Welcome back to the Franchise Canada Chats Podcast! This week Renée is meeting with Christina Strudwick, a CEFA Early Learning franchisee in British Colombia.
In 2021, while the COVID-19 pandemic lingered over us, Christina took a brave new leap in her career: she opened her own CEFA franchise in Abbotsford, British Colombia. Launching a business during such a tumultuous time in history is challenge enough, but factor in construction delays and the natural learning curves that come with first-time business ownership, and Christina exemplifies the grit and determination that makes up a successful franchisee.
Before opening her location, Christina was a bank branch manager and oversaw a real estate portfolio, meaning that leadership roles were familiar territory for her. After seeing the impacts of CEFA Early Learning on her own children and getting to know the impressive brand awareness that came with the franchise system, she embarked on her own journey with the brand.
Tune in to today’s episode to hear more about Christina’s story: her decision to become a franchisee, the aspects of the business that she considered prior to signing her franchise agreement, the significance of community engagement, and the ups and downs that she’s powered through as an entrepreneur.
On this episode we’ll discuss:
- How franchisees receive support from their systems
- What goes into researching and choosing a particular franchise brand
- How early learning affects its students
- The work that goes into a business’ grand opening
- And so much more!
