Dozens of industries, a wide range of investment levels, and hundreds of opportunities—if you’re looking for a franchise, there’s one for you!
By Joelle Kidd
The desire for entrepreneurship in Canada is at a historic high. Almost 60 per cent of Canadians—the highest rate in the past eight years—say they want to start their own business, according to RBC.
If you’re looking to go into business for yourself, but with the support of a proven system, franchising is the perfect option. But which franchise to choose?
The 2026 Franchise Canada Directory lists 1,500 different franchise brands available in Canada—that’s a lot of opportunities!
Below, we’ll break down some of the different industries, investment levels, and business models to choose from, and help you find the franchise that’s the perfect match for you.
What type of business is right for me?
For some people, the word “franchise” calls to mind quick service restaurants or coffee shops. While foodservice has always been a popular category for franchised businesses, it’s not the only industry where you can find this model.
In fact, there are more than 60 different industry categories with franchise opportunities in Canada, from A to Z—or at least from Accounting Services to Winemaking!
One way to find your franchise fit is to consider what industries you’re interested in or types of services you’d like to offer, and find franchises in that category.
If you love animals, you may want to consider pet services franchises; entrepreneurs with a background in education may be interested in a franchise that offers extracurricular educational programs for kids, or even a franchised Montessori school. If you’re a fitness buff, you can find plenty of gyms and fitness studios that offer franchise investments.
Franchise Canada’s online directory, LookforaFranchise.ca, is a great resource for finding opportunities by industry type.
The wealth of different industries available also means you may find an exciting opportunity in a field you’d never previously considered. The great thing about franchised businesses is that they offer initial training as well as ongoing support and development. Whatever your educational background or previous career experience, you can succeed in a new field as long as you have the business skills to take on the challenge of running a franchise.
When researching franchise opportunities, make sure to consider a wide range of options. You may find your fit in an industry you would have never expected!
At any price
Franchises are not one-size-fits-all, and neither are the investments required to buy a franchise business.
Investment levels vary. Some home-based or mobile businesses, operating with low overhead, require an initial investment under $50,000. For a dine-in restaurant that needs to be built from the ground up, the initial investment could top $1 million.
When considering franchise opportunities, it’s important to consider not only your personal net worth and liquidity, but to build out a business plan and do your due diligence to make sure you’ll be making a healthy return on investment, regardless of the level of that investment.
Here are some costs associated with purchasing a franchise that you need to know:
- Franchise Fees. These are initial, up-front fees paid by a franchisee for the use of the franchisor’s trademark, brand, and operating system.
- Royalties. These are ongoing payments that give the franchisee access to the brand and business model. Depending on the franchise system, royalties may represent a flat rate or a percentage of sales. These fees are used by the franchisor to maintain their system of support for franchisees.
- Advertising Fees. Some franchise systems include advertising fees in their franchise agreements. These are typically fees that all franchisees in the system pay, that are pooled into an advertising fund. This allows the franchisor to market the brand on a regional or national scale.
- Total Investment. Like with any business, opening a franchise requires plenty of start-up costs, including real estate and leasehold improvements, initial inventory, any training fees or travel expenses, legal fees, and working capital for early operations. Franchisors will provide a range for the typical investment in their brand to give you an idea of how much you will need to invest. A full breakdown of costs will be available in the Franchise Agreement or Franchise Disclosure Document.
A growing industry
The past few years have been tumultuous for businesses. Since 2020, business owners have faced the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic instability, and political tensions.
Despite these factors, franchising as an industry has actually grown, proving itself to be an incredibly resilient business model.
According to the Franchise Forecast, an annual report published by the Canadian Franchise Association (CFA) in partnership with the Canadian Centre for Economic Analysis (CANCEA), franchising was a $96 billion industry in 2019. By the end of 2025, franchising was projected to contribute $133.3 billion to Canada’s economy—an incredible amount of growth for a period encompassing a global pandemic and related economic shifts.
What’s more, the franchise industry was actually found to exceed that projection by $10 billion, worth $143.3 billion by the end of 2025!
The latest Franchise Forecast predicts even more growth over 2026, with franchising remaining the 12th largest industry in Canada and being valued at $148.8 billion by the end of the year.
The industry in Canada employs nearly 2 million people, and by 2027, nearly 70,500 franchisees are projected to be operating their own franchised small businesses.
And who knows—you could be one of them!
For even more opportunities and resources on how to get started, check out the 2026 Franchise Canada Directory
Industry Outlook for 2027
Here are five industries to look out for, all predicted to see growth over the next year. Industry value denotes total franchise-related nominal GDP. Read the full Franchise Forecast to learn more.
Construction – $6.4 billion – expected to see 3.8% growth
Healthcare and social assistance – $2.6 billion – expected to see 3.67% growth
Finance, insurance, real estate, rental / leasing and holding companies – $17.2 billion – expected to see 3.66% growth
Retail trade – $18.5 billion – expected to see 3.66% growth
Educational services – $3.1 billion – expected to see 3.65% growth