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There are three ways in which Canadian franchises can...
As a new or incoming Canadian franchisee, you have a lot of decisions to make. One decision that you may not have even considered yet is how involved you are going to be in your surrounding community. Many franchise locations sponsor teams, give money or support drives for worthy causes. There are many different ways to engage, and you may be surprised by how these approaches can help your location be successful.
From a business point of view, being involved in your community will promote your service or product because you are present and engaged. It can involve donated funds or hours, but you can keep it low-cost, too. It is your intention that will matter, and it can benefit your franchise in the key ways outlined below.
- Increases brand awareness: Although your brand is probably already known on a national or regional level, people in your franchise location's community may not be aware you are now there. If you have a new franchise, you will need customers in the area to recognize you. When you are out there and supporting the community, people will learn about you and your location.
- Sets higher level of trust: Offering resources and time to your community will help foster trust among your prospective customers.
- Establishes a good reputation: Being involved in the community can help you establish a reputation of being a good business. This makes it easier to attract customers and employees.
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How to get involved
There are so many different ways you can engage with the community that you may feel overwhelmed at first. To begin, think about a cause that has a personal meaning to you. You may, in fact, already have an organization in mind, and it's very likely they can use your help.
Of course, you can be more strategic in some--or all--of your community engagement decisions. If, for example, you are an apparel print shop, making shirts for a local team with your logo on them is an option. A bike franchisee could partner with a local biking fundraiser, which immediately connects you to people who are likely to need your product or service on a regular basis.
Just about every type of franchise has an organization it can partner with that makes sense on a business level and supports community efforts. It does not have to take a ton of money to foster strong community ties via your franchise. Focus your desire to help others where it can also help those in your community. You will develop a reputation for being engaged in the community, and that can only benefit your business.
