Les Stewart is a business consultant who specializes in working through franchisees’ problems.
He has the ability to work with individuals, small groups and especially with independent franchisee association management.
Les believes that franchising education is crucial in protecting your investments: before, during and after.
He founded the Canadian Alliance of Franchise Operators in 1998, is editor of the FranchiseFool weblog and co-editor of WikidFranchise.org, the first franchise investor risk research wiki. Stewart was an expert witness in the public hearings that lead up to Ontario’s first franchise law, Arthur Wishart Act (Franchise Disclosure), 2000 and has a extensive background in franchising.
Stewart’s interests focus on investor decision making, reputation mechanisms and franchisee leadership development. His analysis continues to garner attention in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
His 2005 Industry Canada paper called Franchising Opportunism: Deceit to Secresy Confind continues to raise serious questions about the financial arrangements regarding franchise loans let through government guaranteed loan programs such as the SBA’s 7a program.
Stewart graduated from the University of Western Ontario (BA, political science, 1983) and the Richard Ivey School of Business (MBA, 1987) in London, Canada. He continues to live and work in Midhurst, Canada.
