Buying a franchise can mean many advantages for new immigrants, but do your research before you buy

Buying a franchise is a popular way to enter the Canadian business community. Franchises come with a proven system for doing business and earning profits, as well as support from the franchise headquarters for marketing, managing employees and handling business finances in a Canadian environment. For a new immigrant, these factors add up to a major advantage over starting a new business from scratch.

Getting into a franchise isn’t a guaranteed success, however. There are many things to consider when evaluating a franchise operation. I talked to Peter Snell, a partner in the franchising and distribution practice group of Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP, about some of the things to think about. …

Originally Published by Canadian Immigrant Magazine on May 29, 2008