10 Canadian Home Based Business Opportunities

Posted on January 30, 2009 by Jon Clem

Only a decade ago, it wasn’t uncommon for Americans living near the Canadian border to drive across to do their shopping, since the value of the American dollar was almost twice the value of its Canadian counterpart. This, however, is no longer the case, and while the American dollar still has a slight edge over the Canadian (1:1.23 as of this writing), this improved strength of the Canadian dollar spells big business opportunities for any entrepreneur interested in heading north with their business.

Realizing the business possibilities available in the great white north, American companies have thoughtfully spread up over the border. Not to miss out on financial opportunities, American franchises are cashing in on this chance for profit as well. In fact, here are 10 of the best franchise opportunities for the Canadian entrepreneur, suitable for those living in Canada, as well as Americans interested in starting in Canada.

There are primarily two different kinds of franchises, those that provide a service and those that provide a product. Though there is often a good degree of crossover between those two basic distinctions, we’ll look at them separately.

Service Franchises
In this world, people need all kinds of things done for them, some they can’t do on their own and some they simply don’t want to do on their own. In either case, they need someone else to attend to things for them, which is right where some of the best Canadian franchise opportunities arise.

TeamLogicIT is the first of these business opportunities. One of the leaders in delivering top notch IT support and repair to small and medium-sized businesses all over the continent, they are a trusted name serving the largest business sector. Also serving this class of businesses, The Interface Financial Group approaches the corporate little guys from a different angle, delivering unparalleled financial support instead of IT help. Whether the franchisee with The Interface Financial Group decides to work full- or part-time, his specialization in providing short-term working capital to struggling small businesses makes his work consistent, profitable, and morally rewarding.

Not all service-based franchises work specifically with other businesses, though; many times they work directly with private parties. House Doctors Handyman Service and Pillar To Post are two great examples of this, working right in the homes of their clients. House Doctors Handyman Service has worked its way into one of the most profitable markets available: home repair. As many do-it-yourself baby boomers are getting too old to continue doing it themselves, someone has to step in to help them with a variety of home repairs, and that is precisely what House Doctors Handyman Service does. Specifically targeting home sales instead of home ownership, on the other hand, Pillar To Post runs a slightly different practice for Canadian homeowners. They are one of the most respected names in home inspection, a vital part of any home sales.

If working with businesses isn’t your thing, and neither is serving people in their homes, there are still two more service franchises that top the list of great Canadian business opportunities. Coverall Cleaning Concepts concerns itself not with the construction of a home, but with the cleanliness of commercial establishments. One of the best in the international cleaning industry, Coverall Cleaning Concepts is both incredibly inexpensive to start and relatively easy to succeed in, without previous experience. In a completely different market altogether, ColorAll Technologies International excels in the niche market of on-site automotive color reconditioning. When it comes to fixing those nicks, dents, scratches and cracks on an automobile, no one does it better.

Product Franchises
There are many things that homeowners need to keep up the function and appearance of their most valuable investment, and two of those are flooring and window blinds. Creation Carpets and Flooring of America is a home-based business that, as its name implies, specializes in providing beautiful carpets and flooring at even more beautiful prices. In a very similar fashion, Made in the Shade Blinds and More delivers excellent blinds and window coverings to their clients at rates much lower than the competition. With low overhead and product coming direct for dealers, these two work-from-home franchises work out well for both franchisee and client.

For the Canadian graphics fan, Infinite Marketing is another franchise opportunity branching northward that has huge potential for the right franchisee candidate. Their claim to fame is the VBC, or Video Business Card. Made by no one else, this product sums up a business’ self-presentation in video, document, and graphics all available on a small CD the size of a business card. Completely work-at-home, this franchise provides something that clients really want.

Finally, if you’d like to produce something that honestly makes a difference in someone’s life, Guard-a-Kid is for you. At a simple mall kiosk, you can personally help decrease the annual number of kidnapped Canadian children but making child ID packets for parents. For only $20 a packet, you will be responsible for compiling a collection of materials that will make it infinitely more likely for the police to find a child should he or she ever be abducted.

Expanding Markets
In all honesty, there isn’t an overwhelming number of franchises available in Canada to date, but to be on the forefront of this franchising trend not only helps you and the people you will serve but also helps future franchisees. As franchises succeed in the provinces of Canada, more franchise operations will follow suit and travel over the border.