We need your help.

We need you to tell us about your business and how things are going. This Advocacy Survey will help CFA staff work with government on the issues that are important to franchised businesses in Canada. Without this valuable information from you, our members, we won't be as successful as we could be in pushing for policy changes that help your businesses grow and prosper.

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* 1. Are you a franchisor or franchisee?

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* 2. Currently, what is the general business situation of
your company?

DEMOGRAPHICS

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* 3. In which sector does your brand/franchise system primarily operate?

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* 4. How many years has your company been franchising in Canada?

0 50
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i We adjusted the number you entered based on the slider’s scale.

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* 5. Where are your company’s headquarters located (City and Province)?

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* 6. How many corporate/franchised units do you have (by province)?

  Corporate Units Franchised Units
British Columbia
Alberta
Saskatchewan
Manitoba
Ontario
Quebec
New Brunswick
Nova Scotia
Prince Edward Island
Newfoundland and Labrador
Nunavut
Northwest Territories
Yukon

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* 7. How many employees do you have and where are they located?

  Corporate (head office) Employees Employees at Franchised Locations Employees focused on Canadian Operations (if applicable) Employees focused on non-Canadian Operations (if applicable)
British Columbia
Alberta
Saskatchewan
Manitoba
Ontario
Quebec
New Brunswick
Nova Scotia
Prince Edward Island
Newfoundland and Labrador
Nunavut
Northwest Territories
Yukon
United States of America
Europe
Other

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* 8. Is your company publicly traded on a stock exchange (TSX, NYSE, etc)?

FRANCHISOR SPECIFIC QUESTIONS

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* 9. How many franchisees are in your brand/franchise system in Canada?

0 1000+
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i We adjusted the number you entered based on the slider’s scale.

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* 10. What percentage of your franchisees own more than one location within your brand in Canada?

0 100%
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i We adjusted the number you entered based on the slider’s scale.
FRANCHISEE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS

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* 11. How many years have you been a franchisee with your current brand(s)?

Less than 1 year More than 25 years
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i We adjusted the number you entered based on the slider’s scale.

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* 12. How many brands are you a franchisee of / are a franchisor for?

1 10+
Clear
i We adjusted the number you entered based on the slider’s scale.

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* 13. How many units do you own / operate?

0 500+
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i We adjusted the number you entered based on the slider’s scale.

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* 14. Which aspects of franchisor support are/were most important to scale your business?

  I have received this, and it was not important for me to scale I have received this, and it was somewhat important for me to scale I have received this, and it was very important for me to scale I have not received this, but it would be helpful I have not received this, and it would not be helpful Don't know
Employee training and development
Franchisee training and development
Consumer advertising and marketing
Access to capital
Access to network of franchisees
Meetings and events
Vendor relationships and management
Technology platforms
Real estate policy and assistance
GLOBAL REACH OF FRANCHISED BRANDS

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* 15. Is/Are your brand(s) of Canadian origin?

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* 16. How many of your brands are of non-Canadian origin?

0 10+
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i We adjusted the number you entered based on the slider’s scale.

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* 17. Where does your brand have franchised locations outside Canada? 

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* 18. In which country/countries did the non-Canadian brand(s) originate?

INSURANCE

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* 19. Over the past 12 months, have your business insurance costs

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* 20. What area of insurance has increased the most over the past 18 months?

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS

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* 21. Does your business offer an employees benefits plan?

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* 22. How likely would you be to offer an employee benefits plan if you could gain access to a competitively priced pooled employee benefits plan through an association or CFA member?

IMPACTS OF COVID-19 ON YOUR BUSINESS

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* 23. How long were/have you been closed as a result of public health shutdown orders?

0 18 months
Clear
i We adjusted the number you entered based on the slider’s scale.

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* 24. Since the start of the pandemic my business has been operating at ____ % of my 2019 capacity

0 100
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i We adjusted the number you entered based on the slider’s scale.

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* 25. How long do you think it will take to get back to your pre-pandemic revenue levels?

0 18+ months
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i We adjusted the number you entered based on the slider’s scale.

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* 26. My revenues this year compared to 2019 have?

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* 27. How many locations did you permanently close during the pandemic (between March 2020 and today)?

0 100+
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i We adjusted the number you entered based on the slider’s scale.

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* 28. How many new locations did you open during the pandemic (between March 2020 and today)?

0 100+
Clear
i We adjusted the number you entered based on the slider’s scale.
ROYALTY RELIEF DURING THE PANDEMIC

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* 29. Did you (did your franchisor) provide royalty relief during the pandemic?

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* 30. How long did you (your franchisor) provide/receive royalty relief?

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* 31. How much ad fund relief did you (your franchisor) provide to franchisees?

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* 32. How long did you (did your franchisor) provide any ad fund relief?

MINIMUM WAGE

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* 33. What percentage of your staff make MORE than minimum wage?

0 100
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i We adjusted the number you entered based on the slider’s scale.

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* 34. If minimum wage increases, would you increase wages of employees who currently make above minimum wage?

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* 35. What type of government provided offsets would help you cope with a minimum wage increase to $15/hour (i.e., tax credits, etc.)?

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* 36. Do you anticipate locations failing/closing as a result of the profitability impact of a $15/hour minimum wage and associated costs?

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* 37. Please provide any additional comments regarding minimum wage increases.

PAID SICK LEAVE

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* 38. How many paid sick days do you offer?

0 20
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i We adjusted the number you entered based on the slider’s scale.

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* 39. Would a mandatory paid sick leave requirement lead you to hiring less staff?

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* 40. What would the impact of an employer funded mandatory paid sick leave program be on your business?

COVID-19 GOVERNMENT SUPPORT PROGRAMS

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* 41. Which government support program did you use?

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* 42. What percentage of your lockdown revenue came from government sources (CEWS, CEBA, CERS, etc)?

0 100
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i We adjusted the number you entered based on the slider’s scale.

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* 43. The CEWS and CERS will start to be reduced in July with a phase out scheduled for September. Will the wind down of the CEWS and CERS result in you closing locations?

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* 44. Will the wind down of the CEWS and CERS programs slow how quickly you rehire staff as you reopen?

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* 45. How important to your long term survival is it that the federal government extend the CEWS and CERS at it's current levels into 2022?

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* 46. Did you qualify for a CEBA Loan and the Top Up?

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* 47. Will you be able to pay off your CEBA loan by December 2022 in order to qualify for loan forgiveness?

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* 48. If the CEBA Loan repayment deadline was moved to December 2023 would you be able to pay off the loan to qualify for loan forgiveness

REOPENING THE ECONOMY

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* 49. How important are the following issues to your brand and its ability to recover from the pandemic?

  Extremely important Very important Somewhat important Not so important Not at all important No Opinion
Availability of Small Business Programs/Incentives
Franchise Disclosure Legislation
Labour Shortages
Minimum Wage Increases
Paid Leaves and Vacation
Product Stewardship (Recycling fees)
Red-Tape/Regulatory Burden (i.e., filing paperwork, staff time, cost of compliance)
Scheduling
Taxation
Unionization/Bargaining Laws
Unpaid Leaves
Utility Cost Increases
Extension of Government Support Programs (CEWS, CERS, etc)

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* 50. The pace of reopening plans for the economy in my province is 

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* 51. Do you understand the employment standards acts and it's implications as you return to work (paid sick leave, vaccinations for employees, etc)?

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* 52. Would it be helpful if provincial governments clarified what is an is not allowed under the employment standards acts as you reopen?

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* 53. What are the biggest challenges you are facing as the economy reopens?

RED TAPE

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* 54. Governments across Canada speak about the importance of reducing red tape. What areas do you find most onerous?

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* 55. What specific red tape (government regulation) issue would you like to change to help you business work more effectively and efficiently?

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES

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* 56. Environmental policy outcomes are becoming more important in government decision making. How has your brand improved its environmental performance over the past few years

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* 57. Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) is the principle that the companies that put products on the market should be responsible for the full life-cycle of those products and packaging. How familiar are you with EPR and its implications for your business?

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* 58. What are the biggest environmental issue facing your brand over the next 5 years?

OTHER ISSUES

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* 59. Do you have any additional comments you would like to share regarding any of the areas we have or have not covered in this survey?

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