At the CFA, we are incredibly proud of the rock-solid franchisor-franchisee relationships that have been forged, in part, by the comprehensive range of lead generation tools that we provide to all of our members. Whether it’s through the pages of this magazine, online, or in person, the CFA is a proven source for quality franchise leads.
Through trade shows, publications, e-blasts, the LookForAFranchise.ca website, and other lead-generating tools, we’ve reached more than 340,000 prospective franchisees this year. Here, we highlight a trio of franchisees who have realized their entrepreneurial goals and found the right franchise fit with the help of the CFA membership base comprised of key members of Canada’s franchising industry.
Kevin McEachern, 3rd Degree Training | Actual Nutrition
A simple Google search in the middle of the night was all it took for Kevin McEachern to begin a career in an industry he loved. Having recently been laid off from his job in the hospitality sector, McEachern was in search of the next big thing and thought franchising would be right up his alley.
“I’ve always been fascinated with small business ownership,” McEachern says. “When I started researching the franchise business model, I became even more enamored with the concept. Use an established model, mitigate risks, and ease myself into owning a business with a template already in place – it just seemed like the best way to go.”
Bored one night while channel surfing, McEachern picked up his phone and Googled ‘nutrition franchises in Canada.’ One of the first results was the Canadian Franchise Association’s online franchise directory, LookforaFranchise.ca. In a matter of seconds McEachern was on the site looking at nutrition franchises expanding in the country. That’s when he came across 3rd Degree Training | Actual Nutrition.
Founded by Steve Collette in 2008, the Atlantic Canada franchise offers members seeking to improve their health a wide-range of fitness programs led by certified trainers.
Coupled with a health program where nutrition fundamentals are taught and tailored to each individual’s needs by Registered Dietitians and Certified Nutritionists, the growing franchise has attracted Canadians throughout Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia.
A health enthusiast himself, McEachern was drawn to the franchise for several reasons. Not only did it combine his passion for fitness and nutrition, but making a financial investment in the business was a feasible option.
“After you do some franchise research you realize you need a lot of free cash just for an initial investment,” he says. “3rd Degree’s franchise fees were not as cost prohibitive as I thought they would be. I realized that going into business with them would be very doable for me and that’s what got me from Point A to Point B.”
For McEachern, this meant going from a passive prospective franchisee to an active one. He completed the Information Request Form on 3rd Degree’s listing page to obtain additional information directly from the franchisor.
“I just typed in my info and pressed submit,” McEachern says. “I didn’t know what to expect but it took five minutes of my time. The next day I got an e-mail from Steve and we started having regular and serious conversations about me opening my own centre.”
Fast-forward to February 2017 and McEachern was opening his first location in Saint John, New Brunswick, joining the emerging franchise system as the sixth franchisee. And if you ask him why he decided to reach out to the franchise via LookforaFranchise.ca, he’ll tell you it all came down to reputation.
“If I had just gone directly to 3rd Degree’s website, I would have had to trust that their information was factual,” he says. “When you show up on a third party site like the CFA’s, you know they are legitimate. LookforaFranchise.ca gave me the feeling that this franchise was a reputable brand, and that first impression was worth everything!”
Pascal Quindipan, Gorilla Property Services
Sometimes the road to franchise success is long and winding. But for many, like Gorilla Property Services franchisee Pascal Quindipan, even with a few bumps along the way, in the end it’s all worth it.
“I’m in a position where now I get to finally run my own hours and days. I get time to spend with my family.”
And that wasn’t always the case.
Taking a trip down memory lane, Pascal recalls where his journey all began: “I was in sales and worked nights for a number of years”, he lamented “Then at Telus I held a variety of positions, working my way up to management, before starting my own business.”
But as any startup owners will tell you, launching a business from scratch is fraught with risk.
And no one knows this better than Pascal. Just three years after opening the business he spent a considerable amount of time building, it all crumbled, taking down his dream of business ownership with it too.
“I took a couple of years off after that. I went back into communications and started selling insurance.”
For all intents and purposes, his move into business ownership seemed like a setback, a move in the wrong direction.
Until, that is, he attended the CFA’s Franchise Canada Show.
Passion refueled, dream reignited, he set off for the Franchise Canada Show in Vancouver, but this time he decided not to go it alone. With a ticket to Canada’s most credible franchise exhibition in hand, Pascal wanted to start a business for himself but by no means by himself.
“I started looking around for a franchise opportunity and ended up meeting Mike Mutsaerts [Director of Franchise Development] from Gorilla Property Services.”
It was the turning point for Pascal; just three months later, he successfully achieved his dream of business ownership.
Celebrating a hard-earned milestone, a year has passed since Pascal found success as a Gorilla Property Services franchisee.
Now a typical day for the Richmond, B.C. native can include anything from driving to a new site, working on a client’s property (while enjoying the beautiful weather), or managing a team of eager trainees.
It’s a business he couldn’t be happier to be a part of not only because it’s low-cost compared to other franchise investments but because he can benefit from being part of a system and drop off any mental baggage that comes with starting a business at the door.
“It’s not like I have to open the business, grow and go through that painful phase. Being in a franchise, it’s already up and running and the support from head office is already there.”
Today, Pascal not only gets to be his own boss, he gets the freedom to be with the ones he loves the most. And while the journey was by no means easy, it’s clear that franchising can provide a path to success that, in the end, makes it all worth it.
Malika Rezgani, Lice Squad.com
Malika Rezgani was working in a medical office in downtown Toronto when she decided to do some light reading during one of her downtimes. A rehab support worker at the time, Rezgani always dreamed of opening her own business via franchising, but with her busy schedule, could never find the right time to explore the opportunities available to her.
As fate would have it, the clinic where Rezgani worked subscribed to Franchise Canada.
“For me, starting my franchising career began by simply picking up the magazine and reading it,” she reflects.
Though franchising was always at the back of her mind, Rezgani’s interest in the business model resurfaced after reading an article on Lice Squad.com Founder & CEO, Dawn Mucci.
Mucci founded Lice Squad.com in 2001 after she recognized a growing number of concerned parents were in search of safe and chemical-free solutions to remove their children’s head lice. Today, Lice Squad.com clinics can be found across the country, offering families natural and eco-friendly lice removal products and services.
Promising a stress free – and even fun – experience, Lice Squad.com consultants and franchisees do more than remove the pesky bugs. Education is a key aspect of the business, as Mucci and her franchise partners have made it a priority to equip clients and the public with lice removal and prevention knowledge.
Rezgani was immediately impressed with the unique business model and its projected growth. More importantly, she knew a career with the franchise would be a perfect fit with her personal and professional qualities.
“As a Lice Squad.com franchisee, you interact with people every day,” Rezgani says. “You’re not just going through the process of removing lice, you’re responsible for providing emotional support to clients who are stressed about their situation. I was conducting similar work as a support worker, so I knew I would be happy working with the franchise.”
Today, Rezgani is a multi-unit franchisee with Lice Squad.com, having opened her first clinic in February 2017 covering the Hamilton and Burlington, Ontario regions. Only a few months later, her second location opened in Niagara Falls, Ontario.
Rezgani’s life as a small business owner has given her the freedom to manage her career independently while continuing her passion for working with people. And she says she can thank her on-a-whim decision to pick up Franchise Canada for all of it.
“Without Franchise Canada and the CFA I don’t know if I would have made the step towards franchising. I probably never would have discovered Lice Squad.com!”