Since 1992, the Canadian Franchise Association (CFA) has been recognizing its members with strong franchisor-franchisee relationships at its annual Awards of Excellence gala. Considered the pinnacle of franchise achievement in Canada, the CFA Awards of Excellence in Franchising are given annually to franchise systems that have demonstrated superior franchise relations, leadership, training, and communications.

This year, over 70 CFA-member franchise brands participated in the CFA Awards of Excellence in Franchising program. Sponsored by the CFA and administered by the Portage Group, a third-party research firm, the winning franchise systems were determined based on the results of a survey completed by participating brands’ franchisees about their experiences and levels of satisfaction with the system.

Entries were separated into Traditional Franchises and Non-Traditional Franchises. Within these categories, entrants were grouped based on their number of franchisees.

Here, Franchise Voice had the opportunity to sit down with MaidPro – the winner of this year’s Grand Prize for Non-Traditional Franchises – to gain valuable insight into what goes into an award-winning franchise system.

Madeleine Park, Marketing Manager | New Brand Specialist at MaidPro
MaidPro is a Boston-based franchisor of house cleaning services with over 285 locations in 38 states, the District of Columbia, and Canada. The company, which began franchising in 1997, takes pride in its strong owner community, cutting-edge technology, and creative marketing. It has been honored with the Franchise Business Review’s Four-Star Rating and Franchise 50 awards every year from 2006 to 2020 for owner satisfaction. Forbes has named MaidPro a Top Franchise to Own in 2015, 2016, 2018, and 2019. MaidPro is also a proud member of the International Franchise Association, Canadian Franchise Association, and the New England Franchise Association.

Q: MaidPro received the Awards of Excellence Grand Prize for Traditional Franchise. This award is given to franchises that deliver exceptional support to their franchisees. As franchisor, why do you feel it is critical to provide comprehensive support to your franchisees for the overall success of the brand? What type of support should you provide?

A: Business support is one of the biggest reasons that people decide to open a franchise business. It is imperative that a franchisor is able to not only provide the systems but support them as well. Every franchisee is different and will need help in different ways. Support will be needed across the board from helping with build-out, employment, financials, marketing, and more.

A franchise can only be as successful as their franchisees. Happy and supported franchisees will give great validations and as their businesses grow, so will the franchise brand.

Q: From your point of view, what do you feel MaidPro franchisees would say about franchisor support? Why is it important to listen to their feedback?

A: We feel our franchisees are highly satisfied with their support from our home office. We put a lot of emphasis on having a family culture and allowing everyone to be open and honest. Every year we request our franchisees take a satisfaction survey from Franchise Business Review which allows them to communicate their thoughts about the brand and support. For the past decade, we have been a top-ranked franchisor for franchise support. We feel it is incredibly important to listen to their feedback in order to be successful. It takes a team to create a great brand and that’s exactly what we have!

Q: What advice would you give other franchisors in regard to providing support to your franchisees?

A: Listen. Be proud of the good you are doing and be productive with the criticism. Part of being in a franchise system and having a successful franchise brand is being able to adapt and evolve with your team and time. You can only do so by working with and listening to others.

Q: To what do you attribute the success of MaidPro, and what advice would you provide to other franchisors in this regard?

A: The success of MaidPro is attributed to the people we have within our company. From our home office staff to our franchisees to their employees and their clients, we consider ourselves a family. We enjoy each other, we care and respect one another, and most importantly we all work together to make MaidPro as successful as possible.

In terms of advice for building a great culture, be picky with who you choose to work with. Make sure that they are not only qualified but will also fit culture-wise.

CFA Awards of Excellence Traditional Franchise Grand Prize Winner: Restoration 1
On May 26, the CFA announced that the Traditional Grand Prize winner of the 2020 CFA Awards of Excellence in Franchising was emergency remediation services franchise Restoration 1.  With 200 franchise units in the United States and 15 in Canada, Restoration 1 offers emergency remediation services for water, fire, and mold damage.

“Franchising in Canada is very diverse, ranging from residential cleaning franchises like MaidPro to mobile home restoration service franchises such as Restoration 1,” says Sherry McNeil, CFA President & Chief Executive Officer.

Stay tuned for our Q & A with Restoration 1 in the next issue of The Franchise Voice!