Franchising in Canada: checking training and support

Buying a franchise means joining a network whose know-how must be transferable. But a promise of ‘comprehensive support’ tells you nothing about training hours, who will be available or which costs you will have to cover. Before choosing a brand in Canada, check how its support will prepare you to run your business in practice, then have those commitments checked against the contract.

1. Check that the training matches your role

Ask for a detailed programme, rather than just a sales overview. It should specify the skills taught, the duration, the teaching methods, the location and who must attend. An introduction to the products is no substitute for learning how to manage day-to-day operations.

Compare the content with your own needs: staff management, software use, stock control, performance monitoring, customer service and complaints handling. Depending on the business, also check how thoroughly the programme covers hygiene, safety and local regulatory requirements.

Questions to ask include:

• How much of the programme takes place in an operating outlet?
• Who trains the franchisee, and what operational experience do they have?
• Can the manager and employees attend?
• Are the materials available in your team’s working language?
• How is competence assessed?

Examine what happens if you fail the training. The contract may make successful completion a condition of opening. Ask which criteria apply, whether you can retake the training, who pays and what happens to money already paid if the franchisor refuses to let you start trading.

2. Calculate the costs you will have to cover

‘Training included’ does not necessarily mean that all related costs are covered. Ask for a written breakdown distinguishing the services covered by the initial franchise fee from additional expenses.

Check travel, accommodation, meals, wages during training, cover for staff attending training and training for employees recruited later. Also ask whether on-site assistance is charged by the day and whether the adviser’s travel expenses will be passed on to you.

For each item, record four things: the service, its price or how it is calculated, who is responsible and when payment is due. Where a charge can change, identify the clause allowing this and the notice requirements.

Finally, test a practical scenario: your manager leaves shortly after opening. Who will train their replacement, how soon and at what cost? This question often exposes the limits of support described as ongoing.

3. Turn promised support into specific commitments

Separate three stages: pre-opening preparation, launch assistance and ongoing support. For each, ask for clearly identifiable services rather than general assurances.

Launch assistance might, for example, include an adviser being present for a specified period. Have their role clarified: training the team, correcting procedures or helping to organise the first few days. Do not assume they will cover staff shortages.

For ongoing support, check:

• how often visits take place and whether they carry a charge;
• support hours and contact channels;
• the procedure for dealing with a breakdown that prevents you from operating;
• access to refresher and update training;
• how to escalate a problem that remains unanswered.

Ask for an anonymised example of a visit report and a demonstration of the learning tools. A franchise network can encourage members to share advice, but mutual help does not replace the franchisor’s obligations.

Have key commitments included in the contract or an approved schedule. Your lawyer should check the effect of any clauses stating that the contract constitutes the entire agreement, as well as whether services can be changed through the operations manual.

4. Understand the provincial legal context

In Canada, franchise-specific rules are set at provincial level. In Ontario, the Arthur Wishart Act (Franchise Disclosure), 2000 requires, subject to applicable exceptions, a disclosure document to be provided at least 14 days before a franchise-related agreement is signed or any consideration is paid. Material information about training and assistance should be reviewed alongside the contractual commitments.

The Act also imposes a duty of fair dealing in the performance of the contract, including good faith and adherence to reasonable commercial standards. This does not, however, guarantee a level of support that is not provided for in the agreement.

Quebec has no franchise-specific legislation: the Civil Code of Québec applies, particularly its rules on good faith and contracts. Do not assume that Ontario’s waiting period applies there. Have the rules checked for the province where you intend to operate, and keep the presentations, emails and responses you receive.

Key takeaway: before committing, obtain a training programme, a breakdown of costs and written support commitments. Any essential promise that remains vague should be clarified before you sign.