What You Need to Know About Military Veterans & Franchising in Canada
Once they exit the military, Canadian veterans have the tough choice of what they should do. They can try to get a job or open their own business. A popular option for military veterans is to invest in a franchise, giving them the opportunity to own their own business while also getting a head start with the backing of a recognized brand and a proven business model.
Even better for veterans who have been honourably discharged from the Canadian Armed Forces, franchisors love working with them. Because of their discipline, perseverance, commitment and an ability to work within an established system, veterans make ideal franchisees.
Virtually every franchise system has a discount for veterans. The franchise fee is usually discounted and sometimes equipment and other expenses will also be discounted for former military members.
CFA MVP
The Canadian Franchise Association, in conjunction with the Department of National Defence, has the CFA Military Veterans Program, which invites franchises to register and list their franchising opportunities, including specialized discounts for honourably discharged former military members.
In addition to franchising opportunities, the Military Veterans Program also lists employment opportunities at various franchise headquarters and within franchise locations themselves to further help with finding employment if veterans are not quite ready for business ownership yet. It also includes resource articles to help former Canadian Forces personnel prepare for franchise success.
With a veteran population of just about 660,000 throughout Canada, there are plenty of former military members in each province and territory looking for business opportunities.
Prince’s Operation Entrepreneur
Another program that is offering business ownership opportunities to veterans is Prince’s Operation Entrepreneur (POE).
A program of Prince’s Charities Canada, POE delivers education, training, tools and resources to ex-military members who are budding entrepreneurs in communities across Canada.
The program offers boot camps, workshops and other educational resources to veterans to help them transition to business ownership.
Veteran Skills Help in Civilian Life
According to the Life After Service Survey, 2016, four out of five Regular Force Veterans returned to the workforce by either getting a civilian job or opting to run a business. A total of 65% of veterans who participated in the survey said they were either working at a job or running a business.
Of the veterans who said they were working in a job or running a business, 81% said they were satisfied or very satisfied with their work and about half of them reported good job stability with 41% saying they had held the same position since 2013.
Fifty-one percent of veterans said they used the knowledge and skills they learned from their military training in their current jobs or businesses and 73% reported their military experiences, education and training helped them in their civilian jobs and businesses.
Despite these promising numbers, about 33% of the 4,500 Canadian Armed Forces Regular Force members who leave the military each year say they experience a difficult or very difficult adjustment to civilian life.
Giving veterans discounts on franchising and other fees allows them to make the adjustment to civilian life easier and also provides them with a head start on business ownership.
If you are a Canadian veteran or you know a Canadian veteran who is interested in entrepreneurship, FranNet can help find the perfect franchise opportunity and one that will have a veteran discount to for that crucial headstart along the path to business ownership. Sign up for a free FranNet franchise search and consultation today and let us help you on your way to business ownership.
