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Being Canadian and owning a franchise doesn’t seem much different than being a franchisee in other countries, right? After all, Canadian franchisees work hard and demonstrate traits that all franchise success stories do: the dream, the drive, and the determination.
But you need more than that to be a successful—and happy—franchisee. Environment plays a big part too. And Canada has a really happy foundation for prospective franchisees to start from.
According to Gallup polls and the UN’s World Happiness Report, Canada is undoubtedly a good place to live, with annually consistent top ten spots in both the happiness rank and the overall best countries rank. Simply stated, by subjective and objective measures, Canadians love being Canadian. And that happiness flows into how Canadians make their living too.
Below are three main reasons Canadian franchise owners have confidence in the foundation of their entrepreneurial market, and can find happiness in being a franchisee.
Political and Economic Stability
In the work world, Canadians see and appreciate an economy that welcomes business creativity, transparency in its government, and personal freedoms. They view the opportunities for entrepreneurial ventures as the sixth highest globally. If you plan on being in North America, Canada is considered the best place to run a franchise.
Political stability measured a perfect “10” and economic stability a very respectable 9.7. With a strong faith in business success and reliable government practices, franchisees can pursue their business endeavors with confidence. It takes fortitude to embark on a franchise start-up, so it is particularly helpful when the business and political environment are strong.
Process Perfection
In addition to stability, Canada has managed to provide consistent programs for its people that benefit the country and business markets. Citizens appreciate and value a well-established public health care system and gave perfect scores to the Canadian education system—perfect scores!
We know how important it is to have healthy and educated employees, able to contribute to economic success. We have cause to celebrate because we know we are doing something right for our fellow citizens and for our own business.
Personal Contentment
Canadians have a reputation for being particularly nice. But hey, as stereotypes go, we’ll take it.
Maybe it’s the stability around us or the benefits of a good education, but we Canadians look at life with a bit more joy. We view our neighbors as pieces in the happiness puzzle. We use this to our advantage in business, and our franchises often succeed in great part because of this community connection.
When a franchise knows and appreciates its local customer base, it is better able to grow and develop. And unlike many places, the happiness leads to success as much as it is a result of success.
When our social process and government institutions work well, we are free to pursue our happiness—including as a franchisee.
Anne Daniells is a co-owner of Enterprising Solutions, a professional services firm specializing in corporate communication and financial improvement for businesses where she shares decades of corporate and entrepreneurial experience—including franchise ownership—in her writings on business culture. She has authored hundreds of articles for publications including AllBusiness.com, TweakYourBiz.com, and MSN.com. Reach out via her website for more on where corporate culture, communication, and human architecture collide.