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How To Qualify For Franchise Financing In Canada – A Franchising Finance Business Loan That Makes Sense!

Guest post by: Stan Prokop

Article Overview: Information on franchise financing in Canada . How to get a business loan and finance your franchise via a two step plan to success .

How To Qualify For Franchise Financing In Canada – A Franchising Finance Business Loan That Makes Sense!

What do I need to do to get to the goal line? That's a favorite client question when it comes to franchise financing in Canada. We're talking about a franchising business loan to finance your new business (or one that exists already which you're buying).

Information. Solid info that you want on the qualifications and process involved in getting approved for your franchise investment. Let's dig in.

To say that franchise finance is a ' specialty' area of Canadian business financing is an understatement. There is a fundamental misunderstanding of how this type of finance works, the processes around it, and the risks that you can avoid by doing things properly... with some expert advice along the way.

Is there a systematic way, or method that Canadian franchisees can use to get the financing they need? We think there is. Essentially it is really two very simpe concepts, planning, and knowing the process. Simple as that.

Many new Canadian franchisee ' wannabees' view financing as an obstacle. We can forgive those clients sometimes because in the last few years any type of business financing has been a challenge, whether you're General Motors or purchasing a new franchise in the restaurant industry!

Many franchisees (mistakenly so) think the franchisor you are working with is either going to provide you with the financing you need, or in some cases at least steer you in the right direction. They might do a bit of the latter, but let's be honest here; the franchisors job is selling franchises, not financing them. Even various banks and other franchise lenders probably would like to see franchisors being more involved in the franchising finance business, but we simply don't think that is going to happen.

Education. And guess what, we are not talking about educating you, we're talking on your need to be able to educate your franchise lender about why you are the perfect franchise financing in Canada candidate.

And who are the franchise lenders in Canada. That's probably the main thing you wanted to know, isn't it? There are 4 key franchise lenders in Canada. They are the Canadian chartered banks under a special program called the BIL/CSBF program , one or two very specialized franchise finance lenders ( they only do very large transactions ) , and thirdly some independent finance firms that offer equpment financing tailored specifically for the franchise industry .

But didn't we say there were 4 lenders? We did. And we're pretty sure you know that 4th lender already. It's yourself, because your own equity portion or down payment into your business is viewed of course as a debt or a loan.

So whats the clear process in qualifying for franchise financing in Canada. Is there a clear road map you can follow? We categorically think there is. And here it is.

Identify the total franchise funding you need. Determine what amount of owner equity you are prepared to put into the transaction. Anywhere from 10 - 40% is typically required. Determine which of the 3 other methods of financing will allow you to cobble together a total solution to finance your new business.

Next step - prepare a package that includes a business plan, cash flow, info on yourself and the franchisor, with a focus on success and repayment of your debt. Along the way don't forget that you need reasonable personal credit history, and boy does some specific industry experience or general business knowledge help in confirming your future ability to be successful for a franchise finance business loan.

Focus on the best financing that matches your needs; we strongly recommend the BIL program which has great rates, terms, structures, and limited personal guarantees.

Going it alone? It's possible. A better idea? Speak to a trusted, credible an experienced Canada business financing advisor on information and help on franchise financing in Canada. Next step = ' You're approved '!

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Article Tags: business loan, franchise financing in Canada



Related Forum Posts
Re: Hello EvanCarmichaelers, and Thanks! - "Carmichaelers" ..nice.. Over at the Young Entrepreneurs I'm going to start calling my readers "DSilvelers" - I like the sound of that! Welcome on board theFranchiseMarket. Do you run a Franchise Business or are involved in Franchising in anyway?
canada resources - I used to have a connection to a franchise consultant in Canada at "Franchise Officer" in Toronto. I wish I could remember his name ( but I can check my files at the office tomorrow). Anyway, he had a lot of connections to banks in Canada. He may know of them and may be able to offer some feedback. If you are looking for a business loan, Canada has similar business loan programs to that of the USA's Small Business Administration (SBA). I think its SLBS in Cananda, and I probably have the list of it's lenders in my office also. Do you think either can be helpful? If so, I can get back to you with this information tomorrow. Let me know!
Re: Info for would be franchisers... - [quote="Sebastien":1d29sdv1]Like Franchise Times, Franchise Update is a very practical magazine. There is no blah blah, just straight facts that anyone in the franchise community can relate to. I just want to mention that all these magazines are NOT franchisee oriented. I mean these magazines are for franchise professionals. If you're looking to buy a franchise, you won't find much information in there. To answer your question, getting published in Franchise Times was fairly easy. I don't want to brag too much but I think I am known in the franchise industry. I was the marketing guy at Franchise.com for a few years before joining my new company, the World Franchising Network. So people know me and I have a very good relationship with Nancy Weingartner, the Managing Editor at Franchise Times. I was talking with her at the last Franchise Expo South in Miami and she mentioned she'd like me to be profiled. I was like "ok, sure!". I like this franchise executive profile thing in Franchise Times as it is rarely BS. People are usually really natural in there.[/quote:1d29sdv1] Thanks for the follow up Sebastien! And I can't say that I'm surprised that networking with the right people and managing your relationships with them properly are the keys to being published. I guess the old adage holds true of "it's not who you know, but who knows you" that's important.
re: restaurant start-up - I'm not sure about government grants for restaurants, but my recommendation would be to approach a lender that offers loans under the Canadian Small Business Financing Loan program where the government will guarantee 85% of the loan. You can borrow up to $250,000 to finance equipment and renovations under this program. Restaurants are very risky business, however some of the Chartered Banks will look at restaurants if there is enough of an initial equity investment and you have a solid business plan (experienced management team, good concept and strategic location).
These maybe the coldest franchises out there: - Here are the worst 15 performing franchises in regards to having the highest Small Business Administration (SBA) loan failure rates. The list is dotted with sub sandwich shops, fitness centers and car shops. WORST FRANCHISE LOAN FAILURES Failure % 1 OBEE'S SOUP SALAD SUBS 55.56% 2 LADY OF AMERICA 41.94% 3 COUNTRY CLUTTER (BED & BREAKFAST) 41.18% 4 COPY CLUB 36.36% 5 ALL TUNE AND LUBE 35.71% 6 PICKERMAN'S 35.71% 7 PHILLY CONNECTION 35.59% 8 ROLY POLY ROLLED SANDWICHES 34.78% 9 COTTMAN TRANSMISSION 34.48% 10 HAIR COLOR EXPRESS 33.33% 11 LEE MYLES AUTOMOTIVE TRANSMISSIONS 33.33% 12 GODFATHER'S PIZZA 33.33% 13 SMOOTHIE FACTORY 33.33% 14 BLIMPIE 31.39% 15 GOLF U.S.A. (RETAIL GOLF EQUIP.) 30.77% Source: Small Business Administration, SBA Loan Performance Within Franchise Code for the Period of FY 2001 - 2005


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