27 minute read
Hot Off the Press: CFA Member News
Hot Off the Press
Member News
Paris Baguette Registers Canadian Franchise Disclosure Document
International Bakery-Café Concept Finalizes Legal Document; Continues Focus on Canadian Franchising Opportunities
Paris Baguette, the global bakery-café chain known for its delightful assortment of cakes, pastries, and breads, announced its cemented presence in Canada with its registered Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD). With a strong international presence and over 70 years in the baking business, Paris Baguette is well established in the neighbouring United States and poised for success in Canada, setting sights on expansion in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, and other booming provinces and cities.
“We look forward to building our footprint in Canada through franchising,” says Gregg Koffler, vice president of franchise sales and development. “Consumers are continuing to choose quick service restaurants and, as such, we see a great deal of opportunity for business owners looking for a tried-and-true business model, that offers gourmet menu selections for dine-in, delivery, or takeout. We offer multi-faceted store footprints, and our concept succeeds in a variety of environments, from city centres to suburban shopping complexes. Pairing that with our global identity and real estate team, we are confident that Paris Baguette is positioned to resonate with an array of communities in Canada.”
Paris Baguette looks to maintain progress even during the pandemic, continuing growth throughout North America in the past months, with recent franchise agreement deals signed across the U.S. Providing a wide variety of to-go and take-out options for customers, Paris Baguette offers a business model that allows longevity as the world adjusts to the new normal.
With its growth in Canada through franchises, Paris Baguette continues its trajectory as a major international franchise concept. The most compelling selling points for franchise partners include strong average annual sales, proprietary recipes, and an engaged leadership team.
Ledgers Partners with Loyalty Brands to Create Bookkeeping and Tax Powerhouse
Ledgers Canada and Loyalty Business Services have created a partnership to rapidly expand both companies in Canada and the U.S. As a part of the collaborative growth initiative, Loyalty Business Services will become Ledgers USA to enhance brand awareness throughout North America.
The newly formed Ledgers team is comprised of leaders from several different successful companies to create what is expected to become the largest bookkeeping, tax, payroll, and compliance reporting firm servicing owners of small businesses throughout Canada and the United States. Gordon Haslam, who founded Ledgers Canada and built Ledgers to an industry leader in Canada since starting the company over 25 years ago; John Hewitt, who has built two of the three largest retail income tax service companies (Liberty Tax & Jackson Hewitt Tax) and who has over 52 years of experience building successful, major companies; and Steve Rafsky, who championed the turnaround and growth of Padgett Business Services for almost 20 years, are all excited to collaborate to build a company to help small- and medium-sized business services firms focus more on the growth of their businesses. Ledgers Canada and Ledgers USA will offer tax preparation and consultation, payroll, management financial reporting, and other services using modern, cloud-based technology to meet today’s clients’ needs. For the business services owner, it is a value-based annuity in a business sector that is exploding.
The firm will expand its locations through its affiliation and franchising models. The firm has developed a system to enhance growth and scalability of each location, as well. The Ledgers system includes state-of-the-art technology to manage client onboarding and workflow and modern client acquisition programs that include inbound and outbound marketing that are enhanced with integrated search engine optimization, social media, and other robust programs. This coordinated growth program implementation affords Ledgers efficiencies that individual operators would not usually be able to employ. In addition, the companies will enhance work capacity for its locations by offering access to Ledgers’ central team of professionals.
Metal Supermarkets “Forges” 2021 U.S. Franchise Expansion Plan
Projects 50 New Locations During Next Four Years
The phrase “Big things come in small packages” isn’t one typically associated with the metals distribution industry, where immense products and massive volumes are the order of the day. But Metal Supermarkets is defying these prevailing industry norms.
The North American leader in small-quantity metals has achieved something that few others in 2020 have been able to do – it has consistently broken year-over-year monthly revenue records, truly living up to “Big things come in small packages.”
“The strong momentum we’re demonstrating now has been brewing for several years. Our ability to withstand the pressures of the pandemic was no surprise because we’re set up to thrive in every type of economic condition,” says Stephen Schober, the 14-year president and CEO of Metal Supermarkets, and an executive with more than 30 years in the franchise industry. “When you blend our niche market with a solid business system and an unrelenting commitment to customer experience by our franchisee partners, Metal Supermarkets emerges as the standout metals supplier in every community that we serve.”
Known for its convenience, speed, product variety, and fixation on customer service, Metal Supermarkets announced in December that it is riding this wave of progress to move ahead with a strategic franchise growth initiative that will expand its presence to 150 locations by 2024.
Occupying a stable and important niche in the $200 billion U.S. metal distribution industry, future U.S. expansion is on the horizon. Metal Supermarkets is targeting new franchise development throughout New England, the Midwest, Texas, and the Southwest. Designated an essential business, the concept offers a recessionresistant, innovative, and durable opportunity for interested franchise investors.
Each location provides solutions to customers’ ongoing and regular metal needs in both the business-to-business and businessto-consumer categories. With an innovative and diverse product base and no-minimum product order quantity, Metal Supermarkets has driven strong average gross margins of more than 50 per cent during the last four fiscal years.
FASTSIGNS® Ranked #1 In Category on Annual Entrepreneur Franchise 500 List for Fifth Consecutive Year
Sign, Graphics, and Visual Communications Franchisor Reports Strong Year of Growth Amid Pandemic, Ranking #44 Overall on Esteemed List of Top Franchise Opportunities
FASTSIGNS International, Inc., franchisor of FASTSIGNS®, the leading sign, graphics, and visual communications franchise, announced in January it has been ranked the #1 franchise opportunity in its category in Entrepreneur magazine’s Franchise 500® for the fifth consecutive year. Recognized as an invaluable resource for potential franchisees, the Franchise 500® ranks FASTSIGNS as #44 overall — the only sign, graphics, and visual communications franchise to be recognized in the top 100 — for its outstanding performance in areas including unit growth, financial strength and stability, and brand power.
“We are incredibly proud to once again be the #1 franchise opportunity in the sign, graphics, and visual communications sector. After such an unprecedented year with so much uncertainty, our business model continued to show its resiliency and FASTSIGNS emerged strong and poised for growth in 2021,” says Mark Jameson, chief support and development officer of FASTSIGNS International, Inc. “This recognition is proof of our outstanding international network of franchisees and their commitment to serving their communities as well as our exceptional franchise support team that worked around the clock to help the system succeed.”
Fastsigns Holdings Inc., parent company of FASTSIGNS, reported a strong year of growth amid the pandemic, most notably making its first acquisition with the addition of NerdsToGo, an emerging IT services brand, to its portfolio. Additionally, FASTSIGNS signed 31 franchise agreements to develop new, co-branded, and conversion centres worldwide and the opening of 30 locations, including the brand’s first centre in the Dominican Republic. Much of FASTSIGNS’ success in 2020 can be credited to centres being deemed essential businesses, allowing franchisees to pivot their services to focus on what matters most — serving their customers.
This year, Fastsigns Holdings Inc. aims to sell 30 NerdsToGo franchises nationwide as part of its plans to grow the brand’s presence in new and existing markets. FASTSIGNS is aiming to sign at least 35 franchise agreements across the U.S. in markets such as Southern California, the Midwest, New England, and along the Northeast Corridor. FASTSIGNS is particularly focusing on its co-brand and conversion programs, which help existing business owners add a FASTSIGNS to their store or fully convert their business to a FASTSIGNS franchise.
Express Employment Professionals Accelerates Franchise Development and Welcomes 50 New Franchisees in 2020
Leading Staffing Provider Franchise Signs 61 Agreements to Expand Footprint Across North America and South Africa
Express Employment Professionals, the leading global staffing provider franchise, announced in January that it experienced significant growth in 2020, signing a total of 61 franchise agreements to bring 27 new offices to key target markets, while continuing operations at 34 existing locations and welcoming 50 new franchise operators, systemwide.
In February 2020, Express Employment Professionals also acquired direct hire staffing firm, Frontline Recruitment Group, further expanding its global footprint into Australia and New Zealand for the first time.
“The global workforce was hit hard in 2020 by COVID-19 and each industry sector had different needs at different times. Despite the challenges and complexities that the pandemic presented, our franchisees rose to the occasion and helped fill thousands of jobs last year,” says Bill Stoller, CEO of Express Employment Professionals. “We feel humbly grateful to be able to make an impact on people’s lives in the way we do, and we’re excited to grow this impact in the years to come.”
Since its inception 38 years ago, Express has become the dominant brand in the staffing franchise sector, growing to more than 830 locations across three countries. Express’s longstanding reputation as a staffing industry leader, top-tier unit-level economics, and proven track record of success have been driving forces behind its accelerated franchise development, and the brand is positioned for continued growth in 2021. This year, the company plans to open new offices in key areas across the globe: through-
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out the U.S. in California, New York, and Ohio; in Ontario, Canada; as well as South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.
Throughout 2020, Express was also recognized among the franchise and staffing industries’ most prestigious accolades, including Entrepreneur magazine’s Franchise 500, Franchise Direct’s Top 100 Global Franchises, the Canadian Franchise Association’s Recognition Awards, and ClearlyRated’s Best of Staffing® Client and Talent Awards.
Starlight Construction Announces Rebranding and Name Change to Wolfpack Build
Starlight Construction, a leader in the commercial construction industry, is proud to announce its rebranding as “Wolfpack Build.” Company CEO Manojh Subenthiran says, “The change reflects our emerging place in the industry as a leader and innovator. The name “Wolfpack” better reflects our strength as a team of construction professionals and our determination to be the best and to lead all our competitors.”
The name change has already taken effect. Wolfpack Build encourages clients to visit its website at www.wolfpackbuild.com.
Always Best Care Reports Significant Growth in 2020 Leading Into 25th Year
Leading Senior Care Franchise Launches Eight New Territories and Accelerates Franchise Development with Existing Franchisees
Always Best Care Senior Services, one of the leading senior care franchise systems in the United States, announced in January that it achieved significant growth amid an unprecedented year for the home health care industry, launching eight new territories in untapped markets including Naperville, Illinois; Thousand Oaks, California; Upper Chesapeake, Maryland; and its first location in the state of Utah. Most notably, the brand celebrated international expansion with the signing of a Canadian Master Franchise Agreement and the opening of Always Best Care of Oakville in the province of Ontario.
Demand for in-home care rose quickly during the COVID-19 pandemic, with long-term care facilities like nursing homes identified as hotspots for the virus’ transmission. This emerging industry trend catalyzed considerable growth within Always Best Care’s system. Throughout 2020, several existing franchisees reinvested in Always Best Care, resulting in a total of 18 franchise territory renewals, and serving as a true testament to the brand’s sustainable positioning and long-term viability in a rapidly evolving landscape. Additionally, four established operators expanded their portfolios with Always Best Care through the acquisition of new and existing territories, emphasizing the brand’s best-in-class franchise opportunity and unlimited potential for success.
“2021 marks Always Best Care’s 25th year in business and coming out of an unprecedented year, I couldn’t be more optimistic about the future and longevity of our brand. Despite the challenges our industry faced, I’m incredibly proud of how our dedicated corporate team and franchisees rallied alongside one another to reach new heights and best serve our clients and their needs during such a high-risk time,” says Jake Brown, president and CEO of Always Best Care. “As we reflect on the franchise development growth we experienced in the midst of the pandemic, most of which was driven by existing franchisees, we’re fortunate to have such passionate, talented, and proud owners alongside us as we kick off a milestone year.”
Digital Main Street Partners with GetintheLoop to Pilot in Toronto
Digital Main Street is pleased to announce that GetintheLoop has been selected to offer its mobile marketing solutions to the hundreds of businesses of Kensington Market BIA, Riverside BIA, Lakeshore Village BIA, the Eglinton Way BIA, the Broadview Danforth BIA, and the Beach Village BIA in Toronto through the Community Collaboration Program this winter. The program has the goal of onboarding 240 main street businesses (40 per BIA) to the GetintheLoop platform and 50 have already come online. Funding for this pilot is made available through the Digital Main Street Future Proof program.
GetintheLoop’s technology connects local shoppers to local businesses by providing real-time mobile offers and promotions. Users receive push notifications and emails highlighting specials, incentives, and loyalty programs that are available from nearby small businesses. Participating businesses can feature both instore and online offers; promoting curbside pick-up, delivery, buy now use later, and other timely offers based on the current market conditions. Digital Main Street is supported through FedDev Ontario funding and in partnership with ventureLAB.
“The Government of Canada is pleased to support the Digital Main Street and see innovative technology pilot studies, like this one with GetintheLoop, broadening digital access to main street businesses. We are proud to work with Digital Main Street partners including Toronto Association of Business Improvement Areas (TABIA), Communitech, Invest Ottawa, and the Regional Innovation Centres to help our innovation ecosystem grow stronger,” says The Honourable Mélanie Joly, minister of economic development and official languages and minister responsible for FedDev Ontario.
“We believe that local businesses form the foundation of a vibrant community. GetintheLoop is a simple and effective location-based mobile marketing platform that helps bricks and mortar businesses reach local residents via their smartphones, email, and the web with relevant and timely content and offers. Shopping local is more important than ever, and our technology helps communities stay connected while promoting local businesses during this critical time,” says ChrisPinkerton, president of GetintheLoop.
As main street businesses in Toronto face ongoing closures, they are looking for new ways to engage with their customers and to attract new ones. The Community Collaboration Program seeks to pilot projects that will help main street businesses discover innovative ways to expand their reach. The pilot runs until March 2021. They encourage interested businesses to contact their BIA to learn more.
Raising the Profile of Franchising
As highlighted in our CFA Virtual Events Round-Up on page 18, the CFA has been striving to provide our members with quality education, networking, and lead generation programming in our increasingly virtual world. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact franchising throughout the world, the CFA has used our social media channels to both promote the resources and webinars the Association has provided while also spreading important messaging about the issues impacting the industry. For example, in February, David Druker (president, The UPS Store Canada), Dawn Mucci (founder of Lice Squad.com), and Catherine Monson (CFE, CEO of FASTSIGNS®) each shared video message on LinkedIn expressing the importance of the CFA’s advocacy work, achieving 958 impressions!
500 NEW SOCIAL MEDIA FOLLOWERS – NOV. 30, 2020 – FEB. 12, 2021!
Connect with us on social media:
www.twitter.com/cfafranchise www.facebook.com/ canadianfranchiseassociation
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The CFA’s social media presence continues to grow! Our social media accounts on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter have a total of 13,925 followers! Overall, we are one step closer to reaching our goals of becoming a social influencer within the Canadian franchising community!
Followers:
Facebook LinkedIn Instagram Twitter Total Nov 30, 2020 5,398 5,476 1,397 1,149 13,420 Feb 12, 2021 5,527 5,651 1,586 1,161 13,925
Things we posted on social: Event promos
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National • Franchisor Spotlight Webinars • Learn and Grow Webinars
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• Podcasts • Learning Videos • Nov/Dec 2020 and Jan/Feb 2021 issues
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New CFA Members
FRANCHISE SYSTEM MEMBERS
Affordable Canadian Movers
234 Mason Rd Stratford, PE C1B 2E9 Steve Collette, President T (902) 626-3553 E info@affordablecanadianmovers.ca W www.affordablecanadianmovers.ca
Always Best Senior Care Services
115-710 Dorval Dr Oakville, ON L6K 3V7 Steve Kelly, CEO T (905) 592-4889 E skelly@abc-seniors.com W www.AlwaysBestCareCanada.ca East Side Mario's (Recipe Unlimited)
199 Four Valley Dr Vaughan, ON L4K 0B8 Laura Galle, Franchising Coordinator T (905) 760-2244 ext. 2255, (888) 854-4402 ext. 2255 E franchising@recipeunlimited.com W www.recipefranchising.com
Elephant & Castle (Recipe Unlimited)
199 Four Valley Dr Vaughan, ON L4K 0B8 Laura Galle, Franchising Coordinator T (905) 760-2244 ext. 2255, (888) 854-4402 ext. 2255 E franchising@recipeunlimited.com W www.recipefranchising.com
FirstLight Home Care
Metcalfe Garden, 45 Metcalfe St St. Thomas, ON N5R 5Y1 Brad Rye, CEO - FirstLight Home Care Canada (Master Franchise) T (855) 420-6500, (855) 598-9500 E st.thomas@firstlighthomecare.com W www.firstlighthomecare.ca
Fuwa Fuwa Japanese Pancakes
408 Bloor St W Toronto, ON M5S 2N5 Benson Lau, Business Development T (647) 818-6682 E benson@fuwafuwapancakes.co W www.fuwafuwapancakes.com
Crayola Imagine Arts Academy
(2Inspire)
201-8360 rue Bougainville Montreal, QC H4P 2G1 Scott Reid, Sales Director T (800) 586-5231 E info@imagineartsacademy.com W www.imagineartsacademy.com Fionn MacCool's (Recipe Unlimited)
199 Four Valley Dr Vaughan, ON L4K 0B8 Laura Galle, Franchising Coordinator T (905) 760-2244 ext. 2255, (888) 854-4402 ext. 2255 E franchising@recipeunlimited.com W www.recipefranchising.com Harvey's (Recipe Unlimited)
199 Four Valley Dr Vaughan, ON L4K 0B8 Laura Galle, Franchising Coordinator T (905) 760-2244 ext. 2255, (888) 854-4402 ext. 2255 E franchising@recipeunlimited.com W www.recipefranchising.com
Holy Shakes / TO's Kathi Roll Eatery
10 Gillingham Dr Brampton, ON L6X 0G6
Sumit Kohli
T (647) 748-8573 E kohli_sumit@rocketmail.com
Il Fornello Restaurants
200-500 Eglinton Ave E Toronto, ON M4P 1N3
Joel Sisson
T (416) 920-9410 E franchising@ilfornello.com W www.ilfornello.com
Kelseys (Recipe Unlimited)
199 Four Valley Dr Vaughan, ON L4K 0B8 Laura Galle, Franchising Coordinator T (905) 760-2244 ext. 2255, (888) 854-4402 ext. 2255 E franchising@recipeunlimited.com W www.recipefranchising.com
Little Kids Daycare Center
1-2165 Grosvenor St Oakville, ON L6H 7K9 Christina Payne, Franchise Consultant T (888) 992-0595 E franchise@littlekidsdaycare.com W www.littlekidsdaycare.com
Lube FX Plus
12621 Ford Rd Edmonton, AB T5C 3C2 Eddie Sayed, Owner/Director T (780) 707-0710 E lubefx.plus@gmail.com W www.lubefx.com Mad Science (2Inspire)
201-8360 rue Bougainville Montreal, QC H4P 2G1 Scott Reid, Sales Director T (800) 586-5231 E info@imagineartsacademy.com W www.imagineartsacademy.com
Mike Holmes Inspections
2-55 Horner Ave Toronto, ON M8Z 4X6 Scott Piccolo, CEO T (416) 456-5830 E spiccolo@mikeholmesinspections.com W https://franchiseopportunities. mikeholmesinspections.com/apply/
Milestones (Recipe Unlimited)
199 Four Valley Dr Vaughan, ON L4K 0B8 Laura Galle, Franchising Coordinator T (905) 760-2244 ext. 2255, (888) 854-4402 ext. 2255 E franchising@recipeunlimited.com W www.recipefranchising.com
New York Fries (Recipe Unlimited)
199 Four Valley Dr Vaughan, ON L4K 0B8 Laura Galle, Franchising Coordinator T (905) 760-2244 ext. 2255, (888) 854-4402 ext. 2255 E franchising@recipeunlimited.com W www.recipefranchising.com Original Joe's (Recipe Unlimited)
199 Four Valley Dr Vaughan, ON L4K 0B8 Laura Galle, Franchising Coordinator T (905) 760-2244 ext. 2255, (888) 854-4402 ext. 2255 E franchising@recipeunlimited.com W www.recipefranchising.com
Philty Philly’s CheeseSteaks & Poutinerie
986 Northern Prospect Cres Newmarket, ON L3X 1N8 Danny Kotsopoulos, CEO T (416) 400-1947 E danny@philthyphillys.com W www.philthyphillys.com
QuickLube
939 Carrington Blvd NW Calgary, AB T3P 1L7 Mike, Director of Franchise Developments T (403) 397-3345 E info@quick-lube.com W www.quick-lube.com
Swiss Chalet (Recipe Unlimited)
199 Four Valley Dr Vaughan, ON L4K 0B8 Laura Galle, Franchising Coordinator T (905) 760-2244 ext. 2255, (888) 854-4402 ext. 2255 E franchising@recipeunlimited.com W www.recipefranchising.com
State & Main (Recipe Unlimited)
199 Four Valley Dr Vaughan, ON L4K 0B8 Laura Galle, Franchising Coordinator T (905) 760-2244 ext. 2255, (888) 854-4402 ext. 2255 E franchising@recipeunlimited.com W www.recipefranchising.com
St-Hubert (Recipe Unlimited)
199 Four Valley Dr Vaughan, ON L4K 0B8 Rocco Lofano, Vice President, Operations T (450) 688-4400 E franchise@st-hubert.com W www.recipefranchising.com
ValentaBPO
750-2 Robert Speck Pkwy Mississauga, ON L4Z 1H8 Muhammad Asif, Managing Director T (647) 532-7219 E asif.muhammad@valentabpo.com W www.valentaBPO.ca
FSS/SUPPLIER MEMBERS
East Brands
66 Strawberry Lane Stratford, PE C1B 0K7 Steve Collette, President T (902) 394-7575 E info@eastbrands.ca W www.eastbrands.ca
Fortitude Construction
734 Gibb St Oshawa, ON L1J 2A2 Kayleigh Bradshaw, Director of Operations T (437) 236-8855 E kbradshaw@fortitudeconstruction.ca W www.fortitudeconstruction.ca
Franchise Fix
Angelee Brown, CEO and Founder T (289) 214-7557 E angelee@franchisefix.ca W www.franchisefix.ca
Franchise Kickstarter
253 Columbia St Vancouver, BC V6A 2R5
Braden Lauer / Sandra Graham
T (800) 951-1319 E braden@thefranchisekickstarter.com sandra@thefranchisekickstarter.com W www.thefranchisekickstarter.com
Franchise System Supply (Sales Connector)
596 Mullin Way Burlington, ON L7L 4J4 Steve Mullaley, Co-Founder & CEO T (289) 237-9121 E info@salesconnector.ca W www.salesconnector.ca
Home Depot (The)
400-1 Concorde Gate Toronto, ON M3C 4H9 Gail Lemay, National Account Manager T (416) 738-1583 E gail_lemay@homedepot.com W www.homedepot.ca
Imagine Franchise
402-370 rue St-Andre Montreal, QC H2L 0C4 Stephane Breault, President T (514) 349-0536 E sbreault@imaginefranchise.com W www.imaginefranchise.com
ME Franchising
305-1095 Pratt Ave Montreal, QC H2V 2V5 Mahmoud Chahrour, President T (514) 574-7270 E mahmoud@me-franchising.com W www.me-franchising.com
MLT Aikins LLP
2200-10235 101 St Edmonton, AB T5J 3G1 Aleem Popatia, Partner T (780) 969-3509 E apopatia@mltaikins.com W www.mltaikins.com
Neovation
449 Provencher Blvd Winnipeg, MB R2J 0B8 Josh Flower, Sr. Sales Director / Philip Giles, Sr. Sales Director T (855) 885-2469 E josh.flower@neovation.com / philip.giles@neovation.com W neovation.com
Predictive Success
1-310 Byron St S Whitby, ON L1N 4P8 Jason Taylor, Managing Principal T (905) 430-9788 E jtaylor@predictivesuccess.com W www.predictivesuccess.com
Torkin Manes LLP
1500-151 Yonge St Toronto, ON M5C 2W7 Matt Maurer, Chair – Franchise Law Group T (416) 777-5452 E mmaurer@torkinmanes.com W www.torkinmanes.com
TrainingFolks
33-111 Zenway Blvd Woodbridge, ON L4H 3H9 Saqib Hassan, President & Co-Founder T (905) 850-3986 E info@trainingfolks.com W www.trainingfolks.com
Wagepoint
#1110, 240-70 Shawville Blvd SE Calgary, AB T2Y 2Z3 Arjun Pisharody, Head of Partnerships E marketing@wagepoint.com W www.wagepoint.com
Participating
in CFA events, committees, and publications is a great way to connect with industry leaders and share best practices with like-minded professionals, while building your profile and resume. Contact the CFA membership team at membership@cfa.ca to learn more about how you can become an active member of Your Association today!
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A Bright Idea
In this feature, we bring you a bright idea from a CFA member – a simple tip, piece of advice, or business / life hack that you might want to adopt. If you have a ‘Bright Idea’ you’d like to share with CFA members, please send an email to editor@cfa.ca highlighting your idea.
Dani Bazely
Director of Marketing Driverseat
Dani’s Bright Idea: Joining Clubhouse:
The Platform That Everyone in Business Should Be On
Clubhouse is a growing platform which started with only 1,500 users in May 2020, and has grown to have more than 600,000 registered users in 2021. At this current trend, the platform may be at two billion users by June.
Engaging on Clubhouse is like live podcasting mixed with a conference call. Users can listen to conversations, join in, ask questions, and host their rooms. It is made up of Clubs, Rooms, and Followers. Clubs are topic-based, allowing like-minded people to share advice, topics, and interests. Rooms are the live-hosted conversations, which can be created on the spot or scheduled out. Users are notified when someone they follow joins as a speaker in a room so that they can listen in.
What you need to know if you are currently using or thinking about getting on Clubhouse:
1. Expect to be there more to learn than you are there to teach. You should envision Clubhouse like a conference.
Clubhouse has quickly become my favourite social and business app. When other media has become a lot of work and ultimately draining, Clubhouse is the opposite. It is motivating, inspiring, and engaging. Every user on the app is giving their time to support their network, share their insight, and get to know others. It is as authentic to a conference as you can get, so don’t underestimate the learning and motivation that speakers have.
Remember when you are at a conference in a keynote speaker room with thousands of others, it is not necessarily a space to network. Networking happens in small and mediumsized rooms where you can speak, share, and ask questions.
2. Respect the rules and each other.
Clubhouse is currently invite-only, and there are rules on the platform and in clubs. It is also in Beta mode and works only on iPhones. These rules are built to protect the value of Clubhouse and ensure that the conversations are positive, meaningful, and on topic. If you are in a room about lead generation, do not veer off into a sales conversation trying to sell your business products. If you break rules, you can be removed from a room, a club, or taken off the app entirely.
3. Maximize your profile and the tools in your biography.
Your biography is the first look into who you are and what you do, and it needs to represent you. Most Clubhouse bios are about 20 lines of information, but the first two are what they see when they first click on your profile. Here are my tips for crafting an effective biography:
• Make your picture pop. A single colour background with a professional headshot is a good way to go. • Share your pronouns. Like most social media platforms, gender identification is not available. Share your pronouns to create an inclusive environment on the app. • Make the first two lines of your bio impactful. Share the most known thing about you. It could be your role, your passion, or your organization. • Brag about yourself in your bio. Include your awards, accolades, areas of expertise, and anything that will encourage someone to follow you, or to hear more about those potential topics. • Attach your public profiles, and make them public! There is currently no one-on-one messaging on Clubhouse. Everyone takes their conversations offline to Instagram DMs, so your profiles need to be public and be an accurate photographic representation of who you are on Clubhouse. To connect more with others, it is pertinent to be open to messages.
4. Create meaningful connections.
This app is worldwide and its algorithm is based on whom you follow and the clubs that you are in, so you can meet people from all over the world with like-minded interests. Currently, with the app at under five per cent of its potential user-ship by end-of-year, there is a greater opportunity to meet others. There are many great conversations about franchising, marketing, and leadership. I try to host a room once a week or more to facilitate conversations about these topics. Each user has something to offer and interacting with like-minded individuals helps you join more meaningful conversations in the future. If you are interested in hosting a room on a topic that interests you or that you specialize in, invite other speakers to grow the audience and to create a more diverse panel of speakers.
5. The platform is going to grow, which is going to cause a lot of change.
Many of the existing features and flow of the app will not be functional with a larger number of users - which increases daily. We will likely see moderators become paid roles or partnerships with the app, creating clubs will be nearly impossible, and highly-followed keynote speakers will eventually come at a cost. Enjoy the app as it is now, and be patient as the changes come and the app becomes something very different in the next 10 months.
Follow me at @danibazely to join our conversation on Clubhouse and direct message me to connect further!
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All webinars are now complimentary; another great member benefit at no cost
Upgrade your skills from the convenience of your home, office or on the go every Wednesday with Learn & Grow Webinars!
Looking to upgrade your skills but don’t have time to attend off-site events? Don’t let a jam-packed schedule stop you from staying current in your field. Register for the CFA’s Learn & Grow Webinars today and: n Watch on your PC, tablet or smartphone. Whether you’re in the office or on the go, Learn & Grow
Webinars offer maximum flexibility for busy franchisors. n Hear from the experts and ask questions about your most pressing business challenges. n Learn best practices and strategies you can implement today. You don’t have to travel or take time off from work to learn new skills and ideas – register for Learn and Grow Webinars and expand your expertise with the click of a button.
Upcoming Learn & Grow Webinars Lineup
The CFA has unveiled an exciting webinar lineup for 2021 covering the hottest topics in franchising. Upcoming sessions include:
March 17, 2021
The COVID-19 Vaccine and Its Implications in the Workplace
March 25, 2021
10AM – 3PM AST
April 15, 2021
10AM – 3PM ET
May 15, 2021
10AM – 3PM PST
To book tradeshow space, contact: Jill Todd at (647) 988-4545 or jtodd@cfa.ca
UPCOMING EVENTS
March 2021
Expanding Your Franchise Brand Into Canada Webinar Franchise Development in the New Normal Franchise CEO Forum Franchise Social Ask an Expert Roundtable
April 2021
Virtual Franchise Your Business Franchise Social Franchise CEO Forum Ask an Expert Roundtable
May 2021
Franchise Social Franchise CEO Forum Ask an Expert Roundtable
visit www.cfa.ca/events/ for more updates on upcoming events
Important CFA Dates and Deadlines
Franchise Canada May/June 2021 issue
Ad sales close: March 19, 2021
Franchise Canada July/August 2021 issue
Ad sales close: May 14, 2021
Contact Nav Matharu at nmatharu@cfa.ca
Franchisor Spotlight Webinar
March 2, 2021
PropertyGuys.com
2PM – 3PM ET March 23, 2021
TaxAssist
2PM – 3PM ET
Check Out the Upgraded Franchise Canada Website!
This year, we launched upgraded websites across all of the CFA brands (CFA.ca, LookForAFranchise.ca, and FranchiseCanada.Online) to enhance the user experience with increased speed and an easier to navigate platform. With the enhanced Franchise Canada website, users now have a better browsing experience, making it easier for prospective franchisees to access the resources that can help them discover franchise opportunities. Users can explore a wide variety of content including the current Franchise Canada issue, articles from back issues, exclusive online content, franchise learning videos, podcast episodes, access to purchase the 2021 Franchise Canada Directory, and so much more. FranchiseCanada.Online receives more than 4,000 monthly visitors, with a target audience comprised of prospective and existing franchisees, entrepreneurs, investment organizations, and more. We also promote the content to our 14,000+ followers on all of the CFA’s social media platforms and in biweekly newsletters to our 17,000+ subscribers.
