The story is now known , but it is no less unheard of: Nancy Raymond was in her hospital bed in intensive care while her team maintained negotiations for the merger and acquisition project that would conclude upon her release. Nothing stops this woman with boundless determination. The first thing she did in 2016 as president of the Steamatic Canada banner: take the time needed to meet her franchise partners. "I first wanted to consolidate the core of franchisees before moving towards growth. I wanted to make sure that they understood my vision, embraced my mission and wanted to go where I wanted to go with the company."

Contract exits were negotiated with some of them. “Some people who had been in place for several years had a lot of difficulty accepting the new administration,” says Ms. Raymond. “We met those who did not share our philosophy and who did not offer the expected quality standards and our paths stopped there.”

Quiet growth

Today, the network has 34 franchisees, 27 of which are in Quebec and the rest in Newfoundland, Ontario and Saskatchewan. With Quebec's territory saturated, the president is now focusing on growth in the rest of the country. "For 2019-2020, our goal is to take the Maritimes and Ontario by storm by replicating the Quebec model. Once we have stabilized these two markets, we will move on to Western Canada."

This more "quiet" growth gives him the leisure to find the right franchise partners. "Bringing a new franchisee into the world and supporting them takes time. I prefer to support them one by one and make sure they become excellent players than to grow 13 at the same time and release them without a safety net into the industry."

Preparation and transparency

Exploring new territories is not done without adjustments to the standards and regulations in each province. "We called on legal advisors to ensure that we were on the right path and that we were not putting ourselves at risk of prosecution because we had failed to provide information to the franchisee according to the laws in force."

For example, a law in English Canada requires franchisors to provide each potential franchisee with a copy of their financial statements. "I must admit that I had to get used to this measure, as I had never had to do it before with a Quebec banner. This transparency elsewhere in Canada makes me want to do the same in Quebec. I would like to educate people to show that it is positive when the franchisor is in financial health, not only because it encourages franchisees to do the same, but also because it reassures them that they are investing in a solid and sustainable brand."

The property and casualty insurance industry is both large and small, Nancy Raymond points out. “We all end up knowing each other in the industry. Over time, I’ve made allies. So I contacted some of my colleagues in the provinces we’re developing to understand the business culture and then adapt our strategy.” While negotiations are going well so far, they are more difficult in Western Canada.

“After some discussions with large contractors, I realized that being a woman at the head of a disaster restoration banner – a field dominated by men at heart – will still be a challenge to overcome.”

Fortunately, the franchiser thrives on challenges. “Actions speak louder than words. We have experienced 23% growth in our network despite our contract exits. Our customers trust us. I will arrive well prepared and we will see if they can go beyond their prejudices and get on board with us.”

Ontario Summer Tour

Nancy Raymond is passionate about her industry. She is even more passionate about the work of her technicians who, day and night, all across the country, rush to help disaster victims. Last summer, she toured all the franchisees in Quebec (photo) to meet their teams. "I wanted to meet the first responders, shake their hands and thank them, because they are the ones who get up in the middle of the night, who work weekends, at Christmas or on their child's birthday... They are the ones who see the disaster victims and hug those who have just lost their homes. I wanted to talk to them about our vision and answer their questions and concerns." This summer, the businesswoman will head to the franchisees in Ontario. "There are seven of us on the head office team for this trip. I like to talk to technicians from all over the world because they often have the best ideas and tips to improve the company and we tend not to listen to them enough even though they are the brand's first ambassadors."