Franchise Canada Chats

After 17 years working in IT, Sohail Iqbal felt the urge to start his own business. He considered the food industry, but first consulted friends who also had their own businesses. He landed on The UPS Store as the right choice and has since grown his franchise empire to over six locations. Guest host Angelee Brown of FranOvation joins Franchise Canada Chats as we sit down with Sohail to discuss: -How he consulted friends and family in order to find his ideal business opportunity; -How franchising allowed him to automate systems between locations; -The technology he leverages on a day-to-day basis for his business; -The challenge of learning new systems while teaching new employees.

Franchise Canada Chats is proud to welcome the CFA's 2024 Franchisees of the Year, Alicia Baker and Candice Parent. The franchisee of the year award recognizes top performing franchisees who build strong connections with their communities. Alicia Baker started as the sole employee of DermaEnvy Skincare’s Halifax location before opening her own location in St. John’s at just 21 years old. This year, she won the Franchisee of the Year award in the brick-and-mortar category. Where many join with years of working experience and working capital, Alicia’s previous part-time employment provided the pipeline to small business ownership. Candice returns to Franchise Canada Chats as the Franchisee of the Year in the home- and mobile-based category. After taking over the Windsor MOLLY MAID Canada franchise in January 2022, she grew the revenue by 47 per cent. The next year she continued that growth, exceeding the company average in both years.

Welcome back to Franchise Canada Chats. Today’s guest is Anita Mushitsi, a multi-unit franchisee with British Swim School. Anita got involved in the aquatics industry following a near-drowning incident in her family. She began to take pool safety seriously—seriously enough to invest in a franchise. So, on this episode, we’re going to take a deep dive into the aquatics franchising industry.

This episode's guest is Ken Regular, a franchisee with The UPS Store. He came to franchising after two decades as a journalist where he met criminals, celebrities, politicians, artists, and business leaders. During one interview the CEO of a multinational company told him, “The most honest people I know are in business because you can’t strike a deal with someone you don’t trust.” As a skeptical reporter, Ken found the statement difficult to believe but the words stuck in his mind. As his media career grew, so did his interest in business. Juggling family life and their employers' demands during COVID-19, Ken and his partner Vicky decided it was time to make a move. They opened The UPS Store in Brooklin, Ontario in the middle of a pandemic lockdown. Now more than three years later, their business is growing as they build relationships and trust with their clients. In addition to running their business, Ken is a board director with the Whitby Chamber of Commerce, and Vicky serves on The UPS Store's Franchise A

Welcome back to Franchise Canada Chats. This episode's guests are Adam Janke and Christian Johannsen. Adam is the master franchisee of Foot Solutions, a foot care specialist franchise that designs custom orthotics and provides service addressing the foundation of customers’ health. Christian Johannsen is a franchisee for Foot Solutions based in British Columbia. We're excited to discuss the benefits of the healthcare industry in franchising (especially when it comes to foot care), why absentee and semi-absentee franchising isn’t always the right choice, and how they stay on the cutting edge of technology as a legacy brand.

Welcome back to Franchise Canada Chats. Today’s guests is Alicia Armstrong, who, with her husband Mark, is a franchisee with Fully Promoted in Belleville and Peterborough. The brand provides product customization, embroidery, and screen-printing services. "Whatever you can put your name on, we can help with," says Alicia. She brings her expertise to creating branding and products for local sports teams, trades groups, and artists, and we're pleased to have her on today's episode.

Welcome back to Franchise Canada Chats. Today’s guest is Jason O’Connor, a regional franchisee with JDI Cleaning. He currently owns and operates two territories, in the Hamilton-Burlington and Niagara areas. He came to franchising from the world of real estate with a specific focus on working with investors.

“This is the worst version of AI you’re going to see,” says Robert Mitchell on the future improvements of digital intelligence and language learning models. "Six months from now, it'll be blowing you away." Mitchell is the chief AI officer for WSI Digital Marketing, which is adding artificial intelligence performance tools to their digital solutions toolbox. On this episode of Franchise Canada Chats, looking into how WSI deploys AI resources in its consulting, how it tracks its franchisees’ success, and more upcoming tech trends for the franchise industry!

If there’s one thing everyone agrees on, it’s that something will always need to be cleaned. Today’s guests are from Anago Cleaning Systems. Adam Povlitz, CEO, and Rafiq Punjani, the master franchisee of Manitoba for Anago Cleaning Systems, discuss putting a novel spin on the cleaning industry through unit mastery, increasing technology, and bringing client satisfaction to an underacknowledged sector.

Pizza Nova has long been a mainstay of Canada’s food and franchise landscapes and it’s thanks to people like today’s guest, franchisee Tracy Tran. Tracy joins the podcast today with Pizza Nova’s president Domenic Primucci to talk about: -The history of the brand; -Maintaining a family culture through immense growth; -And how the brand is using technology to meet customers' needs.

Franchise Canada Chats is thrilled to welcome the Gold winners of the CFA's 2023 Franchisees of the Year award. Annalisa Cilla of Scholars Education and Brad Wheeler of TWO MEN AND A TRUCK Canada reflect on the insights and experiences that led to their success. On this episode, we discuss:  -Using policy and procedures to ensure uniformity across franchise locations; -Leveraging business ownership to provide opportunities to community members; -Taking pride in success and winning Franchisee of the Year; -and so much more!

Today we’re joined by Ellena Francey, of Mr. Appliance of Newmarket and Barrie and Katharine Leaman of Glass Doctor of Durham region.   Ellena made the jump from a career in print media into her Mr. Appliance franchise, while a recession raged on.  Katharine embarked on her entrepreneurial journey in the spring of 2021 after a varied career with stints as a nurse and as a ballerina.  Tune in to hear more about their journeys into franchising and their strategies and advice for other women in franchising. On this episode of Franchise Canada Chats, we discuss: -The benefits of working with a franchise broker in the due diligence process; -Removing the barrier toward women in leadership in franchising; -Strategies for women entrepreneurs considering franchising as a career path; -And so much more!

Matt Hickman was the owner of a water treatment services company, Kean's Pump Shop, in St. John's before joining the Neighbourly family as a multi-brand owner. As a former business owner, the jump to franchising seemed counterintuitive, but in trying to pivot his existing HVAC business, he found the appeal in partnering with "an ethical company." "They had something I didn't: they had a system that was replicable and scalable," he says. "And that's what sold me on it, the fact that they were delivering value." In spite of not being a "trades guy," Hickman found success in the industry by leveraging his financial skills.

Jeff Palla joined Neighbourly with more than 25 years of senior operations leadership experience as a franchise owner and leader in the hospitality industry. Jeff previously held leadership roles in the hotel industry where he played an integral role in the launch of franchise programs. On this episode of Franchise Canada Chats, we discuss: -The security of having a well-vetted handyman in clients’ homes; -Benefits of Neighbourly's complementary businesses; -Retirement not being all that it’s cracked up to be; -And so much more!

The majority of Jalal Mir’s working life has been dedicated to paws and claws. In Iran, he became a vet and he was in the wholesale business, importing high-quality pet care goods and overseeing a team of more than 100 employees. After immigrating to Canada, he brought that level of understanding to Pet Valu, being on the sales floor, rather than being “one man in a room with a laptop.” The Richmond Hill, Ontario-based franchisee opened his location 11 months ago and is already looking to expand to multiple units. On this episode of Franchise Canada Chats, we discuss: -Balancing novelty, risk, and trustworthiness in the retail franchise industry; -Creating trust when handling customers’ loved ones; -Standing out in the booming pet care industry; -And so much more!

Today’s guest on Franchise Canada Chats is B-Protek's Brian Lemon, based out of Winnipeg. After a 34-year career as a government relations specialist in the agriculture industry, he decided to retire and go into business for himself. "The idea of being a franchisee, you're still a private entrepreneur but it brings with it all these other supports," says Lemon. He breaks down his franchise search on this episode of Franchise Canada Chats. We also discuss:

"We always knew we wanted to do this on a large scale,” says Florence Gaven Rossavik of Fuzz Wax Bar. Since co-founding the company in 2012, she’s ventured on to seal her commitment to waxing as the brand grows. “We thought about franchising from the get-go, because it’s obviously a way to grow a bit faster,” says Rossavik. That growth relies on multi-unit franchisees like Dawn Flowers, who heads three locations across Ontario and B.C., and is the owner of the company’s top-performing location. Florence and Dawn join us on Franchise Canada Chats to discuss: -How the corporate and franchise landscape changed for women in the industry in the last 10 years; -How the tiered membership base model benefits clients and franchisees; -Being open to new revenue streams while remaining clear and consistent with the brand’s focus.

In this episode, guest host Gary Prenevost from FranNet chats with Jordan Levine, chief operating officer for Sola Salons, and Larry Lloyd, a Whitby, Ontario-based franchisee. Sola Salons is a real estate rental concept for cosmetologists and other care providers. The brand recently expanded into Canada and Lloyd is only the fifth franchisee for the brand in the country. Jordan and Larry join Franchise Canada Chats discuss creating passion in franchising, protecting the brand's culture, and the interdependence between franchisees and franchisors. You can expect these key takeaways from this episode: -The unforeseen benefit of opening multiple units in similar locations; -Attracting interest from high-quality leads in prospective franchisees; -How culture is the driver that sets a brand apart, even with a brand with strong offerings; -And so much more!

Candice Parent joins us on Franchise Canada Chats to discuss how she took over her MOLLY MAID franchise in Windsor: with a lot of research, a lot of conversations with franchisors and with family members, and while applying her 20 years of teaching experience to creating a culture within her team. Now she manages a team of 12 loyal and committed cleaners while meeting and growing her client base. You can expect these key takeaways from this episode: -Why demographics and knowing your territory is important for growth;  -Teachers have soft skills that are perfect for franchising;  -Imparting a wellness policy to protect staff members' free times and generating ideas in the downtime; -and much more!

Jon Martin says he fell into franchising with both feet. About 20 years ago, he decided to expand his mother's health care business as a franchise model, building 50 locations over 15 years before deciding to seek out a new venture.    He wanted something new, something lucrative, and something he could feel passionate about. Maverick’s Donuts was just the answer. With his years of franchise development under his belt, Jon now plays double-duty, perfecting the company’s franchise system and managing four locations in the Ottawa area.  On this episode of Franchise Canada Chats, Jon Martin discusses the knead-to-knows about the donut business, including:  -Refining the flavours and the concept to build a better brand system;  -Developing connections with local organizations to engage the community;  -Using online SEO to capture new attention;  -Franchising to improve quality of life; -and so much more!