.

You can also consider participating in job fairs but should keep in mind that you’ll need to do adequate promotion beforehand in order to ensure that your target candidates will show up.

When hiring for your franchise, you can ask friends and family for referrals. They may know young students looking for a part-time job or adults looking for a new management position, and are likely to recommend hard-working and reliable people to help support you in your new endeavour. Once your franchise is up and running, you can then ask your best employees to recommend candidates for open positions. As a star employee, they probably know people similar in personality and work ethic and will know what type of person would help your business thrive.

As for social media, you’ll likely use it for the marketing and advertising of your franchise. It’s also a great place to post job openings to prospective candidates.

Since your followers will include some loyal customers, you can reach a network of interested applicants who know your brand.

A franchise opportunity for home and life Pillar To Post offers the opportunity for you to create a business, a career, and the life you want for yourself and your family. With a low initial investment and excellent revenue potential, a Pillar To Post franchise could be one of the best decisions you’ll ever make. Our franchise owners enjoy a great work-life balance and the power of the most recognized brand in the home inspection industry.

franchise@pillartopost.com

877-963-3129 pillartopostfranchise.com

Each office is independently owned and operated.

Franchise Canada March | April 2021 33

5 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW WHEN HIRING FOR YOUR FRANCHISE 3. DON’T BE AFRAID TO CONSULT YOUR FRANCHISOR AND FELLOW FRANCHISEES As a franchisee, you go into business for yourself, but not by yourself, and consistently have the support of your franchisor behind you. If you’re stumped about what to include in a job description or what skills and qualifications to look for in candidates, consider reaching out to your franchisor for help. After all, they built the brand and know what type of person they want to represent it, plus they’ve likely seen hundreds of employees from various stores and know what work experience and personality works best. Your franchisor may also have job description templates that they can offer to help get you started in the hiring process.

You can also contact fellow franchisees, some of whom have likely hired dozens of people during their franchising careers. They’ve hired for the exact same positions and know what qualities made for the best candidates.

They may have also learned from hiring mistakes and can offer advice for you to avoid making the same errors.

While you can reach out to any franchisee in the system, you should also meet with owners in nearby territories.

They could have recommendations for employees who are looking to move closer to your franchise location, or

34 Canadian Franchise Association

can offer referrals from their star employees for friends or peers looking for job in your area.

4. CREATE A TWO-STEP HIRING PROCESS DURING INTERVIEWS After posting the job and drumming up applications, it’s time to sort through the résumés and narrow it down to a short list of applicants to interview. Your first interview will allow your candidates to shine a spotlight on their skills and experience, while also giving you a feeling for their personality and cultural fit with your franchise.

During the interview process, you’ll likely narrow down your short list once more to a small group of candidates who you think would thrive in the position.

However, before you decide to pick an individual, you might want to consider a two-step hiring process to get the opinion of another staff member. This will eliminate any biases you may have and allow you to discuss the pros and cons of each candidate together.

During this second interview, you and your teammate can sit down and ask deeper questions to candidates you’re seriously interested in. You can also consider having one person lead the interview while the second person focuses on the candidate’s body language to

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5 THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW WHEN HIRING FOR YOUR FRANCHISE determine how confident they are in their responses to different questions.

As always, references can also shine a light on candidates and can provide additional information about the person from a former supervisor’s perspective. They can tell you about the person’s work ethic and personality. One of the most important questions you should ask a reference is, “If you had the opportunity to hire this person again, would you?” The answer should always be a resounding “yes!”

5. EXAMINE CANDIDATES THROUGH THE LENS OF A CUSTOMER While the focus during the interview process should be on whether a candidate will be a good fit within your team, you should also consider their skills and personality through the perspective of a customer. After all, the new hire will consistently represent your brand while on the clock, and you need to consider how they will interact with consumers.

Everyone within the franchise system contributes to the customer experience, so it’s important that each person has the skills and knowledge it takes to create a good one. If the candidate seems timid and shy during your

interview, it’s possible they will be the same way when approaching and interacting with customers. Someone with a bubbly and outgoing personality during the interview will probably also be that way when greeting and serving customers. Having years of customer service experience doesn’t necessarily mean they have the gogetter skills it takes to close a sale and create satisfied and loyal customers.

Happy customers will share positive feedback with friends, family, and colleagues. However, unhappy customers may share negative feedback with their network or could turn to the internet and social media to express their concerns.

You should consider what customer experience each candidate seems likely to create and use reference checks to verify their skills. Also keep in mind that some individuals can be trained to develop their skills over time, so a candidate with minimal customer service experience but an ambitious attitude can grow into a star employee for your franchise.

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All Wrapped Up

Franchise Canada explores flavour-packed burritos, pitas, and wraps that are served in franchises across Canada If you’re craving a quick and healthy meal, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? For some, it may be a simple, handheld option such as a burrito, pita, or wrap that’s stuffed with flavourful ingredients from countries all around the world.

Enjoying a tasty and nutritious meal all wrapped up into one menu item is certainly a unique and fun way of fuelling your body. It’s easy to see why these meals are becoming more popular for customers who enjoy a wide variety of customizable ingredients options, or for busy Canadians in search of a quick and easy meal rolled into a convenient package.

Here, Franchise Canada takes you on a trip across the country as we explore franchises that are serving up burritos, pitas, and wraps to hungry Canadians on the go.

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www.cfa.ca | www.FranchiseCanada.Online

ALL WRAPPED UP

FAT BASTARD BURRITO CO. Fat Bastard Burrito Co. is a 100 per cent Canadian concept that focuses on serving fresh, great tasting, and clean healthy food. Their menu features a wide range of unique flavours for their burritos, burrito bowls, quesadillas, and tacos, making them stand out from their competitors in both taste and quality.

More than 62 per cent of Fat Bastard Burrito Co. stores are owned by multi-unit franchisees, showing a true testament to the strength of their business model. Franchisees can enter with a low-cost level of investment and strong support from the brand to assist owner-operators in the success of their store. Fat Bastard Burrito Co. was ranked in the top 150 Restaurant Brands in Canada.

Franchise units in Canada: 54 Franchise fee: $20K Start-up capital required: $75K Investment required: $250K-$325K Training: Yes In business since: 2009 Franchising since: 2012 CFA member since: 2013

GLOBALLY LOCAL Globally Local is a plant-based technology company that's changing fast food. They offer a fully vegan menu that includes the ChickUN Caesar Wrap, ChickUN Souvlaki pita, classic Greek Gyro wrap, and a Southwest Scramble breakfast wrap.

Franchisees of Globally Local join a successful and in-demand brand that is in growth mode, and that strives to create profit for their franchise partners. The brand was first founded in 2014, and then launched a food truck and their first brick-and-mortar location in 2016, followed by the world’s first 24-hour vegan drive-thru in 2017. Since then, they have opened a store in Toronto in 2019, their first franchised location in Windsor in 2020, and have announced two new stores in Vaughan and Toronto for early 2021.

Globally Local is seeking franchise partners across Canada.

Franchise units in Canada: 1 Corporate units in Canada: 4 (2 under development) Franchise fee: $35K Start-up capital required: Min. $100K Investment required: Approx. $300K-$500K Available territories: Upon request In business since: 2014 Franchising since: 2019 CFA member since: 2020

HABANEROS MODERN TACO BAR At Habaneros Modern Taco Bar, they’re modern with a twist. Their chefinspired menu puts a new spin on old favourites including burritos and burrito bowls that can be filled with their barbecue pulled pork, spiced fajita chicken, or spiced ground beef. Their guilt-free grub is healthy, house-made food that you can feel good about.

Franchisees with Habaneros Modern Taco Bar are offered a unique opportunity that provides a proven operating method based on years of experience from their founder, chef Bill Pratt. His 27 years of experience in the food industry offers franchisees solid management, initial and ongoing training, and empowerment through support, passion, and hard work.

Franchise units in Canada: 2 Corporate units in Canada: 6 Franchise fee: $35K (Combination Cheese Curds/Habaneros) Start-up capital required: $150K Investment required: $475K-$650K Training: Yes Available territories: All of Canada In business since: 2012 Franchising since: 2016 CFA member since: 2016

Franchise Canada March | April 2021 37

ALL WRAPPED UP

MCDONALD’S

MR. GREEK

NAKOS GREEK GRILL

Since McDonald’s has always been a franchising-based company, the brand relies on its many franchisees to play a role in their success, remaining committed to franchising as their business plan. Ideal franchisees are those who are highly qualified with significant business experience and financial resources, and who have successfully owned or managed multiple business units or departments.

MR. GREEK is an award-winning Greek restaurant with a true fast-casual concept that offers food prepared to order. Their menu includes Perfect Pitas® that are wrapped around your choice of chicken or pork souvlaki, traditional or chicken gyro, falafel, or vegetables, as well as chicken Greek or chicken Caesar wraps.

Nakos Greek Grill is a fast-casual, quick service restaurant that’s inspired by Greek street food kiosks found throughout Greece. They serve street-style food in the traditional and authentic way, with recipes that were passed down from generation to generation. Their home-cooked menu features smaller-sized pork or chicken souvlaki and gyros that are wrapped in pitas and stuffed with French fries, tzatziki, onions, and tomatoes.

Franchise units in Canada: 1,400+ Franchise fee: $45K Investment required: $700K unencumbered funds Training: 9-18 months Available territories: All of Canada In business since: 1967 Franchising since: 1968 CFA member since: 1976

As a franchisee with MR. GREEK, you’re offered five different streams of revenue: dine-in, takeout, delivery, online ordering, and catering. With a track record of more than 31 years, MR. GREEK has an established brand name that helps leverage franchisees’ success, on top of the hands-on leadership team, comprehensive training, dedicated marketing team, and ongoing support from head office.

Franchise units in Canada: 17, International: 1 Franchise fee: $35K Start-up capital required: Starting from $150K Investment required: Retro: $300K, New: $450K Training: 6-8 weeks training, ongoing support Available territories: All of Canada, International In business since: 1988 Franchising since: 1993 CFA member since: 1997

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www.cfa.ca | www.FranchiseCanada.Online

Franchisees with Nakos Greek Grill join a brand that places emphasis on authentic ingredients, preparation, and presentation. The “souvlatzidiko” style restaurant features a walk-up window that serves up traditional Greek dishes sprinkled with flavours from Southern Greece.

Corporate units in Canada: 1 Available territories: All of Canada, US CFA member since: 2018

ALL WRAPPED UP

OPA! OF GREECE

OSMOW'S

PITA LAND

OPA! of Greece is Canada’s largest and fastest-growing quick service Greek restaurant brand. They began with a single location in Calgary back in 1998, and today have more than 100 locations across Canada. The OPA! experience combines friendly customer service with fresh and healthy Mediterranean cuisine, offering items including pitas stuffed with chicken, beef, falafel, lamb, gyro, shrimp, or vegetables, or served with a side of hummus or tzatziki.

Osmow’s is one of North America’s fastest-growing quick service restaurant chains that opened its doors back in 2001. The modern Mediterranean menu features pita wraps filled with chicken, beef, lamb, Beyond Meat™, or vegetable shawarma, falafel, and beef kofta, among many more specialty items.

At Pita Land, hungry customers are offered a healthier alternative to fast food. Since 2003, they have provided fresh, high-quality, and tasty Middle Eastern street food including items such as chicken or beef shawarma, falafel, gyro, souvlaki, and chicken or beef kebab loaded into pita wraps, as well as their unique chicken Pitabox, among much more.

Franchisees with OPA! of Greece can open a food court or street front location and are offered a franchise support system every step of the way.

That consists of store setup, product development, training, operations, procurements and supply chain, and marketing.

Franchise units in Canada: 100 Franchise fee: $25K Start-up capital required: $125K-$200K Investment required: $340K-$450K Training: Yes Available territories: All of Canada In business since: 1998 Franchising since: 2001 CFA member since: 2010

At Osmow’s, the dedicated and hardworking franchisees and employees have contributed to the brand’s success, and many employees have converted to franchisees, while several franchisees own more than one location due to their success. Head office supports their franchisees in all aspects of their operations through an extensive range of services provided

by Osmow’s Inc. and their dedicated team of professionals.

Franchise units in Canada: 106 Corporate units in Canada: 3 Investment required: $375K-$425K Training: 2 weeks In business since: 2001 Franchising since: 2009 CFA member since: 2018

Franchisees looking for a fresh franchise opportunity can join forces with Pita Land to profit from the mega-movement to healthier fast-food choices. Stores are located in food courts, hospitals, malls, plazas, and street fronts, and franchisees can look forward to seeing familiar and friendly customers daily.

Franchise units in Canada: 30 Franchise fee: $25K Start-up capital required: $212.8K-$388K Training: 240 hours (6 weeks) Available territories: BC, MB, SK, ON, QC, NB, NS, YT, NU, NT, NL In business since: 2003 Franchising since: 2007 CFA member since: 2011

Franchise Canada March | April 2021 39

ALL WRAPPED UP

PITA PIT

PRAIRIE DONAIR

Pita Pit is the future of fast casual food service, offering fun and fresh food that pairs well with healthy and active lifestyles. The brand has more than 530 locations worldwide and is poised for explosive growth. They specialize in creating healthy and tasty pitas and rice bowls filled with customizable toppings including smoky barbecue beef brisket, chicken souvlaki or shawarma, falafel, halloumi, and gyro, among so much more.

Prairie Donair® is a rapidly growing franchise with locations opening up across the country. They specialize in unique custom donairs unlike the world has ever seen! Donair dishes include the Traditional, P.D. East Coast, Canadian Maple, Spicy P.D. Signature, and more.

Ideal Pita Pit franchisees are fun and motivated hands-on operators who share their excitement for the brand and have a hunger for success.

Franchisees benefit from a proven system that’s been fine-tuned for more than a dozen years, with abundant support and training to ensure success.

Franchise units in Canada: 230, US: 139, International: 145 Corporate units in Canada: 3, US: 6, International: 10 Franchise fee: $20K Start-up capital required: $120K Investment required: $291K-$365K Training: Yes Available territories: All of Canada, US, International In business since: 1995 Franchising since: 1997 CFA member since: 2010

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With a solid franchise support system, low upfront capital costs and delicious food, Prairie Donair® has the ingredients to become the fastest growing and successful franchise in Canada. Stake your claim in the next big thing to hit the fast casual dining food sector today.

Franchise units in Canada: 26 Franchise fee: $20K Start-up capital required: $45K Investment required: $190K Training: 3 weeks Available territories: All of Canada In business since: 2010 Franchising since: 2016 CFA member since: 2019

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QUESADA BURRITOS & TACOS Quesada operates with the goal of bringing The Joy of Mex to hungry customers across their more than 145 locations in Canada. Their menu offers burritos and burrito bowls that customers can fully customize with meat fillings including chile lime fish, spicy chicken, ancho pork, beef barbacoa, ground beef, and beyond meat, among many more vegetable and sauce toppings.

Quesada is dedicated to building a franchise partnership and offers an affordable entry cost, proven business model, and hands-on franchisee support. This includes site selection, lease negotiation, and restaurant design expertise, operational and management training, advertising and promotional support, and systems to build sales while reducing operating costs to increase profits.

Franchise units in Canada: 146 Corporate units in Canada: 3 Franchise fee: $30K Start-up capital required: $105K Investment required: $285K Training: 3 weeks Available territories: All of Canada In business since: 2004 Franchising since: 2010 CFA member since: 2010

ALL WRAPPED UP

STREATS KITCHEN

TACO BELL

TIM HORTONS

strEATS Kitchen is a trendy, fastcasual restaurant that serves streetinspired food with flavours from around the world. Their menu includes burritos filled with crispy, plain, or buffalo chicken, pork, fish, beef, or a veggie garden burrito with a variety of fresh toppings.

The Taco Bell brand was introduced to Canada in 1979 with their first location in Ontario, and today has grown to more than 168 units in eight provinces. Taco Bell, the world’s largest Mexican-inspired quick service restaurant brand, serves customizable and made-to-order burritos, tacos, and specialty items.

Tim Hortons offers high-quality, freshly baked goods in their thousands of locations across Canada and in the north central United States. While known for their coffee, donuts, and baked goods, the franchise also offers a variety of lunch items including the chicken Caesar, chicken bacon ranch, chipotle cheddar chicken, and classic chicken wraps.

The brand opened its first restaurant in Calgary in 2017, but their franchising expertise dates back to 1985 when they launched Joey’s Seafood Restaurants. Today, strEATS Kitchen operates 14 restaurants across four provinces. Franchisees with strEATS Kitchen are offered a hands-on approach that provides a three-week training program, ongoing operational expertise and oversight, innovative marketing programs, comprehensive purchasing agreements, above average return on investment, and much more.

Franchise units in Canada: 5 Corporate units in Canada: 2 Franchise fee: $25K Investment required: $331.25K-$520K Training: 3 weeks training provided Available territories: AB, BC, MB, SK, ON, NB, NS, NL In business since: 2017 Franchising since: 2018 CFA member since: 2019

The franchise system offers support in three primary areas: establishing key contacts, building the restaurant, and getting set up for success.

Franchise units in Canada: 168 Franchise fee: $53.4K USD (payable in CAD, adjusted by CPI annually) Start-up capital required: $1.5M USD personal net worth; $750K USD personal liquidity Investment required: $1,045,702$1,494,298 CAD Training: 4-6 weeks Available territories: All of Canada, US In business since: 1979 Franchising since: 1979 CFA member since: 2019

Franchising with Tim Hortons means joining a brand that’s a household name across the country and offers benefits including a six-step process to become a franchisee. These steps include a discovery call and background screening, operations interviews, two restaurant experience days, and a senior leadership team interview to ensure the franchisee is a perfect fit.

Franchise units in Canada: 3,665, US: 869, International: 69 Corporate units in Canada: 15 Franchise fee: $50K Investment required: $300K unencumbered funds Available territories: US In business since: 1964 Franchising since: 1964 CFA member since: 1993

Franchise Canada March | April 2021 41

ALL WRAPPED UP

Franchising in the quick service restaurant industry is an excellent way to provide quick and delicious meals to customers, and opting for a franchise that serves burritos, pitas, or wraps can help hungry Canadians who are looking for an easy meal on the go. Consider these statistics about burrito, pita, and wrap consumption that make these sectors an excellent choice for prospective franchisees.

TWISTED INDIAN WRAPS

Increase in consumption each year:

Average price of each dish:

Number of dishes available across all restaurant menus:

13.63%

$8.11

1,002,471

15.66%

$10.90

467,018

19.68%

$9.20

1,669,681

Burritos

Twisted Indian Wraps is a fast-casual concept that provides made-to-order items assembled in front of guests.

Their menu features a modern Indian cooking style that focuses on authentic taste served in a unique and approachable format. Menu items include roti-wraps and naan-wraps filled with rice, protein, and a choice of toppings, as well as vegan options.

Pitas

Wraps

The Twisted Indian Wraps concept is “Exceptional Indian Flavour prepared slowly, served fast.” Franchisees are supported through site selection, lease negotiation, construction, training, marketing, design, and ongoing operations. They also benefit from recipes that are created in a manner which doesn’t require franchisees to have a chef or cook in the kitchen, featuring meats that are marinated overnight.

Franchise units in Canada: 10 Corporate units in Canada: 2 Franchise fee: $25K Start-up capital required: $150K unencumbered cash Investment required: $275K-$300K Training: 3 weeks in Barrie, ON Available territories: All of Canada, US, International In business since: 2015 Franchising since: 2018 CFA member since: 2017

Top meat ingredient pairings with burritos:

Top vegetable pairings with pitas:

Top ingredient pairings with wraps:

• Chicken • Steak • Sausage • Beef • Bacon

1. Hummus 2. Tomatoes 3. Greens 4. Onions 5. Olives

1. Meat 2. Bread 3. Seafood 4. Salad 5. Eggs

Average number of burrito dishes on menus:

9.75

36.75%

of restaurants serve wraps as a menu item

Cuisine that offers the most pita dishes:

Mediterranean

References: Tastewise www.tastewise.io/foodtrends/burrito, www.tastewise.io/foodtrends/pita, www.tastewise.io/foodtrends/wrap

42 Canadian Franchise Association

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is pleased to present

a Special Franchise Focus on

FRANCHISE SUPPORT SERVICES/ SUPPLIERS

Franchise Canada March | April 2021 43

SPECIAL FOCUS

SUPPORT FOR YOUR FRANCHISE

Join Franchise Canada as we explore the many franchise support services/suppliers that help foster franchise success

T

here are many players involved in running a franchise. From the supportive and knowledgeable franchisor to the eager and involved franchisees leading their motivated staff, these individuals work together daily to make the business thrive.

Behind the scenes, you’ll find a variety of franchise support services and suppliers (FSS), who provide specialized guidance and knowledge to help franchisors and franchisees succeed.

The Canadian Franchise Association has a large membership of FSS members in nearly 20 categories, which is comprised of franchise professionals with the specific know-how to provide support and services in a variety of areas.

Support services, such as franchise lawyers, bankers, accountants, consultants, etc., are essential as prospective franchisees navigate the due diligence process.

They play a pivotal role in helping to determine the right franchise fit, in assessing finances, in accessing financial programs, in reviewing the franchise agreement and disclosure document, and more.

44 Canadian Franchise Association

Once you’re on board, one of the many perks of becoming a business owner through franchising is the assurance and peace of mind that your franchisor has chosen supplies, equipment, products, and services that meet their high standards and can help you successfully run your business. These approved suppliers benefit the entire franchise system, which helps to ensure that customers receive consistent products and experiences at any franchise location they visit.

In this Special Franchise Focus, you’ll discover support services across many category areas that can help franchisees throughout their franchise journeys. These include banks and financial services; payroll and HR services; insurance companies; education, training, and coaching; accountants and bookkeeping; franchise consulting services; and many more.

Read on to learn more about how franchise support services and suppliers help franchisees across the country!

www.cfa.ca | www.FranchiseCanada.Online

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All other marks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

SPECIAL FOCUS FRANCHISE SUPPORT SERVICES/SUPPLIER MEMBER CATEGORIES WITHIN THE CANADIAN FRANCHISE ASSOCIATION (CFA): Accountants/Bookkeeping: have the knowledge and expertise in the franchising industry to review disclosure documents and help prospective franchisees determine their net worth, assets, and obligations. Franchise accountants can also be used once the franchise is up and running for services including bookkeeping, tax compliance, payroll processing, and preparing financial statements.

Advertising/Graphics: create marketing campaigns and digital or print graphics, signs, posters, images, and more to help drive attention and promotion to the brand.

Banks/Financial Services: help franchisees access additional funds to invest in their business if their net worth and available money isn’t sufficient. A franchise banker can help prospective franchisees determine the best banking services and will review their business plan, finances, and assets.

Business Aids & Services: can provide a variety of services to protect the brand and contribute to the longevity of success including equipment, telecommunications, quality control, and more.

Computer/Software/Internet: offer computer-based systems to provide services such as userfriendly apps, customer engagement, franchise management, and more.

Digital Marketing/Website Development: help build a franchise marketing strategy to assist in the outreach and engagement of customers.

46 Canadian Franchise Association

Education/Training/Coaching: provide prospective franchisees and current franchisees with additional knowledge and skills to help drive the success of their business.

Executive Search: improve the hiring process to onboard franchise partners with growth and success potential.

Franchise Consulting Services: can help with identifying prospective franchisees’ unique skills, talents, and work experience to find the right franchise opportunity.

Franchise consultants can also ensure that prospective franchise buyers proceed through the due diligence process with the right information and at the right pace.

Franchise Development & Construction: assist in growing franchise systems through lead generation for franchise sales and help with the contracting and construction of new franchises.

General Contractor & Design Services: specialize in the retail, commercial, and industrial construction and design of franchises.

Health/Safety/Environmental: provide expertise and resources to protect all employees in the workplace.

Insurance: help prepare for unexpected events or situations that can cause damage to franchised businesses. Franchise insurance brokers can put together comprehensive packages that meet the individual needs of a business, including putting a risk management plan into place.

www.cfa.ca | www.FranchiseCanada.Online

Lawyers: ensure that all legal information has been disclosed by the franchisor, and can help prospective franchisees understand the legal documentation involved in the franchise agreement and disclosure document. Franchise lawyers can also review any contracts and agreements, looking out for areas of negotiation and irregularities.

Marketing: create marketing campaigns to increase outreach to customers, employees, and franchise partners.

Payroll/HR Services: provide payroll calculations and tax statements to ensure all employees are paid correctly and on time. HR services manage employee paycheques; taxes; sick time and vacation time; benefits such as health, medical, and life insurance; and the recruiting, hiring, and termination process.

Printers/Publishers/ Publications: produce signage, displays, large format materials, bindery, mail services, web-to-print, and more.

Public Relations: generate media coverage for franchise brands to increase growth and brand reputation.

Recruiters: assist with searching, reviewing, and recruiting prospective franchisee candidates, as well as leaders to best represent the franchise brand.

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SPECIAL FOCUS FRANCHISE SUPPORT SERVICES THAT CAN ASSIST PROSPECTIVE FRANCHISEES:

WHY SHOULD YOU WORK WITH FRANCHISE SUPPORT SERVICES/ SUPPLIERS?

•F ranchise Consultants: can help identify a franchise that suits them best •F ranchise Accountants: that are well informed about franchising can help determine how much money they can invest •F ranchise Bankers: with franchise financing knowledge can help select banking products and services to secure money to invest •F ranchise Lawyers: can guide franchisees through the franchise disclosure document process •F ranchise Insurance Specialists: can assist in creating an insurance package to protect the franchised business from unexpected events or situations

Franchise support services play a key role in your business before you even sign the franchise agreement.

These professionals with expertise specific to franchising can help ensure you’ve completed the proper due diligence so you can make the best possible investment decision. Once you’ve signed the franchise agreement, approved suppliers benefit the entire franchise system by providing consistent products, services, and experiences for franchisees and their customers. This consistency is vital to maintaining the brand’s reputation and keeping your customer base coming back for the same reliable and efficient service they receive at every location. Plus, using suppliers approved by your franchisor ensures that you don’t have to spend your own time and resources finding suppliers for your business.

48 Canadian Franchise Association

www.cfa.ca | www.FranchiseCanada.Online

SEEKING A LIQUIDITY EVENT AS A FRANCHISOR? Diversified Royalty Corp. allows you to retain 100% control of your business Several of Canada’s largest and most successful franchisors have realized the benefits of the royalty model.

An alternative to private equity financing, the royalty model was custom-made for high quality franchisors seeking a material liquidity event.

Sean Morrison | sean@diversifiedroyaltycorp.com Greg Gutmanis | greg@diversifiedroyaltycorp.com 604.235.3146

www.diversifiedroyaltycorp.com

SPECIAL FOCUS WHAT DO FRANCHISE SUPPORT SERVICES/ SUPPLIERS DO? FSS suppliers operate with the mission to provide specialized guidance and knowledge to franchisors and franchisees that helps their business succeed. From franchise consultants who help pick out the perfect franchise fit for franchisees to franchise lawyers who can review and navigate the complex legal matters in franchising, their support services help franchise brands from coast to coast across Canada.

HOW CAN FRANCHISE SUPPORT SERVICES/ SUPPLIERS HELP YOUR FRANCHISE?

HOW CAN YOU FIND THE RIGHT FRANCHISE SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS?

As a franchisee, your franchisor should already have a list of approved service and supply providers who meet their exceptionally high standards for the entire franchise system. The support services will vary between franchise systems depending on the brand’s needs and offerings. You’ll have access to a variety of suppliers who may provide discounted prices on equipment, products, and services, and can offer additional training and support in your franchise.

Whether you’re looking for a franchise professional who’s a fully versed consultant, accountant, banker, lawyer, or insurance specialist, it’s important that you pick someone who knows the ins and outs of Canadian franchising.

Consider using the CFA’s online Member Directory that features FSS members in nearly 20 sectors and specialties. These members have the expertise to help support franchisors and franchisees across Canada.

Check out the CFA Member Directory at cfa.ca/supplier-directory/

A lack of uniformity can diminish the value of your brand.

Ensure a consistent customer experience throughout your franchises.

AC Corporate Training can create a custom learning solution designed to your specific needs.

Take the first step: training@algonquincollege.com AC Corporate Training is an affiliate of Algonquin College

50 Canadian Franchise Association

www.cfa.ca | www.FranchiseCanada.Online

The path ahead

Business models and technologies have been transformed under the new global reality. And that means opportunities abound. Be prepared for what comes next, with customized strategies to help guide your way forward.

Rick Chittley-Young, CPA, CA | 289.293.2400 | rick.chittley@mnp.ca MNP.ca

SPECIAL FOCUS

CHECK OUT FRANCHISE CANADA’S LEARNING VIDEOS! NEW VIDEOS ADDED EVERY WEEK!

Support Services for Franchise Investors While going through the purchase process as a prospective franchisee, it’s important that you enlist the help of support services. These five franchise professionals can provide you with the information and guidance you need to make the right franchise decisions.

Meet Your Franchise Match It’s important to complete the proper due diligence process to ensure your future success as a franchisee. Explore these five tips that can help you prepare for your first meeting with the franchise team as part of the franchise discovery day.

Franchise Due Diligence The franchise business model is built on contracts and other documents that create a mutually rewarding relationship between the franchisor and franchisees. Carrying out the proper due diligence can be a complex process, but luckily there’s professional support to guide you along the way.

3 Ways to Find the Right Franchise Fit With hundreds of franchise brands to choose from in Canada, you now have more options than ever, creating questions that you need to answer before making a decision. Consider these three items you can complete to help find the perfect franchise system for your goals and passions.

Visit the “Watch” tab on FranchiseCanada.Online to view more Franchise Canada TV videos!

52 Canadian Franchise Association

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HOME-GROWN & LOCALLY-OWNED

100% CANADIAN FRANCHISE SYSTEMS

Franchise systems find success through a team effort; everyone should follow the same script at the same time. But as with any team, a few players excel. For the systems profiled here, their entrepreneurial and all-Canadian founders certainly stand out.

BY DAVID CHILTON SAGGERS

Konz Pizza...in a Cone®

Franchise units in Canada: 12 Corporate units in Canada: 1 Franchise fee: $25K In business since: 2013 Franchising since: 2015 CFA member since: 2020 To learn more, visit www.LookforaFranchise.ca

Whether it’s round, rectangular, or a triangle, the world’s favourite food – pizza – is something you can buy everywhere. But now those traditional shapes have a competitor: pizza in a cone from Konz Pizza®.

Kris Lawrie, founder of Konz, opened his first location in Kelowna, B.C. in 2014 and in 2016, the first franchise opened for business in Edmonton, Alberta. There are now six stores operating in the system, with seven new locations due to open by March 2021 (four in Ontario, one in Manitoba, and two in Saskatchewan), and a further seven locations to be opened by summer of this year. These are areas where the company plans major expansion, and he’s also looking further afield – specifically to the U.K., where Lawrie, a Canadian, worked as a chef for a number of years.

Lawrie says he looks for two attributes in a potential franchisee: experience in the hospitality business and the ability to get along with others. “We need to know we can work with you and you can work with us; it’s [about] being part of a team.”

Konz franchisees are a diverse group, comprised of men and women of all ages and experience. Training takes three weeks in the store closest to where the

new franchisee intends to open. The cost of a franchise ranges from $230,000 to $250,000, and although Konz has food trucks, the typical sweet spot for a food court turnkey store is 1,000 to 1,200 square feet. The Konz target market is broad, with a menu that appeals to a wide range of consumers.

Two store builds have been delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, says Lawrie. When the first wave of the infection hit, “it really shut things down, and the SeptemberOctober second wave created more problems.” However, Konz adjusted accordingly. “We’ve had an incredible year. [COVID-19] drove us to improve our takeout and delivery platforms.”

Lawrie says joining the Konz franchise offers numerous benefits, one of which is that the franchise family comes first. “It means a lot to us,” Lawrie says of supporting franchisees without dictating to them. Another benefit is that the proprietary concept of pizza in a cone means it’s not going head-to-head with traditional pizza restaurants. Konz locations also have lower build costs than traditional restaurants and most franchises.

Lawrie concludes, “With life moving ever faster, food choices must keep up.” And the unique concept of pizza in a cone does just that.

Franchise Canada March | April 2021 53

Starks Barber Company

Franchise units in Canada: 4 Corporate units in Canada: 2 Franchise fee: $25K Investment required: $300K-$375K Training: 2 days in classroom, 2 days in-store, and on-site/ongoing training Available territories: ON Franchising since: 2019 CFA member since: 2019 To learn more, visit www.LookforaFranchise.ca

Steve Tallis and Ryan McLaclan wanted more from the barbershops in their Markham, Ontario hometown. So, they decided to start a company to provide the sorts of haircuts that they wanted as young executives – and to take advantage of a great business opportunity.

That was in 2013, and by 2019, Starks Barber Company had four franchises in Southern Ontario, located in Toronto, Aurora, Stouffville, and Peterborough, with a fifth location scheduled to open this year. The Markham and Whitby locations are corporately owned.

As for expansion, there are a “bunch of no-brainer markets” available, Tallis says from his Toronto office: Toronto itself and suburban Mississauga, Oakville, and Vaughan. He says he wants to open 50 to 60 locations in the next 10 years.

Starks’ positioning puts it far from the old-fashioned barbershop and above what Tallis calls, “the budget brands.” The company also offers shaves, hair colouring, and clay mask facials. And a touch of cool. “We’re cool enough for the young kids, but not too cool for the established executive,” says Tallis about his customer base.

Further, every one of his street front locations offers customers Starks Gentlemen’s Supply, a made-in-Canada range of premium hair care products and toiletries, a membership plan, and a mobile app to book appointments. A location’s sweet spot is about 1,500 square feet, and seven

54 Canadian Franchise Association

barber chairs are optimal. A franchise costs $350,000 including construction expenses, and training lasts three days with Starks staff in-store during opening week.

Tallis says he looks for investors “who can dive right in and have fun while doing it.” But, he adds, franchisees will “work on the business, not in the business.” In other words, they don’t cut the customers’ hair. Instead, the two biggest haircutting schools in the Greater Toronto Area supply him with barbers, and others are hired via social media and online classified ads. His franchisees come from every industry, but they are all from the corporate sector and well-educated.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in March 2020, Starks was forced to temporarily shut down. But, Tallis explains, closure enhanced the company’s thinking. On Zoom, they offered free tips and tricks from their professional staff to anyone stuck at home who had to cut their own hair. “We got national public relations (coverage) from the program,” says Tallis.

As for the benefits of becoming a Starks’ franchise, Tallis lists three principal advantages: industry leadership, a business that’s easy to understand and evaluate, and the right amount of flexibility.

www.cfa.ca | www.FranchiseCanada.Online

Transition Squad Downsizing Services Franchise units in Canada: 1 Corporate units in Canada: 1 Franchise fee: $25K Start-up capital required: $45K-$50K Training: $2K Available territories: All of Canada In business since: 2006 Franchising since: 2014 CFA member since: 2019 To learn more, visit www.LookforaFranchise.ca

Transition Squad Auction House

Corporate units in Canada: 1 Franchise fee: $25K Start-up capital required: $45K-$50K Training: $2K Available territories: All of Canada In business since: 2012 Franchising since: 2019 CFA member since: 2019 To learn more, visit www.LookforaFranchise.ca

Viraf Baliwalla wears several hats at Transition Squad: founder, owner, and president. Transition Squad, as its name suggests, is all about change, specifically for seniors and family members settling an estate, but also includes others such as divorcees and those relocating, who have to downsize their homes’ contents.

Baliwalla began Transition Squad in 2006 as an essentially in-person estate sale business before realizing that there was an easier way to do things. So instead of coping with a large crowd coming to view a home’s contents and haggling over the price, Baliwalla moved his operations almost entirely online.

“We’ve created a local online marketplace where buyers compete for the sale items, which drives prices up,” he says, noting that Transition Squad can sell 70 to 90 per cent of the items on offer through their own online

auction platform. Unsold items are donated to women’s shelters for their clients who have suffered domestic violence or need to get a fresh start.

Clearly, this model helped moderate the effects of COVID-19 on his system. “Online shopping has seen a huge increase (during the pandemic),” he says. And now, Transition Squad also offers a Coupons and Deals Club free to local merchants to provide their buyer members new products and services to bid on while promoting local businesses.

Baliwalla’s Toronto location is corporate, and his first investor franchise is in the Durham Region, east of the city. “We’ve taken a ‘ready, aim, fire’ approach to franchising, with our first franchisee as a model to simplify and improve,” says Baliwalla, who began franchising in 2014.

However, his expansion plans are national and international. “We’re looking at scaling up across the country,” he says, noting that he also has an eye on the U.S. market. Transition Squad sells franchises by territory, each typically comprising 300,000 homes. But, Baliwalla points out, he won’t sell an adjacent franchise until that territory is making “decent money.”

Purchasing a Transition Squad franchise costs $25,000, and the system was charging $5,000 for on-site training, but due to COVID, new virtual training processes have been implemented, which reduce the time and training price to $2,000. Potential investors can stop after the training if they feel Transition Squad is not for them. Those who choose to continue then undergo a sixmonth evaluation before they become a franchisee.

More women than men consider this type of franchise, says Baliwalla, and are usually professionals between 35 and 45 years old who display the necessary people skills and empathy for their clients. In return, they benefit from a low cost of entry and a work-from-home business, says Baliwalla, with a simple system that, if followed, allows franchisees to start making money very quickly.

Franchise Canada March | April 2021 55

MILLENNIALS IN FRANCHISING

PUTTING THE “CAN” IN CANNABIS How millennial franchisee Jasper Ly started a successful Spiritleaf franchise during the challenges of 2020

BY KAREN STEVENS

O

ctober 17th, 2020 marked the two-year anniversary of cannabis legalization in Canada, and that same day was when Jasper Ly’s Spiritleaf location opened its doors to the public. Starting your own business is challenging enough but add a brand-new industry and a global pandemic to the mix, and you’ve got a unique situation that calls for extraordinary flexibility and persistence. At age 30, Ly is a confident millennial business owner whose ability to pivot and roll with whatever life throws at him is essential to his success.

Spiritleaf runs like a typical retail franchise system; however, as the product is recreational cannabis, the industry has some unique considerations. Ly says that the system stands out because they like to onboard local entrepreneurs to operate in their own communities. “They also have a really unique motto and culture, and their message is very positive; I think it ties in really well with cannabis culture.”

While Ly’s Scarborough, Ontario location has only had the doors open for a short time, this opportunity was years in the making. His journey from Ryerson Business School graduate to franchise owner was influenced by his experience working at a WATCH IT! franchise shortly after graduation. At first, he worked the retail side on the sales floor, but as time went on, he gained more responsibility and was soon managing a few corporate locations. From there, he expanded to working with other franchise partners in the network.

56 Canadian Franchise Association

www.cfa.ca | www.FranchiseCanada.Online

MILLENNIALS IN FRANCHISING

“WATCH IT introduced me to the world of franchising,” says Ly. “Being able to work with both a franchise owner and corporate showed me both sides of the coin. I got to see just how franchising can help someone become a business owner and support them.” During this time, he also staffed the booth at The Franchise Show where he was able to meet and network with franchisees from other systems.

With this foundational experience under his belt, Ly moved onto an operations manager position at Legoland. “It was great, and it taught me a lot, but I knew it wasn’t something that I wanted to do forever,” he recalls.

“That pushed me to go outside of my comfort zone to try and create my own success as a business owner.”

Nevertheless, Ly eagerly started construction— and then the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in Canada.

“Throwing a pandemic in there—another delay on top of regulations and the lottery process—that was a real challenge,” says Ly. “We just had to weather the storm.”

With construction halted, Ly worked on other facets of the business, such as marketing and getting everything lined up to resume construction right away. “I still tried to push the needle forward, so that when COVID19 eased off we could pick up where we left off and get right to it.” He also used that time to put measures in place such as barriers, hand sanitizer, and social distancing equipment to ensure a safe experience for his customers and staff.

A passion for franchising After he was introduced to the Spiritleaf concept, Ly quickly made the decision to become a franchisee. “I saw the [Spiritleaf] opportunity and I just thought, ‘Why not? Why don’t I take a chance on this?’ I’m familiar with the franchising business, and I have a passion for cannabis and entrepreneurship.”

Excited about his new business and joining the Spiritleaf team, Ly started putting everything in motion for his new store. However, even before the store opened, he had to overcome challenges surrounding the uncertainty of the new recreational cannabis industry. In order to get his operator’s licence, he had to go through the government’s lottery process. He applied twice unsuccessfully before he was awarded the licence in January 2020. Then he had to apply for the retail store authorization, which requires a built-out store location. “It was quite an investment and it’s quite risky to build out an entire store; you had to do that without even getting confirmation on your licensing,” recalls Ly.

Lock in your vision To withstand this uncertainty, Ly says it really helps to partner with the right people, especially if you’re a first-time business owner operating in such a constantly evolving industry. He was able to rely on the franchisor’s experience as he searched for a location, created the store design, and went through the licensing process. “Having someone to lean on—having that support and getting introduced into a network of other franchisees—was crucial,” says Ly. But the franchisor is only half of the partnership, as Ly also had to be resilient.

“Staying focused [and] locked into the vision, and just being able to pivot and adapt definitely helped me overcome all these early challenges.”

So, how does Ly’s experience as a business owner stack up to his previous franchise experience? “It’s been great. It’s been fun. It’s been exhilarating,” he describes.

“It’s been nerve wracking and it’s been full of growth; it’s been the highest of highs, and then the lowest lows, but every day you learn something new.”

Franchise Canada March | April 2021 57

MILLENNIALS IN FRANCHISING

“IF YOU’RE TRULY PASSIONATE ABOUT IT, THEN YOU JUST HAVE TO GO ALL IN. YOU HAVE TO BE FOCUSED, STAY THE COURSE, AND FIND THE RIGHT PARTNERSHIP.”

To keep up with this evolving industry, Ly stays in close contact with the franchisor and other franchisees in the network. The franchisor supports the franchisees with everything from regular emails to ongoing training to social media assets to in-person help with store openings. “The data that they provide is crucial,” says Ly. “They provide ongoing support with everything, whether it’s the pandemic or opening your store.”

Ly stays on top of the latest trends and developments in his industry by talking to his customers and learning which products they like. “I like to be very present at the store, I like listening to guests. Customers are the number one focus.” Beyond that, he reads the news and product reviews, while staying on top of new products coming to the market.

Learnings from a unique first year As his incredibly uncertain first year as a franchise owner comes to a close, Ly offers this advice for other millennials who want to become their own boss: “Above all, it’s about knowing what you want.” He says you should ask yourself if you’re passionate about entrepreneurship and being a business owner, and you should explore whether you want that responsibility. “All the

58 Canadian Franchise Association

victories and losses are up to you,” says Ly. “Do you enjoy that? Do you embrace that?”

Next, he says, make sure to do your research. Investigate the franchisor and explore the franchise model.

Also, spend some time speaking to current franchisees.

“If you’re truly passionate about it, then you just have to go all in. You have to be focused, stay the course, and find the right partnership,” says Ly. Once you’ve found that perfect franchise fit, “Just keep pushing forward, even though there are challenges and things in your way. You need to block out the noise and know what your vision is and what you want.”

According to Ly, being a young business owner is an advantage. “Sometimes people might not take you seriously because of your age, but I really think it’s been a huge benefit more than anything,” he says. “As a young business owner, you bring a different energy to the table. I think you should be taking bigger risks when you’re young because you have more time, you can fail, and you can fail forward and learn from it.”

SPIRITLEAF STATS Franchise units in Canada: 55 Corporate units in Canada: 13 Franchise fee: $25K Start-up capital required: $400K-$600K Investment required: $400K-$600K Training: One week at Calgary headquarters Available territories: AB, MB, ON, SK In business since: 2017 Franchising since: 2018 CFA member since: 2017 To learn more, visit www.LookforaFranchise.ca

www.cfa.ca | www.FranchiseCanada.Online

LEADERSHIP PROFILE

A LOVE FOR

LEARNING

Oxford Learning Centres president Lenka Whitehead shares the inspiring story of how she found more than tutoring services for her son at Oxford

BY ROMA IHNATOWYCZ

S

ometimes the stars align in the most unexpected of ways. When Lenka Whitehead signed her young son up for help at Oxford Learning Centres almost 30 years ago, little did she know she would set in motion a series of life-altering developments. Not only did that fateful decision help her son excel at school and go on to pursue a successful athletic career, but it also prompted Whitehead to join the company and help turn it into the powerful brand it is today.

The cherry on the cake? Whitehead also found love, eventually marrying Oxford Learning founder Nick Whitehead, and watching proudly as four of their combined children went on to join the company as adults.

One could say it’s been the perfect mix of personal and professional fulfilment.

“I’ve always loved business, and then when I discovered my passion for helping kids, I wanted to get involved,” says Whitehead, the company’s current president. “For me, my work with Oxford Learning is all about making a difference in the world and making a difference in how

kids learn. This is especially important to me because of the learning experience I had with my own son.”

Whitehead was a young woman with a successful real estate business when she first walked into the Oxford Learning Centre in London, Ontario, with her son in tow.

Impressed with its teaching methods, she signed him up for an assessment right away. To her surprise, the assessment showed that her son’s struggles in school were rooted in a condition called central auditory processing deficiency, or CAPD. For Whitehead, this news provided a welcome moment of clarity that allowed her to finally see a light at the end of the tunnel. “I learned he just had to be taught to listen in a different way and process information differently,” she says.

The program her son went on to take at Oxford helped him to develop the tools he needed to learn and listen more effectively. An Oxford expert also accompanied him to school to explain his CAPD to teachers and show them how it impacts his learning and how they could help.

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LEADERSHIP PROFILE

“My son went on to finish university with honours, play varsity sports, and become an elite athlete playing rugby for Canada,” says Whitehead, adding that he now owns five Oxford Learning Centres himself. “He wouldn’t have done any of that if it hadn’t been for Oxford. The difference was palpable – I get goosebumps just thinking about it.”

Addressing a need Oxford Learning was started in the ‘80s when Nick Whitehead, then researching new teaching and learning methods, discovered that not all children learned alike. While developing learning plans for First Nations children, it became increasingly clear to him that some learned differently from others and could benefit from acquiring better critical thinking skills.

Armed with this knowledge, Nick decided to launch an after-school counselling business that would help children develop better cognitive skills and teach them how to learn and study more effectively. In consultation with experts from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, he established the framework for Oxford Learning and opened his first centre in London, Ontario in 1984.

Nick opened the first Oxford Learning franchise in Burlington, Ontario in 1991. The decision to franchise set in motion a growth spurt that would see the company expand rapidly over the next two decades, often through word of mouth by happy, satisfied parents. At the time of writing, there are 127 Oxford Learning Centres spread out across seven provinces, with three more as of now set to open in 2021, as well as 25 locations in the U.S. (under the brand name GradePower Learning), and a handful more in Bermuda and the Middle East.

Lenka Whitehead’s involvement with the company was gradual, and initially involved handling the leasing

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for new locations through her real estate business. But the positive impact the cognitive development programs had on her son at the time made such an impression that in 1996, she decided to join the company full time.

“I discovered my passion for helping kids, and I wanted to bring my business experience to the equation to help raise awareness for the concept,” she says.

Whitehead went on to help build Oxford Learning into a significant Canadian franchise brand and a leader in the field of after-school tutoring. She now heads the entire operation – Nick retired four years ago – working with a staff of about 30 out of the company’s London head office, her children among them. Oxford’s success, she says, lies in the fact that its learning model combines thinking and cognitive skill development with academic teaching in traditional subjects like math, English, and science. With customized programs, students develop better learning skills, improve their reading comprehension and math skills through individualized instruction, and develop the study habits they need to excel scholastically.

The brand’s specialized programs cover age groups ranging from pre-schooler all the way through to the end of high-school level. College and university readiness programs will be released this year, as the pandemic created a gap in learning for students currently in high school.

“We need to help these young people get prepared for what they need to tackle next. They missed huge chunks of school over the past year and that will have a huge effect on how they manage their future,” says Whitehead.

Each centre has an in-house education director and/ or coordinator, as well as a group of instructors. Most are certified teachers, while the remainder are experts in their respective fields, with subject-relevant degrees.

Regardless of credentials, all instructors are trained in Oxford methodology, and the training is ongoing.

www.cfa.ca | www.FranchiseCanada.Online

LEADERSHIP PROFILE The most important credential Oxford Learning franchisees bring to the table, says Whitehead, is a genuine desire to help children, with a passion in their mission.

Most are women – often with an education background – and many have experience working at an existing Oxford Learning location. It’s that experience that usually leads them to buy their own franchise, something Whitehead views as a testament to the brand’s business success as well as its enjoyable work atmosphere.

Equally rewarding for Whitehead is the role the brand plays in helping women launch and build their own successful business.

of tutoring companies with the aim of working with the government to help bring students up to standard. Tutoring, she says, will gain an importance in the strange new world we live in, especially in the foreseeable future, and research shows there are inherent advantages to tutoring. She points to a recent piece in Scientific American, which outlines how tutoring adapts better to the virtual learning model than traditional multi-student online classes, yielding more promising outcomes.

For Whitehead, these are all positive indicators – not just for the future business potential of Oxford Learning, but for her own personal fulfilment in helping children bounce back scholastically and reach their highest potential.

COVID-19 consequences Like many franchise brands, Oxford Learning has not been immune to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic OXFORD LEARNING CENTRES STATS and the corresponding ramifications. Business slowed Franchise units in Canada: 127, US: 25, International: 3 significantly across all locations at the start of the out- Franchise fee: $40K + applicable taxes break last spring, but most centres are now experienc- Investment required: $103K-$267K + applicable taxes ing month-on-month growth. Whitehead sees sales Training: Pre-COVID-19: Two weeks at head office, with returning to normal levels by mid-year, barring any new, additional online training materials, webinars, manuals, unforeseen developments. and on-site training. Additional training: regional Most centres have successfully pivoted to the “new workshops, all franchise meeting/convention. All training normal,” introducing heightened cleaning protocols, and support is online during COVID and travel restrictions. social distancing, mask-wearing, and plexiglass barriers Available territories: All of Canada, US, International to their learning spaces. They also intensified their vir- In business since: 1984 tual learning component – moving around 50 per cent of Franchising since: 1991 their business online – and set up learning pods in their CFA member since: 1993 centres for small group learning to help parents strugTo learn more, visit www.LookforaFranchise.ca gling with teaching their children at home.

Supplemental education companies like Oxford Learning stand to play a pivotal role in the aftermath of the pandemic, says Whitehead, when children will find themselves facing the arduous uphill battle of catching up on the learning they missed during multiple lockdowns. For those with learning challenges, the impact could be catastrophic. “There is going to be a huge fallout in the next few years, with PROUD kids struggling more than BUSINESS ever,” Whitehead explains.

OWNER “Imagine what it will be Franchise with a business that provides a product that’s like for those children who essential to every day life – with a trusted franchisor. were already behind?”

Inquire today! COBSBread.com/franchising To address this looming concern, Whitehead is organizing a coalition

PEACE

OF MIND WITH A COBS BREAD BAKERY

Franchise Canada March | April 2021 61

A DAY IN THE LIFE

Putting Pets First

Pet Valu franchisee Kayla Orleck expands her lifelong passion for pets, community, and family dynamics

BY STEFANIE UCCI

F

or many Canadians, their pets are just like fam­ily and receive abundant love, care, food, and supplies from their pet parents. Brands like Pet Valu help provide the support, knowledge, and products needed while raising a furry friend. Franchisee Kayla Orleck opened her New Hamburg, Ontario franchise in May 2020 after growing up with the Pet Valu brand in her family. As the owner of a beta fish and a housetrained Lionhead rabbit named Malibu, she explains her passion for Pet Valu.

All in the family “I literally grew up in a Pet Valu store with my parents.

Between the two of them, they have four locations they operate in eastern Ontario: two in Cobourg, one in Port Hope, and one out in Haliburton,” says Orleck. “I watched them build up their business and acquire these stores over 20-plus years, which was really impressive. And I grew up in them, they were my first job all through high school.”

She adds that at a young age, she would help cover shifts

62 Canadian Franchise Association

when a staff member called in sick, learned how to cash customers out, and put away stock on delivery days.

After graduating university and launching her career in a different direction, Pet Valu remained part of Orleck’s life and that of her family until she was eventually drawn back when she worked in a corporate store in Brantford, Ontario for one year.

“It was that family dynamic and community involvement that really captured and intrigued me about Pet Valu,” explains Orleck. “There was an opportunity that came up and I couldn’t turn it down. I loved the atmosphere that I grew up in, and I had found all my other jobs I was pulling on those aspects and trying to bring them into anything I did.”

For more than 40 years, Pet Valu has helped devoted pet lovers give their pets the food, supplies, toys, and love they need to live happy and healthy lives. The specialty retailer provides a wide selection of pet food and products for owners of dogs, cats, fish, reptiles, birds, and small animals. With over 600 stores across

www.cfa.ca | www.FranchiseCanada.Online

A DAY IN THE LIFE Canada, the franchise has an abundance of trained animal care experts who help educate and assist customers every day.

order online and deliver to your home, and customers can even order special items while in the store and have them shipped to their homes.

A daily adventure The highs and lows A typical day for Orleck “never ends” she says, as she’s in As a new franchisee, Orleck says being a business owner the store from open to close, noting that her location has is “challenging and exciting all at once. It’s quite a roller limited operating hours during the COVID-19 pandemic. coaster.”

About an hour before opening, she’s up and ready to go, For her, building a team is something she hadn’t done and keeps herself prepared for anything that may come before. She says that “the best part is figuring out what her way. When she’s not on site, she has her staff text her makes your business successful and really being able to to let her know the store is open and ready for customers. home in on that. Business is always challenging and it’s Less than a year into business, Orleck says her daily great when you see really positive results and you can routine has already changed. “Coming into this, what I see success in the growth. But obviously the growth is thought it would be is completely different than what my also based out of your team, leadership, and watching routine ended up being and it’s different now that we’re a how you can build up those kinds of things.” little bit more established.”

Orleck adds that being able to set her own hours is a She points to the curbside pickup implementation in positive but “the day never stops, so whether or not you Ontario that changed the day-to-day operations of her think you’ve given yourself a day off, you haven’t,” she Pet Valu franchise from when she first opened at the says with a laugh. start of the pandemic. “We hadn’t done this before – The highlight in a typical day for Orleck is getting while a lot of stores already had the opportunity to do good feedback from customers, those who come back and curbside back in March, this was a whole new experi- express their satisfaction that a Pet Valu member provided ence for us. I was very fortunate that when I did do my help in raising their puppy or senior-aged dog, for example. training before taking on this location, I got to do it in Kitchener, which was amazing. At that time, they were doing curbside, so I did get a bit of a feel of what’s a good flow for this, and then tried to convert that here. What that looks like in a typical day for our New Hamburg location is a little bit different.”

Orleck explains that the shining light of the pandemic is that Pet Valu enhanced their website to provide services to customers who can now pay online and pickup curbside. It was through this new procedure that Pet Valu adapted their online platform to become more user friendly to a wider FRANCHISES range of customers. Pet Valu now offers several YOUR SUCCESS. AVAILABLE options for customers to www.pizzapizza.ca/franchising make purchases using franchisinginfo@pizzapizza.ca their e-commerce website, including click and collect,

YOUR BUSINESS.

YOUR PIZZA PIZZA.

21937_1/3_CFAAd_Franchising_4.75x4.625_R3.indd 1

2019-02-26 11:01 AM

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A DAY IN THE LIFE

“We put an emphasis on having a lot of knowledge so we can really help guide our devoted pet parents to find the best products and solutions with whatever their issue may be. [Having] that compassion to really help them make their pet’s day better and a little bit more comfortable for them is definitely a huge highlight,” she adds. “Any time a pet walks through the door is also a highlight for us; I mean, who doesn’t love puppies!”

However, Orleck says that having her store closed to walk-in customers has created a challenge for her and altered Pet Valu’s emphasis on community involvement.

Encouraging customers to participate in events, bring their pets in store, and help socialize their young puppies is put on hold until locations can open up again.

“We know that safety comes first, so we are taking the required precautions and we all look forward to things getting back to normal.”

A passion for pets goes a long way Orleck describes Pet Valu as community and engagement focused, with an emphasis on knowledge and professionalism, and a drive for business. “[They have] a great business plan, all the franchisees have a lot of input, and I think it’s really helped shape what Pet Valu is,” she explains. “A lot has changed for the good at Pet Valu, which is great.”

She advises prospective Pet Valu franchisees to do their research and have a passion for the business and a desire to grow, improve, be innovative, and willing to

64 Canadian Franchise Association

adapt. And have a love for pets, of course. “That’s really what your customers are looking for and if you can keep your customers and your team happy, your business will do well and soar.” She adds that Pet Valu has always had a very loyal client base because of the services and knowledge they provide, which is something that you won’t always get online.

As for her advice for new franchisees just starting out: “Make as many friends with other franchisees as you can; they are gold. The number of times I’ve had to call people, just to ask ‘Have you ever run into this before? What do I do?’ People who understand exactly what you’re in and what you’re going through is really important.”

Orleck adds, “Be willing to take on new things, and to let some things fail just to see you try at them. If you have that passion, it’ll definitely go a long way.”

PET VALU STATS Franchise units in Canada: 373 Corporate units in Canada: 233 Franchise fee: $40K Start-up capital required: $150K Investment required: $400K-$600K Training: Yes Available territories: AB, BC, MB, NB, NL, NS, ON, PE, SK CFA member since: 2010 To learn more, visit www.LookforaFranchise.ca

www.cfa.ca | www.FranchiseCanada.Online

THE FIRST YEAR

ALL DECKED OUT

Franchisee Theo Melburn achieves big wins during his first year with Hickory Dickory Decks

BY STEFANIE UCCI

F

or some, finding the perfect franchise fit might be a challenge when there are hundreds of successful brands to choose from. But for others, like Hickory Dickory Decks franchisee Theo Melburn, the decision to invest in a decking franchise felt like a right fit to complement his abundant experience and knowledge in the construction and building industry.

Melburn joined the Hickory Dickory Decks team in March 2019 and has already experienced success as a franchise owner. He purchased his first territory in Kanata, Ontario and a year later, in spring 2020 – right in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic – he bought a second territory in Ottawa south. At the time of writing, Melburn owns those two locations, but manages a total of four, including additional Kingston and Kemptville locations, with plans of purchasing the Kemptville territory in the near future.

After two years in business, this is quite the venture for Melburn. He credits his “exhilarating” experience as a franchisee to the incredible support and success of the Hickory Dickory Decks brand. “When you think about buying an existing business, it’s scary because you always wonder, what am I actually buying?” says Melburn. “But having a business like Hickory Dickory Decks, people have heard about us; we are not a brandnew company and the brand name is very memorable, people love it. So, [it’s great] having the brand name and the business history behind me for the work that we do.”

Hickory Dickory Decks was created in 1987 by Tom Jacques, CEO and president, and joined the franchising community in 1999. Since then, the decking brand has grown to 71 locations across the country, earning a spot as Canada’s largest composite deck builder. The franchise helps people live outdoors and have a quality life in

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THE FIRST YEAR

“I’VE BEEN IN CONSTRUCTION ALL MY LIFE AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT I’VE REALLY ENJOYED THE CONSTRUCTION WORLD. IT SUITS MY FAMILY NEEDS AND FULFILLS MY CAREER GOALS.”

a space that is designed specifically to them. They offer a wide selection of decking materials, including composite, vinyl, and hardwood, as well as other complementing deck accessories like pergolas, pavilions, gazebos, cooking centres, and custom accessories.

Growing in the construction world Melburn is multifaceted in many trades including industrial mechanics, welding, carpentry, mechanical design and drafting, home renovations, and plumbing. “I was a project manager for many, many years,” explains Melburn. “I’ve managed $15 million projects and had 80 guys on the job site. Middle management positions come with a lot of stress and responsibility with limited rewards.

I’ve been in construction all my life and this is the first time that I’ve really enjoyed the construction world. It suits my family needs and fulfills my career goals.”

As the previous owner of a construction and home renovation business, Melburn says that it wasn’t enough for him, especially in renovations where sometimes you make money and sometimes you don’t. When looking for a new business opportunity he could invest in, Melburn turned to decking, which combines his love for carpentry and building into his everyday job.

“The business is very modular and it’s repeatable.

There’s a guided process which everybody learns and adapts to make it their own. Once you’ve done that, then

66 Canadian Franchise Association

it’s 100 per cent repeatable and you can bring out your own creativity, which I love because that’s where you can start to make some money and enjoy life.”

On top of that, Melburn says the franchise’s design work sheet has streamlined the process that would normally take him hours into a short 15-30-minute task, depending on the complexity of the project. “It’s a huge laborious endeavour just to prepare a proposal for somebody, but with Hickory Dickory Decks, they’ve got a proposal worksheet that starts out at 11 or 12 pages long with all of the different options and all the costing, so you can select what applies to your project and hide the rest,” explains Melburn.

Building each other up With years of wisdom and experience in the construction industry, Melburn says he didn’t need a lot of training, but the education was available and is valuable for those who need it.

“Learning the Hickory Dickory Decks business process is very important,” says Melburn. “The training is very much tailored to what individuals need. I just needed to become more familiar with the system that Hickory Dickory Decks has developed, so that was what I got my training on.”

As for ongoing training, Melburn says all it takes is reaching out to your franchise manager or one of your

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THE FIRST YEAR many fellow franchisees. “If there’s a roof structure or trimming style that a client wants that we haven’t done before, all I need to do is reach out to the franchise network and ask, ‘hey this is what I’m looking at putting in for a client, has anybody worked with it? Has anybody got upcoming projects that we can jump in on and get some hands-on training?’”

Small bumps in the road Melburn’s vast experience also helped him get through many challenges along the way. At the beginning, he was tasked with getting familiar with the business system.

After that, it was all about ironing out the leads. “The two previous franchisees in Ottawa did a very good job here and left a strong legacy for me to continue to build my business with,” he explains. “So, the leads were always there; in fact, I always had more leads than I could manage. Lead management was my initial challenge, now it’s building a strong reliable team. I am focused on building a work environment that attracts good people. I am very proud of the team we have built and look to add new team members for 2021.”

On top of those first-year challenges, Melburn has also had to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, which came just one year after joining the Hickory Dickory Decks franchise. But, since decking is already an outdoor industry, the brand faced the pandemic with quite an advantage as they meet the provincial guidelines for operating a construction business outdoors. “As the owner of the business, I wanted to make sure I was respectful of all of our teammates and what their thoughts were. I communicated daily with the team and everybody was happy to continue working with the provincial guidelines in place,” says Melburn.

That paired with more Canadians staying home and identifying parts of their homes they want to change, including their outdoor decks and patios, didn’t slow down business at all for Melburn and his team.

“We’re in a position where people are going to be staying home for many years, I think they’re wanting to develop their homes. Real estate and home renovations went through the roof this year,” says Melburn. “We had so much opportunity [in 2020], and I think we’re going to continue to see many opportunities for several years to come.”

accomplishments. He has received quite the accolades throughout his decking journey.

“When I think about my personal success in this business, Hickory Dickory Decks is North America’s largest decking company and for me personally, I finished in second place of overall sales in 2020. That is a pretty big achievement that I accomplished in my second year of business,” says Melburn. “So, through hard work and dedication, and having good teammates, I’m still shocked about how well we’re doing and that I was able to accomplish this level of success so quickly. It’s reassuring that I made the right decision to invest in a Hickory Dickory Decks franchise.”

HICKORY DICKORY DECKS STATS Franchise units in Canada: 56, US: 1 Corporate units in Canada: 2 Franchise fee: $50K Investment required: $55K-$95K Training: 4 weeks/ongoing Available territories: All of Canada, US In business since: 1987 Franchising since: 1999 CFA member since: 2005 To learn more, visit www.LookforaFranchise.ca

Big deck wins Melburn offers advice to prospective franchisees considering joining the Hickory Dickory Decks brand: have a strong work ethic, reach out to your team members when you need help, and don’t put off what you can do today because you don’t know what tomorrow will bring.

Thanks to the repeatable business model, Melburn has been able to work towards his own success and personal

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ICONIC BRAND

Achieving an Iconic Milestone Explore brands who reached 100 franchise locations in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020

BY JORDAN WHITEHOUSE

Many franchise brands never hit 100 locations, so when it does happen — especially during a pandemic — it’s something to celebrate. Here, you’ll meet three brands that recently achieved that milestone who share how they did it and what’s next for their franchises.

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www.cfa.ca | www.FranchiseCanada.Online

ICONIC BRAND

Fraser Clarke

Massage Addict Fraser Clarke acquired the Massage Addict franchise on August 1, 2014, and from day one, the goal was to hit 100 Canadian locations. It was a bold objective, given that there were just under 20 locations when he took over.

But, on October 21st, they did exactly that and opened the 100th location in St. John’s, Newfoundland.

“It’s obviously been a crazy year, so I’m just extremely proud of my head office team and all of the franchise owners across the country,” says Clarke. “It certainly wouldn’t have been possible without having a group of very committed and positive franchise owners who execute the business model on a daily basis.”

It also might not have been possible if the franchise hadn’t spent the past several years surveying and trying to better understand its clients, adds Clarke. That research made it clear that instead of positioning itself as a day spa, Massage Addict needed to position itself in a more clinical light, where it was helping its clients resolve specific symptoms and conditions, such as pain and stress. As a result, the company added reflexology to its suite of treatments in 2018, acupuncture in 2019, and chiropractic care in September.

Kurtis MacDonald became the franchisee of two Edmonton locations in 2019 and five more in Ottawa in 2020. It was a “pretty scary” time to be a new business owner, he admits, especially during the first lockdown, but government relief and the support of the franchise was huge. He points to Massage Addict’s western Canada franchise business consultant, Trish MacDonald [no familial relation], in particular.

“She has probably been my therapist through this, and non-pandemic as well,” says MacDonald. “She’s there to help with day-to-day operations and other issues, but

Kurtis MacDonald

honestly I think the franchise’s superpower is just listening to us while we vent our thoughts and whatnot.”

When that first lockdown was lifted, MacDonald says his locations were busier than before the pandemic.

The same was true in general across the network, says Clarke. November, in fact, was a record month.

Now the franchise is eyeing even faster growth. It recently identified about 50 Canadian regions for expansion — mainly in B.C., Alberta, and Quebec, though across the country as well — and it has about 20 franchise partners who are currently under agreement to expand. The franchise is also aiming to open its first U.S. location by early 2022.

Clarke says Massage Addict has seen much higher demand from prospective franchisees in recent months compared to pre-pandemic. “It validates our business model and the positive benefits we have with clients managing their pain, stress, and anxiety, so we’re going to continue to grow.”

MASSAGE ADDICT STATS Franchise units in Canada: 97 Corporate units in Canada: 3 Franchise fee: $39K Start-up capital required: $100K Investment required: $200K-$275K Training: Weekly calls leading up to the opening, two weeks in person (pre- and post-opening), ongoing support after opening Available territories: AB, BC, MB, ON, NL, QC, SK In business since: 2008 Franchising since: 2008 CFA member since: 2010 To learn more, visit www.LookforaFranchise.ca

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ICONIC BRAND

Metal Supermarkets While few franchises have emerged unscathed from the pandemic, some have actually thrived. One of them is the small-quantity metal supplier Metal Supermarkets, which opened its 100th location in San Diego, California in early October. That same month, the franchise hit a network sales record.

Stephen Schober, president and CEO, says there are multiple reasons for that success, including a solid manufacturing sector and an increase in home projects. But a dedicated franchisee network might be the most significant. “If we were a corporate chain, we wouldn’t be doing this well, because there isn’t the same passion and dedication,” he says. “Our franchisees didn’t close down.

They stuck with it even though they’ve dealt with a lot of anxiety and employee issues. They are the heroes.”

Bill Mair opened the first Metal Supermarkets in Mississauga, Ontario in 1985 and began franchising in the Toronto area in 1987 before moving through western Canada. The company opened its first franchise in the U.K. in 1994 and in the U.S. in 1996.

Mark Hoenen and Adam MacDonald became franchisees of the Victoria, B.C. location in 1996 and the Nanaimo, B.C. location in 2003. Hoenen says 2020 has been one of their best years for sales. “Because people can’t travel, there’s a lot more people doing home projects, restoring cars, things like that, and then there’s our contractor business too. And that’s the nice thing about this business — you’re not limited to one group. There are so many avenues to sell to.”

It’s also a fun job, adds Hoenen. “Every day it just boggles my mind what people make with metal. One fella recently built an elevator in his house for his wife. He couldn’t find anything off the street, and he came in and started buying material from us.”

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As for future milestones, the company is focused on continued expansion in the U.S., but is exploring a smaller market model in Canada. A typical Metal Supermarkets location needs a market with at least 300,000 people, but a store with a smaller footprint and different inventory could work in an area with fewer than 200,000 people, says Schober. “We don’t have a whole lot of markets left in Canada, but this way we think we can build a bigger market presence.”

METAL SUPERMARKETS STATS Franchise units in Canada: 24, US: 76, International: 7 Franchise fee: $39.5K Start-up capital required: $200K-$350K Training: 4 weeks Available territories: ON, NB, NS, SK, US, International In business since: 1985 Franchising since: 1987 CFA member since: 2011 To learn more, visit www.LookforaFranchise.ca

www.cfa.ca | www.FranchiseCanada.Online

ICONIC BRAND

Osmow’s If it was a normal year, the mayor might have been there, along with local press and proud friends and family members. But when Osmow’s opened the doors to its 100th restaurant in Pickering, Ontario in October, it was a day almost like any at the 99 other locations of this fast-casual Mediterranean chain: wafts of shawarma, falafel, and garlic sauce coming from the back; busy staff taking orders out front; masked customers taking their Tabouleh, beef kofta wraps, and Philly cheese steak platters to go.

“We would have loved to make a big day over this very big milestone, but with all the COVID measures, we just couldn’t,” says Ben Osmow, CEO and head of franchise operations. So, instead they gave themselves “a pat on the back and kept trucking along.”

Racing might be a better metaphor. Osmow’s dad, Sam, started the company in 2001 in Mississauga after converting his sandwich shop to Mediterranean cuisine, which were flavours the Egyptian émigré knew well.

After selling a few initial locations to family and friends, franchising accelerated in 2015. Over the past three years alone, the number of locations has more than doubled, with 19 added in 2018 and 35 more in 2019. Most are in southern Ontario, though expansion is happening in British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan.

Osmow believes one of the main reasons for the franchise’s rapid growth has been its ability to rethink Mediterranean cuisine. “We don’t claim to be authentic,

we’re not. Our top-selling menu items are Chicken on the Rocks™ and Shawarma Poutine. So, we’ve done a really good job with the educational piece — teaching consumers how we’ve been able to modernize our cuisine so that it’s open to all Canadians.”

The food was the major motivation for Tarak Dave and Nick Pandya to become Toronto franchisees in 2019.

The marketing was another, they say, pointing to the TV ads with two Toronto Raptors players during the 2019 NBA championship run as the perfect example. “That just blew up the brand to another level, and it helped us a lot,” says Dave. “We have two locations now, but we’re still looking to open more.”

Fortunately, they may get that opportunity.

“Our goal is to be the largest Mediterranean QSR in North America,” says Osmow. “And we’re well on track to getting there.”

OSMOW’S STATS Franchise units in Canada: 91 Corporate units in Canada: 3 Franchise fee: $45K Investment required: $375K-$425K Training: 2 weeks Available territories: All of Canada In business since: 2001 Franchising since: 2009 CFA member since: 2018 To learn more, visit www.LookforaFranchise.ca

Franchise Canada March | April 2021 71

SHOW ME THE MONEY

4 FRANCHISES FOR $500K+ Franchising is about diversity. Franchise opportunities may be found in nearly every industry and business sector. It’s a great way for Canadians from all walks of life to go into business for themselves but with the support of a franchise system behind them.

One of the most important considerations for a prospective franchisee is investment level. Figuring out a budget that fits with your financial situation and goals will help you to zero in on the franchise opportunities that might be the best match.

With so many opportunities, there is a franchise for everyone at a variety of investment levels.

Here, Franchise Canada showcases franchise systems in which you can invest for $500K+.

East Side Mario’s

Great Clips, Inc.

Established in 1987, East Side Mario’s is a casual Italian full-service restaurant, proudly Canadian owned and operated. Every day is an opportunity to create amazing dining experiences for their guests that capture the heart, energy, and spirit of Italy. East Side Mario’s believes that great Italian food should be accessible, and provide good value, every day.

“Come hungry. Leave full,” is their motto, and they stand by that! Famous for the fun atmosphere, larger-than-life dishes, and their all-you-can-eat soup, salad, and garlic homeloaf! They’re about delivering Amore in everything they do – that’s the East Side Mario’s way. So come in, and say ciao to a little taste of Italy, in every bite.

Franchise units in Canada: 65 Corporate units in Canada: 4 Franchise fee: $60K Start-up capital required: $600K-$700K Investment required: $1.3M-$1.6M Training: 8 weeks Available territories: All of Canada In business since: 1987 Franchising since: 1989 CFA member since: 2021 To learn more, visit www.LookforaFranchise.ca

Great Clips is the world’s largest and fastest-growing salon brand with nearly 4,500 salons throughout North America. Its salons are conveniently located in strip malls in over 130 markets. What really makes this business concept unique is the fact that it is recession-resistant, with steady growth and multi-unit opportunity. Manager-run salons allow for flexibility in how you transition into business ownership. No haircare experience necessary!

Franchise units in Canada: 155, US: 4,300 Franchise fee: $20K (USD) Investment required: Net worth $500K ($1M in select markets) Available territories: BC, MB, ON, SK, US In business since: 1982 CFA member since: 2016 To learn more, visit www.LookforaFranchise.ca

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SHOW ME THE MONEY

Triple O’s

Willowbrae Childcare Academy

Triple O’s, launched in 1997 by B.C.’s iconic brand White Spot Ltd, is a premium QSR concept serving high-quality, fresh, and local ingredients including 100 per cent fresh Canadian beef burgers made with “Secret” Triple ‘O’ sauce, fresh-cut local Kennebec fries, and premium hand-scooped milkshakes. Since inception, Triple O’s has experienced steady growth in brand sales and number of units. One of Canada’s Best Managed Companies, Triple O’s also won silver in the CFA Award of Excellence program in 2020.

Franchise units in Canada: 53, Other: 4 Corporate units in Canada: 9 Franchise fee: $40K Investment required: $750K-$1.5M Available territories: AB, BC, MB, ON, SK In business since: 1928 Franchising since: 1997 CFA member since: 1997 To learn more, visit www.LookforaFranchise.ca

Willowbrae Childcare Academy is a leading educational franchise that delivers a superior experience for parents, childcare professionals, and of course, our children. Willowbrae Childcare Academy wants to share its success and know-how with interested entrepreneurs. The franchise focuses on owner, non-operator, and requires no industry experience.

Offering prime franchise locations in Canada and the U.S., Willowbrae Childcare Academy has the experience and knowledge to guide you from start-up to operations.

Franchise units in Canada: 30 Corporate units in Canada: 2 Franchise fee: $60K Start-up capital required: $400K-$900K Investment required: $990K-$1.91M Training: 1 week Available territories: AB, BC, ON, SK, US, International In business since: 2010 Franchising since: 2011 CFA member since: 2012 To learn more, visit www.LookforaFranchise.ca

Find franchises by investment level on LookforaFranchise.ca

Want to find franchises at a particular price point? Searching by investment level is just one of the search options available on Franchise Canada’s online franchise directory at LookforaFranchise.ca.

This website is powered by the Canadian Franchise Association and part of Franchise Canada’s suite of products for aspiring franchise owners. Build your profile on LookforaFranchise.ca and browse available franchises, request more information directly from the companies you’re interested in, and access exclusive Franchise Canada content online.

Franchise Canada March | April 2021 73

FRANCHISE FUN

Making Math Fun UCMAS Mental Math’s Anand Karia puts passion first both inside and outside of his work in franchising

At UCMAS Mental Math, they operate with the goal of providing “Education with a Difference.” Anand Karia, president, says the education franchise “builds careers for children by focusing on making their foundation strong using math and Abacus as a tool.

Rather than focusing on one subject, UCMAS aims at improving the cognitive skills of a child by teaching them visual math using images, thus developing the right side of their brain.”

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FRANCHISE FUN UCMAS Mental Math opened the doors to its first centre back in 1993 in Malaysia with the aim of providing Abacus and mental math education to students aged five to 13 years old.

Today, they maintain their world-class Abacus Math program across more than 6,000 centres in more than 80 countries. The Abacus tool is based on an ancient concept where students use countable beads to perform mathematic calculations until they’re able to use visualizations to complete mental calculations in their brain.

Here, Karia shares his passion for franchising and being an open and understanding leader for his franchisees, while emphasizing the importance of loving what you do every day. As a self-described foodie and sports freak with a humorous side, Karia reveals his passion for painting, his tight-knit relationship with his dad, and how he lives an inspiring life with no regrets, among much more!

The most interesting thing I’ve done recently is… Reignite my passion of painting on canvas.

Learnt a new concept in acrylic painting and painted a few pieces.

In its best form, work is… Love! If you love your work, it’s not work at all.

A good franchisee… Is one who is a team player, who contributes regularly to the company’s growth by offering ideas and suggestions. One who does not feel they are a franchisee but are a business partner.

A good franchisor… Is one who listens and is open to constructive ideas and puts themself in their franchisees’ shoes to understand what they want.

My top advice for prospective franchisees is… Don’t spend the money and time on something someone has already done. Join the team and get a head start!

My top advice for new franchisors is… Professionalism is good, but relationships are more important. Always be there for franchisees through thick and thin.

The most important thing in life is… Loving what you do and having a strong work ethic, which gives you peace of mind and a good night’s sleep. Good business ethics will always result in good business.

One of the most enjoyable things to do is… Discuss with someone how they can take their first step into the world of business. It’s a pleasure discussing their dreams and how to achieve them.

The hardest thing for me to do is… Start a diet.

My favourite drink is…

Scotch on the rocks with five drops of water.

If I could change one thing…

I’m happy with the way I have lived my life. I have no regrets and nothing to change.

If I could meet anyone…

I would love to meet Barack Obama.

The person who has had the most positive influence on me as a businessperson is… My dad.

He taught me the importance of ethical and transparent business.

Canadian franchising is…

The best thing that has happened to me. I started small 17 years ago, but with a lot of hard work and support of all the franchisees who put their trust into my company, we have grown to 100 franchisees across the country.

My franchise system began because… We had a vision to make every child use their full potential and excel in academics. We saw the fear of math and brought a product which makes math fun, while removing their worry.

The most positive influence on my life as a person is…

My dad. He taught me to always be honest, kind, and do good for others.

The key to success is… Believing in yourself, your product, and your team, and honesty and business ethics.

I’d like my friends to describe me as… A fun guy and who is always there for them.

The accomplishment I look forward to the most is…

Being happy and staying happy for the rest of my life.

My personal motto is…

Be good, be true, be kind.

Happiness is more important than money.

One necessary item on my life’s “to do” list is… Visit all the places you see on National Geographic!

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Q A

ASK A LEGAL EXPERT What does any potential Quebec franchisee need to know before getting involved in a franchise business venture?

QUEBEC IS ONE OF THE ONLY Canadian legal jurisdictions without a specific franchise legislation. The core legal body lies with the Civil Code of Quebec and Court precedents. In this context, a potential franchisee may wonder what is the extent of their legal duties, in particular, at the precontractual stage (meaning before formally entering into the franchise business venture): What are the franchisor’s legal disclosure obligations? To what extent do the franchisee’s “due diligence” duties go? What use can they make of the trade and brand names? What are the main pitfalls? We intend to cover these topics in the following article, while also providing practical tips.

Franchisor’s Disclosure Obligations and Potential Franchisee’s Duty to Seek Their Own Information Under Quebec law, and contrary to other Canadian jurisdictions, the franchisor is not subject to specific and regulated “franchise disclosure obligations.” Rather, the franchisor is bound to disclose to the potential franchisee everything that is necessary for the future franchisee to provide an “informed consent.”1 This implies the communication of all key information such as, for example, the draft franchise agreement, the franchise history, key information on the network, some general financial information, pending Court litigation (if they are likely to have an effect on the franchise network) and other corporate information. However, the notion of “informed consent” is even broader. If the potential franchisee requires, they may also imply a duty of the franchisor to communicate internal memos pertaining to the potential franchisee’s personal situation, projected business location, and even psychological tests2.

The potential franchisee, however, is also subject to their own duty of due diligence. They should not only consider information provided by the franchisor, but should also carry out their own research through a due diligence process. The franchisee should, inter alia, request pro forma information (accounting projections and simulations) from the franchisor, and proceed to obtain their own information concerning the franchisor’s reputation, and even solvency. Where possible, the potential franchisee should seek to obtain information and learn about other established franchisees of the network they intend to join. If the potential franchisee is purchasing an existing and operating franchise, their due diligence duties are even more extensive: they should ask for financial statements, expenses (rent, real estate taxes, food costs, insurance, labour costs, inventory, etc.), profit margins, and more.

1 2

Brand and Trade Names Every new franchisee needs to understand that, under the terms of the franchise agreement, the brand and trade names which are so reputed (and which, in many cases, are the first and paramount reasons why the potential franchisee joins the network) are “rented” and not “sold.” In other words, the franchisee has no ownership rights over the franchise brand and trade names and can only use them within a very restrictive set of rules. For instance, franchisees cannot use at will the franchise symbols, brand, and trade names in association, such as to their activities on social media without prior approval from the franchisor. Failing to comply can lead to serious damages and substantial Court awards.

Practical Tips To ensure compliance with the legal obligations, a potential franchisee should be accompanied by a franchise specialist (whether a legal professional or an accounting professional). Very often, at the outset of a business venture, a franchisee seeks to spare and save as much money as possible. Not retaining the services of a franchise specialist (mainly for economic concerns) is, by far, the most typical and costly pitfall awaiting any potential franchisee. For instance, many unsuccessful franchisees realize, after a few months into the franchise operation, that they were not “sold” the concept they were expecting. For example, the franchisor may not truly have a sophisticated network, the technical and operational support may be defective, etc. Most franchisees do not know that after a certain time limit, if they have not made their claims known or decided to ask for annulment of the franchise agreement, the Courts will not allow such annulment because they will consider that, by their actions, the franchisee has “confirmed” the agreement.

Being advised by an expert at the very early stages of their business endeavour will allow the future franchisee to access relevant information, truly understand the extent of their legal and business obligations, and sometimes realize that the projected franchise business contemplated is not necessarily suited to their needs.

9150-0595 Québec inc. v. Franchises Cora inc., 2013 QCCA 531.

Ibid.

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Frédéric Gilbert Partner Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP fgilbert@fasken.com

Q A

ASK A FRANCHISE EXPERT

How do I find the right franchise for me?

HAVE YOU EVER TRIED GOOGLING ‘Franchise Opportunities’? If you have, you’ll know that over 302,000,000 results are populated. So, if you’re someone who is interested in franchise ownership, how do you even know where to start?

Most people would turn to brands they use on a regular basis. However, this is typically not the best approach and is one of the biggest mistakes people make when searching for a franchise that is best suited for them.

Instead of just looking at the product or service the franchise offers, look at the model the franchise has established. Then, evaluate whether that model is suitable for your skills, experience, lifestyle, strengths, weaknesses, likes, dislikes, and financial situation.

A good place to start would be to consider the time that you are willing to dedicate to the business. If you are looking for a nine-to-five job, this will automatically eliminate some industries, such as food, for example. Are you looking for a business with flexible hours? If so, there are certain industries and franchises that allow you to build your schedule based on your own availability. When do you like to vacation? If you like to go away for a couple months in the summer, considering a business that peaks during the summer months is not a good idea.

You should also think about the people you want to work with – both customers and employees. If you enjoy working with other business owners and have a large network, considering a franchise that is based on a business-to-business (B2B) model may be a natural fit.

When it comes to employees, you should consider how many employees you want to have, as well as the type of employees you want to work with. There are many businesses that you can start as an owner-operator to keep your costs as low as possible, or you may want to build a team and grow the business with them. Are you comfortable working with high school students or do you prefer working with a highly trained workforce? You need to determine who you want to surround yourself with as you grow your business.

How do you feel about sales? Regardless of the industry, every single business – franchise or not – has a sales proponent to it. However, there are many different aspects of sales and it doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be doing cold calling. Some franchises are based on networking, some depend heavily on trade shows, some require a large social media presence, and others are mainly referral-based businesses.

Another factor that plays a large role in determining the best franchise for you will be your financial situation.

This includes both the numbers that the franchisor will look at and the numbers you should be considering.

To financially qualify for a franchise, you’ll have to meet the franchisor’s minimum liquid capital and net worth requirements. The liquid capital amount typically includes the franchise fee and some working capital for the first year of business. Having awareness of these numbers will also help you once it’s time to look at financing options, if you go down that route.

The numbers that you should most closely look at when deciding which franchise is right for you are the franchise fee and the overall investment. One of the common mistakes prospective buyers make is looking solely at the franchise fee and assuming that’s the investment amount they’ll need to start the franchise.

It’s really important to be aware of what is included in the franchise fee, but more importantly, you need to determine what the overall investment level is for the franchise. The overall investment includes everything from equipment, lease, car, marketing, training, technology, and all the other fees associated with opening the doors to your business.

At the end of the day, make sure you’re choosing a brand that suits your lifestyle and your personality.

Make sure you choose the business that you believe in and that you would be proud to represent.

Once you choose the brand, trust in them and their system. You chose them for a reason. Follow their advice, speak to your fellow franchisees, believe in yourself, and make that entrepreneurship dream a reality.

Remember, just because you’re in business for yourself, doesn’t mean you’re in business by yourself – that’s the value of buying a franchise!

Natali Pupovac-Peters Franchise Consultant Business Alliance, Inc. natali@topfranchisebroker.com

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FRANCHISE TUTORIAL

TUTORIAL 21: THE FUNDAMENTALS OF FRANCHISING

INTRODUCTION TO REPORTING MOST FRANCHISE AGREEMENTS REQUIRE the franchisee to report information to the franchisor on a regular basis. This is frequently done on a monthly basis and can be submitted digitally or as written reports. It may simply be financial reports that are generated through point-of-sale systems, online reporting systems, or dashboards. Sales, as well as key operating metrics such as billable hours or average customer spend, are looked at.

Profit and Loss statements are typically reported annually. Depending upon the franchise system, reports may be required more frequently.

Franchisee reports are required by the franchisor for several reasons. First, franchisors want to ensure that they’re receiving proper royalties. Royalties are often a percentage of the gross revenues, less collected taxes and refunds. Such royalties cover the costs and expenses associated with providing support to the franchisees and the system, as well as providing a profit to the franchisor and its shareholders. It provides the revenues to continue to build the brand. For the franchisees that are paying their fair share of the royalties, it’s not fair that they do so while others don’t. The non-compliant franchisees, by hurting the franchisor’s financial cash flow, are considered a threat to the system.

Second, the franchisor wishes to ensure that franchisees aren’t running into financial difficulties. Franchisees are in business to make a profit. If profits aren’t realized on a consistent basis, they may not stay in business. Franchised locations closing aren’t good for the brand and for the system as a whole. Good franchisors wish to protect the integrity of the brand and therefore need to be aware of any franchisees in financial difficulty so that they can be proactive in assisting to correct the situation.

Third, franchisors will wish to establish key metrics and benchmarks for the system as a whole. These system benchmarks and averages can be provided back to the franchisee so they can measure their individual performance as it compares to the entire system. It will identify problem areas or items of potential improvement. As an example, you might be experiencing a 35 per cent employee turnover, but other franchisees are averaging 20 per cent employee turnover. This provides the franchisee with an area to focus on to improve the performance of the business.

Fourth, the franchisor wishes to monitor overall business trends. Are certain categories of retail items

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dwindling in sales and needing to be replaced with another product category? Are the average dollar amounts per transaction shrinking?

This may require adjustments to the offering. Is there an unaccounted disappearance of inventory that may require implementing greater security controls? Without monitoring key business metrics and having a basis for comparison, it’s difficult to make these and other business decisions.

Franchisees aren’t just required to report to the franchisor. Similar to any business owner, the franchisee is also required to submit regular reports and financial submissions to the government. Monthly or quarterly, there may be GST/HST reports, payroll reports and remittance of taxes, workers compensation, and employment insurance. Although it’s the franchisee’s legal responsibility to submit these payments, some franchisors will require copies so that they can ensure that all required payments have been made. Failure to pay government remittance and taxes could result in the government stepping in and closing the business. Again, the franchisor has a strong interest in and commitment to ensuring that the brand continues in the location.

Finally, franchise systems need to be able to monitor their franchisees for system consistency. The product and service offering needs to be consistent no matter the location. It’s through consistency that a brand is created.

Thus, there may be required reports regarding the quality of the product or service being provided. A report regarding customer complaints and how they were handled is also regularly provided to the franchisor.

Reporting is a necessary part of being in a franchise system. It may feel sometimes like “big brother” is watching, but ultimately it’s in the franchisees’ best interests, as it protects their investment. It’s in everyone’s interest that no one be allowed to ‘cheat’ the system and all are paying their fair share. All franchisees can benefit from reporting and getting feedback as to how they are doing relative to others. This is one of the biggest benefits of a franchise, when compared to opening as an independent. You, the franchisee, have resources that simply wouldn’t be available if you were on your own. Providing the franchisor with information can assist in improving operations across the system, including early recognition of issues such as internal theft, excessive operational costs, and changing market trends – all of which require corrective action.

www.cfa.ca | www.FranchiseCanada.Online

FRANCHISE TUTORIAL

TUTORIAL 22: THE FUNDAMENTALS OF FRANCHISING

INTRODUCTION TO AUDITS WHEN A FRANCHISEE ENTERS into a franchise agreement, they acquire specific rights, but they also commit to certain obligations. The franchisor/franchisee relationship is largely based on good faith. The franchisor trusts the franchisee will comply with the franchise agreement.

In most situations, this is the case, but not always. Sometimes mistakes will happen. In more unusual circumstances, a franchisee may intentionally underreport sales or not follow the system in some way. To address this, franchise agreements will usually give the franchisor the right to conduct an audit on the franchisee in question to ensure compliance with obligations.

Most franchise agreements will allow the franchisor to perform a financial audit on its franchisees. The franchisor may sometimes decide to do a financial audit at random; more frequently, it will choose to conduct one in the unusual circumstance where the franchisee fails to submit required financial reports. The franchisor may also do an audit if it suspects that the royalties being paid by franchisees aren’t aligned with the actual amounts that are due. Franchisees who don’t pay their fair share jeopardize the financial stability of the franchisor, and can hinder the franchisor from meeting its obligations to its franchisees, shareholders, and employees.

In doing an audit, the franchisor will look at sales as they’re reported on monthly reports to the franchisor, and compare this to sales as reported in the point-of-sale system, as indicated through sale invoices, government tax filings, inventory turnover, and bank deposits. All of these numbers should be aligned and indicate an equal level of sales. If inconsistencies are found, this could be an indication of accounting errors or intentional underreporting of sales in order to avoid paying royalties.

A financial audit may be the only way to determine what royalties are due and payable if such royalties are a percentage of sales. If no royalties are being paid, or in the event that the audit uncovers that the franchisee underpaid its royalties and other financial obligations, the cost of the audit is typically charged to the franchisee. Allowances are made for error, usually up to three per cent. Where there is an underreporting of sales greater than three per cent, the franchise agreement will generally dictate that the costs for the audit shall then be charged to the franchisee, along with payment of outstanding royalties due, with interest.

If underreporting of sales is an ongoing issue, it may be grounds for termination of the franchise licence. This can be avoided by the franchisee simply fulfilling their financial obligations to the franchisor when due. Franchisors have a variety of ways of uncovering underreporting. Be confident in knowing that at some point the franchisee not paying the appropriate amounts will be caught out.

Obligations of the franchisee go beyond simply financial – franchisees are also required to follow the franchise operating system. The system is designed to create a consistent customer experience, as it’s through consistency that a brand is created. In the interest of preserving the brand, the franchisor will also conduct operational audits. These may be formally announced meetings with the franchisee involved, or they may be done unannounced, sometimes through a mystery shopping program. Things that are looked at in an operational audit may include the following: • Location cleanliness and appearance • Use of logo and advertising materials • Local advertising • Use of approved products and suppliers • Product or service quality and presentation • Speed of service and delivery • State of equipment and proper usage • Confirmation of proper licences and insurance • Compliance with required labour laws and minimum wage • Required hours opened for business (continued on page 81)

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FIND YOUR FRANCHISE AT FRANCHISE.ORG

Unleash your potential as a franchise business owner. At the International Franchise Association’s website, franchise.org, you can search, select and compare thousands of franchise businesses by industry, investment level and keywords. Check it out today and be in business for yourself, but not by yourself.

FRANCHISE TUTORIAL (continued from page 79) Good franchisors do operational audits to ensure that the system is being implemented consistently in all locations. Franchise systems need to be able to monitor their franchisees for system compliance to ensure brand protection. Strong franchisees welcome the audits, knowing that it’s protecting their investment. Audits may uncover such things as weak internal controls, higher-thanaverage operating expenses, and possible internal theft.

Such feedback from an audit, either financial or operational, can provide valuable information that will assist in improving the business.

Periodic audits are an important part of any franchise system. Often, compliance problems are the consequence of innocent mistakes. Where there are issues, audits can identify them and corrections can often be made to improve profitability. If the compliance issues are ongoing, it may be grounds for termination of the franchisee. It’s important that all franchisees protect their investment in the system by meeting their financial and operational obligations.

STUDY QUESTIONS TUTORIAL 21

TUTORIAL 22

1. Most franchise agreements require franchisees to submit regular reports. These reports are usually: a) S ubmitted on a monthly basis b) Submitted in person as part of an elaborate presentation c) A summary of the franchisee’s financial reports, sales metrics, and/or profit and loss statements d) Both a) and c)

1. An audit is generally performed by a franchisor when a franchisee: a) I s operating successfully and meeting all obligations as set in the franchise agreement b) Fails to submit required reports c) Is suspected of paying royalties not aligned with the actual amounts due d) Both b) and c)

3. Franchisees are usually also required to submit reports and documentation to the government.

What are some of these submissions? a) G ST/HST reports b) Employment insurance c) Payroll reports d) All of the above 4. There are benefits to regular franchisee reporting. They include: a) P rotecting franchisees’ investments through early recognition of any problems or issues b) Feedback and benchmarking c) Both a) and b)

2. True or false: When a franchisor conducts a financial audit on a franchisee, there is no allowance made for errors in accounting/ reporting. a) True b) False 3. The franchisor may also carry out operational audits on its location. Things that may be looked at during an operational audit include: a) C leanliness and appearance of the location b) Use of approved products and suppliers c) Confirmation of proper licences and insurance d) All of the above 4. True or false: Periodic audits, both financial and operational, play an important role in the success of any franchise system. a) True b) False

Answer Key: 1) d 2) b 3) d 4) a

2. True or false: Franchisors require regular reporting from their franchisees because it is in everyone’s best interests to be aware of what’s happening throughout the franchise system. a) True b) False

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Answer Key: 1) d 2) a 3) d 4) c

MARKETPLACE

Conveniently Smart, Conveniently Simple.

Automation and self-service are reshaping the grocery shopping experience. Aisle 24 franchises offer you the opportunity to harness these powerful trends to deliver an innovative twist on the corner store. Aisle 24 stores – cashier-less, small footprint grocery markets catering to last-minute shopping – serve the booming Canadian residential property market. We provide condos, apartments, townhouse complexes, campus residences, and other shared living communities with a high-value amenity for tenants.

Franchise units in Canada: 11 Corporate units in Canada: 5 In business since: 2016 Franchising since: 2019 Franchise fee: $25K Start-up capital required: $60K-$80K Investment required: $120K-$160K Training: Yes Available territories: BC, AB, SK, MB, ON, NB, PE, NS, NL, QC CFA member since: 2019

ACCT helps performance-driven organizations build the knowledge, skills and approaches required of a modern workforce. Our digital learning team works with clients to design, develop and deploy engaging, interactive, eLearning solutions based on their unique business (i.e. brand, customer service, products/services, etc.). Ongoing training is a missioncritical component to ensure the success of their geographically dispersed franchisees.

In business since: 1967 CFA member since: 2020 Contact: Jerry Van Olst, Manager - Business Development Email: vanolsj@algonquincollege.com Phone: (613) 216-9591 Web: www.algonquincollege.com

Phone: (647) 932-1037 Web: www.aisle24.ca Email: franchising@aisle24.ca Contact: John Douang, Co-Founder & CEO

Helping you do more business is our business. When you accept American Express® Cards, you gain access to higher spending customers and a greater number of business clients. We also help franchisees grow through business solutions that include cash flow management, providing working capital opportunities and lucrative rewards. Contact us to find out more about how we can help your Franchise grow.

CFA Member Since: 2017 Web: www.amex.ca/canadianfranchiseassociation Email: franchisesolutions@aexp.com

Big Frog is more than a business; it’s a lifestyle!

Big Frog Custom T-Shirts & More® is a franchise concept specializing in custom decorated apparel with more than 88 locations opened or in development in the U.S. Big Frog’s goal is to become the world leader in the $20 billion garment decorating industry. Using high tech direct-to-garment printing, it is the only chain or franchise of its kind. Big Frog has a strong history of success and wonderful validation from its franchise owners. This exciting opportunity is now available in Canada!

Franchise Units in the US: 88 Business Since: 2006 Franchising Since: 2008 Franchise Fee: $49.5K Investment: $190K+ Training: Training manuals, online courses, 1 week in Florida, 1 week onsite at your store Available territories: AB, BC, MB, NB, NL, NS, NT, NU, ON, SK, YT, US Address: 13083 – 156 Street NW, Edmonton, AB T5V 0A2 Phone: (587) 525-8000 Web: bigfrog.ca Email: info@bigfrog.ca Contact: Tom Suggitt, CEO

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www.cfa.ca | www.FranchiseCanada.Online

MARKETPLACE

WORLD’S MOST SUCCESSFUL BAKERY FRANCHISE • A trusted brand – Nearly 700 locations worldwide and 35+ years’ experience franchising • A robust model – COBS Bread is built on providing exceptional product, friendly service and a welcoming environment for all customers • Community focused – All bakeries donate to hundreds of local schools, groups and charities across Canada • Authenticity – COBS Bread operates with honesty and transparency • No initial franchising fee for new bakeries • Flexible financing options Awards 2015 Recipient CFA Award of Excellence in Franchising, Silver Award Winner 2010 & 2012 Recipient CFA Award of Excellence in Franchising, Bronze Award Winner

We are a world-class franchisor with a commitment to quality, having more than 7,100 stores in more than 29 countries. DQ Grill & Chill® offers a variety of soft-serve treats along with a full line of hamburgers, hotdogs, chicken and salads. As an ongoing expansion program, we are presently accepting applications for DQ® franchises across Canada. Candidates must have business acumen, superior people skills and desire to work with a proven franchise system. A DQ Grill & Chill® has a total investment of approximately $800,000 - $1,200,000 or more. The candidate must have a minimum of $400,000 cash available. A DQ® Treat location can be in major shopping malls or as a free-standing unit. The total investment for a retail store is between $300,000 $500,000 and up to $800,000 for a free-standing unit. Applicants must have a minimum of 40% project cost in cash to invest. www.dq.ca Contact: Tammie Verna at tammie.verna@idq.com or 905.637.4741

2011–2020 Recipient CFA Franchisees’ Choice Designation Contact the COBS Bread Franchising Team E franchise@cobsbread.com P 1 866 838 COBS (2627) W www.cobsbread.com/franchising

Diversified Royalty Corp. (“DIV”) is a multi-royalty corporation,

Driverseat Chauffeur Services engaged in the business of acquiring top-line royalties from

well-managed multi-location businesses and franchisors in North Driverseat is the latest emerging trend in home based franchise America. systems, blazing a new industry personal transportation. Our In business since: in 2014 franchise partners in marketing, CFA specialize member since: 2017 strategizing and growing their business, while their Coachmen (drivers) focus on transporting customers andPhone: their vehicles, through 4 unique services. Protected (604) 235-3146 terrritories available throughout Canada and the U.S. Web: diversifi edroyaltycorp.com Email: greg@diversifiedroyaltycorp.com Contact: Greg Gutmanis, CFO & VP Acquisitions Total capital required - $20k to $35k Innovative Technology Platform $21,000 franchise fee Home based No need for inventory Significant industry size No capital real estate leases 4 tier extensive training program

Driverseat Driverseat Chauff eur Services Chauffeur Services Driverseat system, in franchise Driverseat isis an theaward latest winning emerging trend inspecializing home based transportation solutions.

Our franchise partners build theirOur systems, blazing a new industry in personal transportation. team of Chauffeurs and growinthe brand through marketing and franchise partners specialize marketing, strategizing and growing networking in their Franchises their business, whilecommunities. their Coachmen (drivers) offer focusconsumer on transporting transportation the vehicles, tourism and hospitality industries, and customers andintheir through 4 unique services. Protected develop business partnerships generate revenue territories available throughout that Canada and the U.S. as they transport clients in their own vehicle or in fleet shuttles.

Totalcapital capitalrequired required-- $20k • Total $43Ktoto$35k $48K InnovativeTechnology Technology Platform Platform • Innovative $21,000franchise franchisefee fee • $19,000 Homebased based • Home Noneed needfor forinventory inventory • No Significant industry size size • Signifi cant industry Nocapital capitalreal realestate estate leases leases • No tierextensive extensivetraining training program program • 4 4tier

Designated Driver

Airport Chauffeur

• Airport

Assisted Transport

Vehicle Chauffeur

• Wedding Designated Driver

1-855-DRIVE-90 | info@driverseatinc.com www.driverseatinc.com

Assisted Transport

Contact Contact 1-855-DRIVE-90 1-855-DRIVE-90 info@driverseatinc.com info@driverseatinc.com www.driverseatinc.com www.driverseatinc.com

• Corporate Shuttles

Airport Chauffeur

• Tours

Vehicle Chauffeur

Franchise Canada March | April 2021 83

MARKETPLACE

Signage has never been more important. Right now, businesses are looking for new and better ways to compete. Industries are revamping to meet compliance standards. And advertisers are expanding their reach into new media, like digital signage and mobile websites. Join the franchise that’s leading the next generation of business communication. Now more than ever, businesses look to FASTSIGNS® for innovative ways to connect with customers in a highly competitive marketplace. Our high standards for quality and customer service have made FASTSIGNS the most recognized brand in the industry, driving significantly more traffic to the web than any other sign company.

Do good. Feel good. Own your own coffeehouse.

We also lead in these important areas: • Entrepreneur - #1 in Category, 2021 • Franchise Business Review Best in Category, 2018, FBR 50 Award 2006-2021 • CFA Franchisees’ Choice Designation 2013-2020

We believe in community. Coffeehouses have a long and colourful history. Our coffeehouses are warm, friendly, and inviting. A Good Earth Coffeehouse is a community-gathering place like the coffeehouses of old.

Mark L. Jameson, Chief Support and Development Officer FASTSIGNS International, Inc. 2542 Highlander Way, Carrollton, TX 75006 214-346-5679 office mark.jameson@fastsigns.com www.fastsigns.com

At Good Earth we’ve been creating authentic, community coffeehouses since 1991… serving ethically sourced coffee and fresh, wholesome food, with a down-to-earth attitude.

We believe in our coffee farmers. We choose Organic, Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance Certified, and Direct Trade coffee... and every cup is exceptional.

We believe in good food. Our food is fresh and wholesome. It sets us apart from the competition. Good Earth is uniquely a coffeehouse with good food.

We believe in you! Good relationships are at the core of Good Earth. Is it time to invest in yourself and your family?

Find out more about growing with Good Earth.

Visit us at www.goodearthcoffeehouse.com.

Connect at 1-888-294-9330 or franchise@goodearthcoffeehouse.com.

2013 - 2020 8 CONSECUTIVE YEARS

“Our Family Protecting Your Family” We are here to help with your auto & home insurance needs.

CFA’s exclusive AUTO & Home Insurance Program saves you an additional 15% on our already low rates. This discount is for all CFA Member companies and their staff. Call us anytime this year and be entered to win one of 30 prizes of $5,000!

In business since: 1982 CFA member since: 2018 Phone: (905) 238-0668 ext. 2242 Web: www.insuranceland.ca Email: harminder@insuranceland.ca Contact: Harminder Kapoor, Account Executive

2020 will be a year to remember for us all! For M&M, it marks 40 years of helping Canadians put delicious meals on the table which has never been more relevant than during the recent crisis. We are extremely proud of our front line Franchise Partners, Managers and Meal Advisors who have stepped up to the table to support their customers and communities showing that while much has changed with M&M, our commitment to our customers has not! New name, new award winning design/concept offering our customers the confidence they can shop in a clean, convenient, welcoming environment. We’ve proudly met our food promise with all of our products free of artificial colours, artificial flavours, and artificial sweeteners. No other national grocery retailer can currently say that! We offer easy-to-prepare, top quality, innovative options for those looking for something different for dinner, be it our individual Premium Single Serves in their revolutionary packaging or quick to prepare skillets to feed the entire family.

Our new M&M APP makes shopping online and redeeming M&M Rewards convenient as well offering delivery in most regions and now in response to the COVID crisis we have curbside pick up available! Reach out today to find out about the opportunities we have nationally where you can be your community’s M&M brand ambassador!

For more information, visit our website at www.mmfoodmarket.com/en/franchising or call us at 1-800-461-0171.

84 Canadian Franchise Association

www.cfa.ca | www.FranchiseCanada.Online

MARKETPLACE

Welcome to the largest Canadian-owned quick serve chicken restaurant and one of the fastest-growing franchises in the country.

Mary Brown’s Chicken continues to expand across Canada with over 185+ stores now open. Projections are to reach 300 locations by the end of 2022. It’s a growth plan we’d love you to be part of!

Our food is exceptional and our numbers are impressive. In the last year alone, we experienced a remarkable 20% increase in sales and a 10% increase in average unit volume.

Our genuine hospitality, 100% Canadian heritage and Crave Delicious menu keep our Guests coming back again and again.

Our Chicken is fresh Canada Grade A, hand cut and hand breaded in-store. Our Taters are also handcrafted in-store from farm fresh Canadian potatoes. Even our Coleslaw is made fresh in-store! Our approach is time-proven, with 50+ years of success dating back to 1969.

Wherever Business Takes You MNP is a leading national accounting, tax and business consulting firm in Canada. Through partner-led engagements, we provide a collaborative, cost-effective approach to doing business and personalized strategies to help organizations succeed across the country and around the world.

Contact: Rick Chittley-Young, CPA, CGA, Partner Rick.Chittley@mnp.ca Phone: (289) 293-2400 Web: www.mnp.ca

Add to that our comprehensive Franchisee support including Training, Operations, Financing and Marketing and you’ll see that Mary Brown’s is an exciting opportunity that you don’t want to miss.

Email franchising@marybrowns.com and get started today. marybrownsfranchising.com

Start accepting payments your way with Moneris.

All-in-one Payroll and HR Management Solutions for SMEs

With a full suite of business management and payment processing solutions, Moneris offers everything you need to manage your business. Whether you run a pop-up shop, online store, bricksand-mortar location, or offer curb-side pickup, we have a solution that fits your needs.

Are you a small franchise business owner? Nethris offers all-in-one management solutions to make your work easier. We automate payroll preparation and processing and simplify HR, time and benefits management. Already over 17,000 Canadian SME owners use our affordable, easy to use and secure cloud solutions to free themselves from administrative tasks that prevent them from growing their business. Contact Nethris to receive a free demonstration and learn how you can better manage your employees.

We’ll get you up and running quickly and easily, helping you to integrate our products and services to make doing business that much easier. As Canada’s #1 payment processor*, you can feel comfortable knowing Moneris is on your side.

Want to learn more?

Contact Isabel Mifsud at 855-502-6227 or Isabel.Mifsud@moneris.com.

Visit moneris.com/cfa to learn more about Moneris.

In business since: 1976 CFA member since: 2010 Phone: (888) 650-6291 Web: www.nethris.com Email: payroll@nethris.com

*Based on total processing volume in Canada.

MONERIS and MONERIS & Design are registered trademarks of Moneris Solutions Corporation. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

Franchise Canada March | April 2021 85

MARKETPLACE

Pillar To Post Home Inspectors offers franchisees the opportunity to take control of their lives and lifestyles. With a home-based, low overhead model, franchisees can reach positive cash flow quickly in a self-controlled environment. Your schedule is flexible and your outgoing personality allows you to develop community relationships with realtors and home buyers. Pillar To Post Home Inspectors offer home buyers and owners peace of mind regarding their most important investment, their home.

Franchise Fee: $24,500 Startup Capital Required: $41,195 Investment Required: $41,195-$50,995 Available Territories: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador, Yukon Territory, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, United States, Single Units Franchise Opportunities Available: Single Units Training : In house training and instruction program Franchise Units Canada: 81 USA: 482 In Business Since : 1994 Franchising Since: 1994 CFA Member Since: 2013 For further information, please visit www.pillartopostfranchise.com

Join The UPS Store franchise network and count on the support from our experienced Home Office and in-field teams to get you to your grand opening and beyond. Many offer printing or shipping services, but our dedication to innovation and convenience are what keep The UPS Store at the top of our industry. With over 345 franchise locations across Canada (and continuing to grow), we have a proven track record of success!

As a franchisee you will enjoy an established system to get your business started off on the right track; in-depth training programs and ongoing support to make sure you continue to succeed; and an internationally recognized and award-winning brand to help you build instant credibility in your community. The UPS Store is there at every stage of your franchising journey.

Visit us at theupsstore.ca. We Print, Ship & More!

Locations, North America: Over 5000 Locations in Canada: Over 345 Minimum cash investment: $100,000 Total cash investment: $174,000 to $198,500 plus working capital.

For more information on The UPS Store opportunity, call 1-800-661-6232 or visit www.theupsstore.ca.

86 Canadian Franchise Association

Grab Your Slice of Life!

Pizza Pizza began in December 1967 in a 300 square foot store in Toronto at the corner of Wellesley and Parliament Street. Since then we became the biggest pizza chain in the country.

Our success stems from our customer focus. Our commitments to freshness, quality, and innovation have led us to the top of the pile in the pizza industry. Pizza Pizza delivers on its goals time and time again as we strive to make the best pizzas around at reasonable prices. Moving forward, we will continue to hold our leading position through community involvement and environmental stewardship.

Consider what Canada’s most successful pizza chain has to offer you: • A commitment to quality, • Comprehensive training freshness, customer • Site selection, lease satisfaction and innovation negotiation and professional • Superior marketing and architectural design promotional support • Knowledgeable support staff • State-of-the-art technology • Administrative systems • Ongoing professional • We supply the ingredients development • Be your own boss!

Franchising information: franchisinginfo@pizzapizza.ca www.pizzapizza.ca/franchising

“Movers Who Care” TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® is the largest and most successful franchise moving company in North America with over 300 locations in operation. The company’s success is directly related to its delivery of exceptional customer service and strong brand identity. TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® provides local and regional moving and related services including storage, packing, unpacking, the sale of moving supplies including boxes and packing materials, and junk removal services to residential, industrial, and commercial customers.

Franchise units in Canada: 26, US: 355, Other: 4 Corporate units in Canada: 3, US: 3 In business since: 2005 Franchising since: 2005 Franchise fee: $50K-$85K Start-up capital required: $140,500 Investment required: $190,500-$372,500 Training: 2 weeks Available territories: BC, NB, NL CFA member since: 2004 Phone: (416) 204-7553, (416) 204-7551 Web: www.twomenandatruck.ca/ franchise.twomenandatruck.ca Email: John.prittie@twomen.ca Contact: John Prittie, President & CEO

www.cfa.ca | www.FranchiseCanada.Online

Are you franchising in Canada?

Join Canada’s largest franchise community and we’ll grow your business together!

Credibility

Lead Generation

Education

Networking

Advocacy

Discover all the benefits of CFA membership!

Contact Lou Gervasi at 800-665-4232 ext. 243 or lgervasi@cfa.ca Learn more at cfa.ca/join

Resources

WHAT’S NEXT

DON’T MISS OUR MAY/JUNE 2021 ISSUE! The Service-Focused Franchising Issue Regardless of the circumstances, Canadians continue to access services for their families, homes, vehicles, and businesses, many of which have been designated as essential services by provincial governments throughout the country. The May/June 2021 issue of Franchise Canada spotlights these service-focused franchises across Canada. In the cover story, we feature home restoration franchises that specialize in providing disaster recovery support to Canadians during unexpected and devastating events. Throughout the issue, we also highlight franchises that help keep Canadian properties and businesses in order, including commercial/residential services, automotive services, and business-to-business services.

Each year, the demographic of aging baby boomers in Canada continues to rise, increasing the need for senior support services. We take readers through a variety of senior services franchises that help aging Canadians stay safe and comfortable at home. We also feature a special focus on franchises that provide services to children as Canadians look to keep their kids on track despite recent obstacles, and franchises that provide pet services to help pet parents raise their furry family members.

Check out the May/June issue for this content and more, including franchisee success stories and expert advice from franchise professionals!

WATCH FOR THESE INSPIRING FEATURES IN OUR MAY/JUNE 2021 ISSUE:* HOME RESTORATION FRANCHISES: Franchise Canada highlights franchises that provide vital services to their communities, as they specialize in disaster recovery.

Unexpected events can strike your home at any time and these franchises have teams that are well equipped to support Canadians through sudden and challenging times.

COMMERCIAL/RESIDENTIAL SERVICES FRANCHISES: With Canadians spending more time at home, they’re focused on maintaining and upgrading their spaces to make them as safe and comfortable as possible. We introduce you to franchises that provide services to help preserve and improve spaces at home and at work.

B2B SERVICES FRANCHISES: Many Canadian businesses rely on the abundant support they receive from B2B services. In this feature, you’ll discover franchises that provide printing, bookkeeping, workspaces, and more to help business owners find the path to success.

88 Canadian Franchise Association

AUTOMOTIVE SERVICES FRANCHISES: It’s important that you get you where you need to go safely and efficiently. Here, Franchise Canada explores automotive services franchises that provide regular maintenance, repairs, accessories, and more to the millions of Canadians who use their automobiles every day.

SENIOR SERVICES FRANCHISES ACROSS CANADA: Many seniors are opting to stay at home as they get older, hoping to remain comfortable with the help of caregivers who provide additional support for seniors and their families. Learn more about franchises that are providing these services from coast to coast!

FRANCHISEE ADVISORY COUNCILS: A franchisor can develop a Franchisee Advisory Council to create open communication within the system.

This article will explore how these franchisees represent the franchise system and help to communicate franchisee needs and concerns to help the brand succeed and grow.

www.cfa.ca | www.FranchiseCanada.Online

PLUS, A SPECIAL FRANCHISE FOCUS ON FRANCHISES THAT PROVIDE SERVICES FOR KIDS AND PETS! IN EVERY ISSUE: • Industry News • Show Me the Money • Franchise Tutorials • Leadership Profile • Giving Back • Home-Grown & Locally Owned • Ask the Experts • Day in the Life • The First Year • Franchise Fun *Editorial subject to change

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX Aisle24............................................................................ 19 www.aisle24.ca

Driverseat..................................................................... 3 www.driverseatinc.com/franchise

MNP.. ..................................................................................51 www.mnp.ca

Algonquin College Corporate Training. . ...................................................................... 50 www.algonquincollege.com

FASTSIGNS®.. ............................................................ 18 www.fastsigns.com

Moneris........................................................................ 45 www.moneris.com/associations

Good Earth Coffeehouse........................... 17 www.goodearthcoffeehouse.com/ franchising

Nethris........................................................................... 47 www.nethris.com/cfa

American Express.. .................................................. .................................................. Inside Front Cover www.americanexpress.ca/ canadianfranchiseassociation Big Frog Canada.. ............................................... 67 www.bigfrog.ca COBS Bread............................................................. 61 COBSBread.com/franchise

Insuranceland...................................................... 48 www.insuranceland.ca International Franchise Association .............................................................................................. 80 www.franchise.org

Dairy Queen Canada.. .................................. 34 www.dq.ca

M&M Food Market.. ................................... 10-11 www.mmfoodmarket.com/en/ new-shopping-experience

Diversified Royalty Corp. ........................ 49 www.diversifiedroyaltycorp.com

Mary Brown’s Chicken.......................... 12-13 www.marybrownsfranchising.com

Pillar to Post............................................................ 33 pillartopostfranchise.com Pizza Pizza................................................................ 63 www.pizzapizza.ca/franchising The UPS Store......................................................... 35 www.theupsstore.ca TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®.. ........................ 16 franchise.twomenandatruck.ca

FREE DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTION To receive a FREE digital subscription to Franchise Canada Magazine, subscribe to Franchise Canada E-News for FREE now.

Franchise Canada March | April 2021 89

GIVING BACK

Nourishing the Community

The Lunch Lady adapts its focus from feeding students to feeding those in need during the COVID-19 pandemic

BY STEFANIE UCCI SINCE 1993, The Lunch Lady has been a dedicated healthy food provider that has traditionally served hot and high-quality lunches to kids at school. Today, the franchise is shifting its focus to become a healthy community provider serving meals to kids at school and childcare centres, families at home, and those in need in our communities.

Founder Ruthie Burd started The Lunch Lady with the first kitchen located in Markham, Ontario. She says the brand’s unique communityminded values are essential to their business.

“Our brand has always attracted franchise partners who both want to make a difference in their communities and serve kids healthy foods,” says Burd. “So right off the bat, they’re already interested in kids’ nutrition, food, and making life easier for busy families.”

While the brand is known for hot lunches for school kids, when the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in 2020, they had to shift to a different direction.

“The pandemic has been really hard on The Lunch Lady. We’re school food providers primarily, our secondary business is childcare, and with the onset of the pandemic, we lost all of our business,” explains Burd. “It’s been very disruptive, but out of disruption, once you accept that things may never be the same as they were, can come innovation and change.”

Burd says she always aimed to become a community food partner and not just a school lunch provider, and with schools closed for months during the pandemic, she has taken this opportunity to push this forward.

90 Canadian Franchise Association

thelunchlady.ca/foundation

“Once we got over the initial shock, there were practical considerations. What to do with food sitting in fridges and freezers and how were we going to manage missed lunches as a result of the closures.

Early on, our kitchens started reaching out to local food banks. Some foods, however, were not suitable to go to the food bank, so some of our kitchens started preparing meals for frontline workers and others in need in the community,” says Burd.

As the pandemic continued, preordered lunches were cancelled monthly, creating credits in customer accounts. Burd says she and her team already knew their community of parents was generous, so they asked parents to consider donating some of their credits to feed someone in need in the community. “We started a “Donate A Meal” program on our system, partnering with our parents to deliver a balanced hot meal for every $5 that was donated, and thousands of dollars were raised. We became involved with many community agencies, providing meals for the homeless, kids in need, and local women’s shelters.

www.cfa.ca | www.FranchiseCanada.Online

We saw a need and started building a program around it.”

The Lunch Lady’s charitable efforts began in 2011, Burd explains, when The Lunch Lady partnered with children’s charity, Breakfast for Learning (BFL). This ran until 2016 and offered parents the opportunity to make a small contribution to help feed another child when they ordered lunch for their own child.

“I think our parents felt good supporting the community this way. Little acts of kindness can make a big difference over time. Our experience with BFL led us to set up our own charity, the Lunch Lady Foundation, to carry on this work going forward,” says Burd.

Despite the many challenges The Lunch Lady has faced this past year, Burd continues to look on the bright side, focusing on how the brand can further adapt its core programs, grow, and do more good.

The Lunch Lady Foundation is now a fully registered Canadian charity and individuals can donate to their community of choice and get an immediate tax receipt for donations over $20.00.

Progress isn’t easy, especially during such a difficult year, and Burd notes that while it’s challenging to make such big changes, it’s necessary if the Lunch Lady Brand is to remain relevant and evolve.

Burd concludes, “The pandemic has been unbelievably disruptive, and we will never be quite the same.

However, surviving COVID-19 and expanding our offerings will help us be stronger when school delivery returns. The stronger we are, the better able we will be to meet everyone’s needs both inside the classroom and out in the community.”