Welcome To Franchise Scout Podcast

If you are seriously interested in learning more about franchising or need more help in deciding if it’s your next step, this podcast is for you. Gain the knowledge and confidence to build your dream.

Join Grant Bullington and learn from industry insiders, experts, and professionals along with franchisees who have become successful owners.

We make learning easy: Episodes can be listened to in any order. Subscribe, so you never miss new episodes.

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Research

Recon to get you ready

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Interviews

Franchisees share their journeys

Welcome to the Franchise Scout – Intro Episode

Countless people start down the path of researching franchises. Enthusiastic at first, only to lose momentum without getting very far. The drop-off could be explained by any number of reasons, like not knowing where to start, what to look for or how to find it. 

Maybe they’re just overwhelmed by the array of options. Or simply lose hope after investing the time without any promising discovery. The Franchise Scout podcast is rich with insight and exclusive intel aimed at helping Canadian prospective franchisees.

Join me, Grant Bullington – your Franchise Scout host – to learn all about how to find, research and start your ideal franchise. In the launch episode, I share my story and why I created the Franchise Scout. You’ll hear how I help guide prospective franchisees on the path to successful ownership, and how to get the most from the podcast.

Welcome to the Franchise Scout, presented by FranNet Western Canada.

Naughty or Nice. Which list do you want to be on?

Any time you play a game, it’s nice to know the rules. Not everyone gets the fact that a quality franchisor is looking at you just as hard as you’re looking at them.

Welcome to the “Naughty or Nice” episode where we take you behind the scenes in the world of Franchise Development and share the rules that every serious prospective franchisee needs to know. You’ll hear first-hand from experienced franchisors and learn what it takes to get on their “Nice” list and keep off the “Naughty” List.

Discover how to start your research, keep on target to landing your dream franchise opportunity (and avoid unknowingly shooting yourself in the foot along the way).

Technology in the limelight. How it takes service franchises from ordinary to awesome

Technology is the silent killer-app that makes franchise systems roar. It doesn’t get the recognition it deserves, but will surely be one of the key selling features of any franchise you might investigate. We talk tech with our guest, Nabeel Rahman from Vonigo. Hear how the magic happens with their back-end solution, helping beautifully unsexy service business franchises become weapons of competition-destruction. You’ll develop an appreciation for what technology can do that will help you in your research.

Financing your franchise with Don Nicol of RBC


It’s easy to get overwhelmed or off the rails when starting down the path to finance your franchise. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Our guest, Don Nicol of RBC is an expert on financing franchises. We cover a wide range of topics from picking your bank – and banker, to how the whole process works, how long it will take, when to start… and what your bank really needs to see in order to help you get the funding to make your plan come to life.

Fear: Breaking it down and using it to fuel your research

How many times have you said “someday I’m going to own my own business“? But it hasn’t happened yet. Fear is often at the root. Don’t feel bad – it just means you’re normal. Instead, understand and harness it! Our guest, Mark Holland, is a clinical counselor with a lot of experience helping people through career transitions. We bring fear out into the open and discuss why people get stuck before starting, spin their wheels in the middle, and get paralyzed at decision time.  Make your someday finally happen.

Franchisor Stages of Growth with Jania Bailey

Size matters. So does age. And so do lots of other factors that go into picking the ideal franchise system to partner with. What’s great for someone else might be a terrible choice for you. Our guest, Jania Bailey – CEO of FranNet, shares her insight as we talk about Stages of Growth and explore the range of franchisors from start-up to household brands.

Learn what’s going on at HQ for franchises at different stages and how to determine what’s best for you.  It’s crucial you nail the fit – find out how.

Accounting: what you need to know, with Bill King

Accounting is a non-negotiable factor for every business. But it doesn’t have to be so scary (or dull). Join us in this episode of the Franchise Scout as we sit down with Bill King, CPA, CA and partner in the BDO Canada Vancouver office. We cover a lot of distance, starting with ways to eliminate fears associated with the financial part of franchise ownership.

Learn from Bill as he shares insight on the economic and forecasting aspects of your research. Other topics range from incorporation and taxation to owner benefits and advice on how to find the right accountant – all aimed at new business owners.

Somehow we managed to make a pretty engaging episode about a potentially dry topic.

Deep dive in franchise law with Blair Rebane

Do you feel overwhelmed thinking about the legal aspects of franchising? There is no getting around the fact that legal agreements are central (and essential) in franchising. In this Franchise Scout episode, we interview Blair Rebane, a partner and franchise lawyer at the Vancouver office of Borden Ladner Gervais.

We dive deep into the legal side of franchising,  franchise agreements, disclosure documents, partnerships, personal guarantees, and much much more in this fully-loaded episode. Bonus: why you’ll need a franchise lawyer and how to pick one.

Sales for the non-sales people. You need customers and getting them doesn’t have to be scary.

There is nothing more terrifying than SALES to the non-salesperson. Every business needs customers, so how will you go about picking a business that works for you? In this episode of the Franchise Scout podcast, we explore the essential topic of sales and selling. Our guest, David Hiatt, is an authority on the subject. Formerly a sales trainer franchisee, he now oversees franchise sales for Sandler Sales Systems. Uncover the different types of business development along the Sales Spectrum – from low to high sales. Learn how to truly understand the business development role in your research (and how to honestly assess the fit). This episode is essential listening, particularly if sales and selling is uncharted territory. Sales: it’s not such a dirty word, after all. 

Franchisee Interview: Emma & Dan

All part of the new master-plan… Emma left her 20+ year career in the Oil & Gas Industry to team up with her husband Dan and venture into a completely new field with their franchise. 

Hear their first-hand strategy on how to reach an agreement with a game-plan that leverages their individual strengths and factors personal preferences. (It’s not as easy as it sounds!)

Franchisee Interview: Tim Boothman

Who knew that a waterslide ride could land you in a pool of business ownership?

We sit down with Tim Boothman, now in his 3rd year of operation with a residential services franchise. Join us as he shares his experience about getting into his franchise, breaking records and going onto acquire additional territory.

Franchisee Interview: Michael Del Pellaro

With experience comes wisdom! We have a fireside chat with Michael Del Pellaro, a long-standing franchisee, to discuss the evolution of the owner’s role from startup lead to top operator. With almost 20 years of franchising experience under his belt, Michael shares his wisdom on things like technology changes, standing out from the competition, and how to keep the energy and passion high heading into your 3rd decade.

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