A Message from Chair of the CFA Board of Directors Gerry Docherty

tive voices in the industry. Our membership, comprised of suc- cessful franchise systems and franchise support service supplier members, represents the core of the Canadian franchising com- munity. In times like these, tapping into this great resource to equip your business with industry best practices is critical.CFA members, we have access to a key resource to help us navigate the increasingly challenging business landscape brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic: the most authorita-

If you take a look at the CFA’s ongoing educational program- ming, you’ll notice a common thread. Whether it’s our Learn & Grow Webinars or the upcoming Franchise Development in the New Normal event, CFA educational programming is all about picking the brains of successful franchisors and franchise brands across the CFA membership base. Through our community-based programming, franchisors and suppliers alike can learn about the value of utilizing tried and proven practices and how they could be applied to their own systems.

For example, our  upcoming  Franchise  Development  in  the New Normal event coming up on March 4 is led by a committee of seasoned franchising professionals from established  brands: Joel Friedman (Inspiration Learning Center), Safiah Arooz (Mary Brown’s Chicken), Daniel Hopkins (Paul Davis Restoration), and Eric Steward (Pillar to Post Home Inspectors). The event will offer first-hand learnings from these and other inspiring and successful speakers about what they are doing and what tactics they have adopted to help ramp up franchise sales during the pandemic. While you can adopt these tips and tricks to use today, you can likely continue to use them in the future as we move forward into a new normal in post-COVID-19 life.

As a community, the comprehensive  knowledge  and  insight that CFA members bring to the table is invaluable during times like these.

This digital publication alone showcases why the CFA is looked at as the No. 1 authoritative voice of Canada’s franchising industry. Since becoming a CFA member, I have gained extensive insight into the industry that has proven invaluable. The voices of this incredible industry and what they offer in terms of best practices can be found in the digital pages of this very magazine. From John Prittie of TWO MEN  AND  A  TRUCK  Canada’s  “Real Life Lesson” (page 30) to Dani  Bazely  of  Driverseat’s  “Bright Idea” (page 48) featured in this issue of The Franchise Voice, to the CFA’s educational events, Virtual Franchise Canada Shows, Franchise Canada magazine, e-blasts, the LookForAFranchise.ca website, and a wide host of other offerings, it’s easy to see the benefits of membership.

Read the insightful articles contained within the pages of this publication with one simple question in mind: What can I learn from this issue that I can implement in my own franchise?