Mohan S. of Brampton is scoping the range of business models spread out before him, in a bid to hit his all-time jackpot.
"No nine-to-five job for me," he says confidently. "This is by far the better way."
Mohan's a veteran at the game, having immigrated to Canada almost two decades ago. In his early years he too worked for a living as a paid employee, in common with the vast majority of residents. But the itch was always there— and after the kids started to make their own way in life and his responsibilities lessened, he decided to take the plunge and be his own master.
For several years now Mohan's been exploring various franchising routes to earn his living. He's been making enough to lead a fairly comfortable life, but has yet to hit the big time.
He himself is totally sold on the idea: "You're your own master. You work on your own terms, in your own time. You determine how much you need to work, to make however much (money) you need. Best of all, you work on something you truly believe in, for yourself, with your eye on the big-time— rather than just go through the motions for someone else, who's making all the money."
But it must in the first place take a lot of money to start up his own business? "No, not necessarily— less than $1,000 is enough, if you have the right product."
But then again, it must at times feel a bit precarious, trading in the security of a regular job in the hope of getting on to the franchising bandwagon in search of the proverbial pot at the end of the rainbow?
"Just try it— once you take the plunge you'll see it isn't hard. And you do make enough to get by," he advises.
Mohan was one among the crowds to brave inclement weather earlier this year and join the crowds thronging the Metro Toronto Convention Centre at The National Franchise & Business Opportunities Show.
While those sussing out the various franchises and other business opportunities on offer were representative of the broad multi-culturalism that is Canada today, the South Asian community formed more than a fair smattering of the people there, all of whom had paid for a ticket to gain entry to the event.
$100B annual revenue
When Mohan said those in franchising make enough to get by, he wasn't far off the mark. Statistics suggest a new franchise opens in Canada every 90 minutes, right round the year. The market itself is huge: franchises record sales worth $100 billion every year. The sector also accounts for a sizeable proportion of the retail market, with 50 cents out of every dollar spent going to a franchise operation.
Further, 92 per cent of all franchise operations survive after the first five years— compared to only 23 per cent of individual businesses— even if the franchise itself has changed hands in the interim.
In other words, depending upon the operation, it isn't as if the investor will lose his shirt if the business fails; he can bail out and recover at least a part of his capital should he opt out sometime down the road.
That said, it's still a challenging environment: more than 50 per cent of all small businesses that ride out the crucial first five years tend to still find it tough going to provide their owners enough to get by solely on their own strength, and most such business operators tend to have a day job or other supplementary source of income.
Still, those at the convention centre were following their dream.
Pooja Aravinder, a relatively recent immigrant from Delhi who'd spent several years in the Persian Gulf, and now from Mississauga was checking out franchising opportunities to start up her own hotel. "I'm open to any interesting opportunity," she said.
Gerard Azweem, whose forefathers hail from Uttar Pradesh in North India although he himself came to Canada from Guyana, some 25 years ago, was busy scooting around the display area on his battery-operated single-seater.
"After having a regular job here for almost two decades, I had to go on disability four years ago after going through an automobile accident," he said. "Today I'm a lot better— but I still need this contraption to get around."
In reply to a question, Azweem agreed: "Sure, disability benefits do pay for basic requirements like food and rent. But you need a lot more if you want to visit your homeland, for instance," he added, eyes twinkling. This book-keeping and taxation expert knows he can utilize his skills to set up his own business. "But I'm here to learn from existing businesses, or to see if a franchise might better suit me."
Others like Mohammed Yousuf were at the show complete with wife, teenaged daughter and young son, just to check out the possibilities. Also taking a keen interest with a canny eye towards future expansion was Esther, who already has a small but thriving restaurant, Queen of Soups, in the busy Young and Bloor area, catering to the corporate lunch-time crowd.
Originally from Sri Lanka, Esther initially worked for several months at the restaurant before deciding to take over some eight years ago, when the previous owner sold out.
Today her restaurant specializes in soups, serving up some 35 kinds through the week, with the emphasis being on providing wholesome but healthy fare, without cream, corn starch, excess oil, etc.
"In summers we provide a range of cold soups, while our Mulligatawny Soup is a year-round favourite."
Esther's carved out a thriving niche business, with her operation running for only six hours during the weekdays: "I start at 10 a.m., and am done by 4 p.m." So popular is her outlet that most days see a queue forming up to gain entry during the peak lunch-hour rush.
Esther had several tips for those aspiring to own their own operation: "Back then, having $25,000-$30,000 was probably enough to start up a restaurant; today you'd probably require around $50,000 to set yourself up. Then again, you really have to believe you have a great product, and you have to be bold and think outside the box to offer innovations.
"But perhaps most importantly, our community must not cut corners especially with regard to our presentation. It's vitally important to place a sprig of fresh coriander, or a slice of carrot, as garnish— and it's no problem to add 50 cents to the bill. Presentation and packaging are vital."

Reefs lurking just
below the surface
Exhibitors at the franchise show offered those seeking to set up their own businesses a wide range of opportunities— but many visitors realized they also needed to sail carefully through the waters to avoid the reefs lurking just beneath the waterline.
• A publicly listed Canadian company offering vending machines that could simultaneously stock both Coke and Pepsi initially drew considerable public attention. However, when the presenter was quizzed on some of the details and realized he was speaking to a journalist, he backed off and declined to give his name with the excuse: “My wife (and business partner) doesn’t like me coming ahead of her.” An attempt to take a picture of this stall was also blocked by his colleague.
• A loquacious salesman pitching products for a chain dealing in adult entertainment and bedroom toys suddenly lost his voice after realizing he was dealing with a journalist. His excuse? “I’m saving my voice for the long day ahead.”
• A salesman offering a chemical additive claimed to improve a vehicle’s fuel efficiency by up to 30 per cent backed off after it was pointed out industry reports had labelled the product questionable, at best.
Such products seemed to be in the minority, and most others did appear to be business models that depended for their success on the aspiring entrepreneur’s perspiration and enthusiasm— primary among these being several fast-food chains seeking to grow their footprint, as also many internet- and service-based businesses.
The point is: are these products or business models vetted by the authorities, to ensure the public isn’t taken for a ride?
— What has been your experience? Mail us at haveyoursay@southasianfocus.com