Now, there’s a variety of things to look put for when it comes to snowboarding resorts. You could be looking for the best powder, the best facilities, and the resort with the best for lifestyle or nightlife. Well, whatever you’re looking for in a snowboarding resort, you’ll be sure to find it in Canada. The only downside is that there are so many resorts in Canada it would be impossible to name them all, so here is a definitive guide to the best ones in Canada.

First of all let’s look at the most famous resort in Canada, Whistler. The Whistler Blackcomb Mountains are located in British Columbia, in Western Canada, just two hours away from Vancouver. With more than 8,100 acres of skiable terrain, this resort boasts over 200 different runs, and is generally considered as the coolest destination for skiers and snowboarders. The terrain itself offers plenty of variety from gentle slopes to steep bowls for the more experienced snowboarder. The accommodation and facilities are outstanding with a huge variety of bars, restaurants and shops, especially Whistler Village which has an electric atmosphere. Overall this resort is justifiably the most popular one in Canada, and there’s a reason for that, it’s awesome!

Staying in British Columbia, the nest on our list is Whitewater Ski Resort. Recently voted one of North America’s Best Ski Resort by Lonely Planet, this outstanding resort hosts a number of different terrains suitable for all snowboarding abilities. If you’re looking for a resort that has rustic charm then Whitewater is the one for you. It’s simple and relaxed atmosphere gives this resort a retro charm, and with a huge amount of snowfall each year, it’s perfect for the purists.

In Quebec, the pinnacle of any snowboarder’s wish list is to snowboard at Mont Tremblant ski resort. With a much more European style, this resort attracts plenty of foreign visitors as well as North Americans. Charming with a high calibre of facilities, you’ll be amazed at how much this place has to offer; 625.5 acres of terrain, 94 runs and 13 state of the art lifts. Suitable for abilities, there’s even an ice skating rink for those that want a bit more out of their visit.

Finally, there is Red Mountain. Located in British Columbia, this resort can be located near Rossland quite close to the Canadian border. Now, we understand that snowboarding can get a tad bit expensive, so this resort has been chosen because it’s a resort that boasts the best value for money. This is actually Canada’s oldest resort but don’t let that fool you as it has some fantastic facilities; 1,585 acres of land, 88 runs and 2,99 feet of vertical terrain, an excellent choice for the more experienced snowboarder due to its difficult terrains.

Franchise financing is a large part of the decision to purchase a franchise in Canada and grow and profit that business. Canadian franchisors themselves, rarely, if ever, provide the financing for you to purchase your business. That should not be a mystery to the entrepreneur, because the

Franchisor uses your funds to continue to grow their franchise empire! That’s how franchisors prosper, grow, and build and sell more units. Many franchisors use funds received from your investment, build a company store, and then sell it as a franchise. This is a very strong and proven business model – so the bottom line is of course – You are on your own with respect to franchise financing.

It is important therefore for the business person to take some careful time and plan around how they will arrange their franchise financing.

Naturally at the same time you want to due a fair amount of due diligence around the basic finances of the franchise you are looking at. By that we mean that different franchises require different levels of capital. For example if it is a purely based ‘SERVICE ‘ franchise then you can expect that financing costs, and therefore your own investment will be significantly smaller than a business requiring more assets and capital expenditure .

As a prospective franchisee you have many legal rights around the financial disclosure that is made to you by the franchisor. You should therefore ensure that you use all options and information available to yourself with respect to understanding how the franchisor is financed, what type of financing is generally needed and recommended from yourself, and what affiliations or efforts a franchisor might make with respect to assisting you in financing the business. We have said very clearly that franchisors won’t provide you the financing, but based on their success and reputation in the market place they might be in a position to have set up a program with lenders in the marketplace such as banks or independent finance companies.

We strongly recommend that if business owners considering buying a franchise don’t feel 100% comfortable with financial jargon, current market financing conditions, etc, that they should engage the services and advice of a trusted financing advisor with expertise in Canadian franchising .

References with respect to financing should also be checked, by that we mean that in your discussions, negotiations, and disclosure made by the franchisor you should obtain a strong sense of what general financial performance you can expect from your investment. If you think you wish to grow a million dollar business and your investigations reveal that no other unit in the chain is close to approaching that revenue number, well, you get the picture, right?? Time to re think your investment and your proposed financing.

Every business and industry has an acceptable debt and equity ratio. By debt and equity we of course simply mean how much you are going to put in, and how much you will borrow. You want enough working capital and cash flow to grow your business, but you do not want to become over leveraged. That’s the balancing act in any business quite frankly.

In Canada franchises are primarily financed by your own investment in the business, as well as the Governments CSBF program. This is a solid
loan program used by a huge proportion of Franchisees in Canada.

Our firm has found that a combination of the entrepreneur investment, the CSBF loan, as well as some innovative leasing and working capital
strategies allow the franchisee to be adequately financed , therefore providing a much stronger chance of business success and profits!