On behalf of all of us at FranNet in Canada, I’d like to welcome you to this video series on business ownership, with a particular focus on franchise ownership.

This is a logic-flow presentation, meaning there will be a series of videos you can watch independently. However, for the best results, it’s ideal to view them from beginning to end.

We encourage questions—so as they arise, please pause the video and note them down so we can address them with you later in person.

In this video series, we will explore business ownership: what it is as an alternative career option, what your three primary options are within business ownership, whether it’s a viable strategy for consideration, and whether it could be the right fit for you.

We’ll also cover franchising in detail, which will be the main focus of this video. We’ll talk about your options, how to conduct proper research, what guidance you need during that process, and what’s involved in making an informed, educated decision.

What this series is not: it’s not a progressive sales pitch, and it’s not a list of top franchises or what’s currently trending. With over 1,200 franchise concepts in Canada, there are simply too many options to explore in detail. We won’t be talking about specific brands unless one is mentioned to illustrate a specific point.

Why am I qualified to speak to you today?

After seven years in banking early in my career, I became an entrepreneur at the age of 27. I’m now 59, and the vast majority of my career has been in entrepreneurship—27 of those years in franchising. I’ve been on every side of the franchise table: as a franchisor running one of Canada’s largest training companies with 110 offices, as a franchise consultant helping companies become franchisors, and as a franchisee with FranNet.

I’ve also volunteered with the Canadian Franchise Association since 1994 and have served on its board of directors since 2010. With all this experience, I bring a 360-degree perspective on franchise ownership in Canada.

This well-rounded business experience has helped me identify what drives success—and failure—in various types of businesses. More importantly, it’s helped me guide clients in building their ideal business models and conducting effective research to reduce risk and avoid major mistakes.

This is going to be a very authentic presentation. Going into business is one of the most authentic things you can do—it requires being honest with yourself. This is not about us; it’s about you, and what truly matters to you.

The key factor in business success is fit—whether a business fits your skills, competencies, goals, and objectives. To succeed, the business must fit you—not the other way around.

Through my own journey, I’ve learned that business ownership is a fantastic place to be if it’s the right fit. That fit is determined by your personal goals, skills, and motivations.

Successful people succeed because they understand their skills and prioritize fit. Unsuccessful people often fail because they don’t have the core skills—or they choose the wrong business by focusing on the business itself, rather than what they need personally.

Just because a business is right for someone else doesn’t mean it’s right for you.

FranNet has over 60 offices across North America and internationally. Over the past 32 years, we’ve helped thousands of people transition from employment to self-employment through franchise ownership.

To support this, we’ve developed tools like profiling instruments to provide insight into people’s communication styles, motivators, skills, and consulting processes. By looking through multiple lenses, we help each person craft a personalized business model.

Only after we’ve built that model do we introduce specific, well-matched franchise options for research—options vetted by FranNet’s head office. These are companies we work with regularly, and we understand who their ideal franchisee is and what success looks like for them.

It’s a two-way match. We only introduce companies that make sense for you to research—so you don’t waste time on businesses that won’t be a good fit or help you achieve your goals.

We then guide you through a proven research process so that, in the end, you can make a defensible decision—either:

• “No, business ownership isn’t right for me (or at least not right now),” or
• “Yes, business ownership is right for me, this is the right franchise, and here’s why I’ll succeed.”
  
  

Before you buy, our job is to get you to the “here’s why” of your decision—regardless of whether it’s a yes or no.

One of the key takeaways today is that franchise research is not a Google exercise. It’s not something you can casually browse online at night. It’s a formal, iterative process done with carefully selected franchise companies.

So, this is all about assessment, model building, proper research, and making a defensible decision.

FranNet doesn’t sell businesses, franchises, or dreams. We don’t create dreams for you—but we do help you gain clarity around your goals and objectives and guide your research to see how a franchise might help you achieve them.

This discussion is coming from someone who helps people make better decisions by going through structured processes and collecting as much relevant information as possible. This is not a sales process—it’s a research process.

And here’s one more thing to remember: our services are no cost to you. We are paid by the franchisors—but only if and when someone buys. It’s essentially the executive recruiting model applied to franchising.

In Canada, we currently have four consultants serving Ontario and Eastern Canada, and two consultants serving Western Canada. All of us bring deep business, entrepreneurial, and corporate experience—so we understand what it means to make that career transition.

We also have a full-time executive assistant focused on client support. One of our core strengths is understanding local market nuances.

So, why are you here today? Because you’re starting to consider your options.

From a strategic perspective, you really only have two career paths:

1. Continue working in the corporate world—for someone else.
2. Buy or start a business and work for yourself.

That’s it.

Each path leads to a destination—your career objectives. Employment might provide steady paychecks and predictability, while business ownership opens doors to a different set of rewards.

I’ll even give you a tool at the end of this video to help you evaluate whether business ownership could be the right path for you.

To be completely honest: business ownership is not the right pathway for most people.

This presentation is not about promoting one path over the other—it’s about helping you assess which strategy is more likely to help you reach your personal goals.

What else are we going to cover?

• Why consider business ownership?
• What are the three primary types of business ownership?
• What drives people toward this path?
• What are the pros and cons of each type?

We’ll also cover:

• Franchising 101 – What makes franchising work.
• Franchise myths – Common misperceptions and realities.
• Who franchise ownership is right for.
• The different types of franchising.

These will be some of the most important sections of the entire series.

Toward the end of the video, we’ll discuss:

• Finding your optimum match – Key considerations.
• Research steps – How to properly investigate franchise options.

That concludes the introductory segment. In the next segment, we’ll explore career strategies and career pathways.