Tag: Canada

The right approach. That’s definitely what it takes to finance a franchise business purchase in somewhat challenging economic times.

The majority of aspiring franchisees in Canada look to banks and specialized finance firms when investigating the purchase of a new or existing franchise business. Let’s investigate successful criteria and methods for completing the purchase of such a business.

Do Canadian banks finance a franchise? That naturally is the instinctive first ‘ go to ‘ when it comes to the entrepreneur’s choice of completing a business purchase in the franchise industry. Broadly speaking they don’t specifically finance franchises outside of specialized government or franchisor programs.

If you have a stellar personal net worth and credit rating we suppose that many banks would consider some sort of term loan based on collateralizing your personal assets… that naturally is not our recommended strategy, as we hav always felt its important to separate your business and persoanl life when it comes to finances.

Jut how important is your personal credit history as well as your overall financial profile… what the finance folks call you personal net worth – simply speaking ‘ what you have ‘ and ‘ what you owe’! We assure clients that a strong emphasis is placed on your personal credit and business background – typically you would want a ‘ beacon score ‘ at the credit bureau to be in excess of 650.

If you do choose to secure a franchise with personal assets you’ll be asked to provide collateral such as a home mortgage, etc. Again, as we said that’s not our recommended strategy.

So if the banks don’t finance franchises in Canada who does. Are you ready? Banks! What do we mean by that seeming contradiction? Simply that the majority of franchises in Canada are financed by the banks, but via vehicle known as the BIL/CSBF loan. It’s a program run by the federal government which many banks have adopted as a solid vehicle to finance franchises in Canada.

The basics of the program lend themselves pretty perfectly to financing a franchise business purchase, and the structure of these loans fits what you are trying to achieve. Why? Simply because terms of the loan are from 5-7 years, rates are commensurate with many other types of business financing, with the ‘ kicker’ being that you only are required to guarantee 25% of the loan.

Will a franchisor step in to help you finance your business? That’s a question we get a lot, and the answer generally is ‘ NO ‘. In a number of cases though franchisors have worked out packages that can more easily facilitate the bank completing a financing. This tends to work with larger brands and larger business acquisitions in franchising. The bottom lone, don’t expect internal financing from your franchisor.

Other key aspects of successfully finance a franchise in a downturn are common sense business elements – a solid business plan, locating a banker of financial advisor that is experienced in franchise loans, and aligning yourself with a successful franchisor based on your own personal and business background .

Speak to a trusted credible and experienced Canadian business financing advisor on how you to can finance a business purchase in challenging times.

Business franchise loan challenges. When it comes to financing a franchise in Canada there’s some critical ‘ before and after ‘ issues that need to be address. When they aren’t addressed properly the situations becomes… shall we say ‘ gut wrenching’! We’ll examine some of those key points. Let’s dig in!

Your initial decision to purchase a franchise should always be tempered with the amount of funds that you can personally invest in the business. These day’s those funds come from savings, equity lines of credit, and in some cases corporate severances.

Knowing the amount that you can comfortably commit to the business will play a key role in both the size of franchise you buy, as well as the financing you can arrange in this somewhat specialized field. Frankly, in Canada franchise funding comes from the smallest handful of resources – a specialized franchise finance firm, a bank loan, and some ancillary financing services such as equipment finance, leasehold finance, and merchant advances when it comes to working capital needs.

We reference banks, but by far the amount of financing that the Canadian banks deliver is through a vehicle known as the BIL/CSBF loan program. It’s the government program that over time has become the de facto vehicle to finance many of the franchises in Canada. Challenge arise when you are purchasing a service franchise as the BIL program is tailored more specifically to assets and leaseholds and real estate on some occasions.

Can the size and quality of the franchisor you are working with affect your business franchise financing success? To a certain degree the jury is always out on that one – suffice to say that some franchises are viewed as a bit more risk or somewhat more or less successful than others .

Also, as a point, when a franchising loan is under consideration in Canada it in fact does not make a real difference if your franchisor is Canadian, U.S. based, or in some cases you might simply be working with a Master Franchisee who has purchased the rights to your overall territory.

Your business plan and cash flow document are critical to finance success. In fact while the business plan is needed before you start your franchising process it can become a key valuable document in benchmarking your success down the road as compared to your original aspirations /projections.

Personal finances are a key part of the overall franchise finance process. You will need good reasonable credit history for your borrowing , and you will want to ensure that in your financial due diligence you assess the fact that your business will generate cash flow and profits that will allow you to draw a decent income based upon your needs .

When it comes to the franchising loan you want to ensure that your finance package addresses both the needs of the lender (i.e. repayment of your loan) as well as your ongoing working capital needs. Financial projections we see from clients are often not realistic, which can create some serious ‘ start up ‘ problems when it comes to financing on going operations.

At the end of the day the whole business franchise loan process requires both a ‘ before and after ‘ approach. Careful planning and utilizing guidance from your franchisors experience will get you to the goal line.

Seek out and speak to a trusted, credible and experienced Canadian business financing advisor who can assist you with franchising finance needs in the Canadian marketplace.