Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

This Privacy Policy describes how Kohar Innovation Limited, a corporation incorporated under the laws of British Columbia, Canada ("Kohar Innovation Limited," "we," "us," or "our"), collects, uses, discloses, and protects personal information through the website located at startwithfranchise.ca and all associated services (collectively, the "Platform").

By accessing or using the Platform, you consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of your personal information as described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with this Privacy Policy, you must not use the Platform.

2. Information We Collect

We collect the following categories of personal information:

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

• Account Information: Name, email address, and phone number when you create an account on the Platform.
• Inquiry and Contact Forms: Name, email address, phone number, investment capital range, preferred franchise categories, geographic preferences, and any messages you submit through inquiry or contact forms.
• Franchise Matching Quiz: Your responses to questions about investment preferences, industry interests, lifestyle goals, and experience level, used to generate personalized franchise recommendations.
• Newsletter Subscription: Email address when you subscribe to receive updates and franchise industry news.
• User-Generated Content: Reviews, ratings, claims, and listing submissions you make on the Platform.

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

• Browsing Data: Pages visited, links clicked, features used, time spent on pages, and general navigation patterns.
• Device Information: Browser type, operating system, device type, screen resolution, and language preferences.
• Network Information: IP address, approximate geographic location (city/province level), and referring website URL.
• Cookies and Similar Technologies: We use cookies, localStorage, and similar technologies as described in our Cookie Policy.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the personal information we collect for the following purposes:

• To operate, maintain, and improve the Platform and its features.
• To deliver franchise matching results and personalized recommendations based on your preferences.
• To process and respond to your inquiries, including connecting you with franchise brands, business brokers, or real estate agents you have expressed interest in.
• To create and manage your account, including authentication and security.
• To process payments for business portal subscriptions and related services.
• To send transactional communications, including inquiry confirmations, account notifications, and service updates.
• To send our newsletter and promotional communications where you have opted in to receive them.
• To analyze aggregate usage data and trends to improve the Platform experience.
• To detect, prevent, and address fraud, abuse, and security issues.
• To comply with legal obligations and enforce our Terms of Service.

4. Information Sharing and Disclosure

4.1 Inquiry Recipients

When you submit an inquiry form on a franchise or business listing, your contact information and inquiry details are shared with the relevant franchise brand, business broker, or their authorized representatives. By submitting an inquiry, you consent to being contacted regarding the opportunity you expressed interest in.

4.2 Service Providers

We share personal information with third-party service providers who perform services on our behalf, subject to contractual obligations to protect your data. These providers are described in Section 5 below.

4.3 Legal Requirements

We may disclose personal information where required by law, regulation, legal process, or governmental request, or where we believe disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, your safety, or the safety of others.

4.4 Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, reorganization, or sale of assets, your personal information may be transferred to the acquiring entity, subject to the same privacy protections described in this Policy.

4.5 No Sale of Personal Information

We do not sell your personal information to third parties for their own marketing purposes unrelated to your inquiries on the Platform.

5. Third-Party Services

The Platform uses the following third-party services that may process your personal information:

• Supabase: Provides authentication services and database hosting. Your account credentials and Platform data are stored on Supabase infrastructure. Supabase Privacy Policy.
• Stripe: Processes payments for business portal subscriptions. Payment card details are handled directly by Stripe and are never stored on our servers. Stripe Privacy Policy.
• Resend: Delivers transactional and marketing emails on our behalf. Your email address and name are shared with Resend for email delivery. Resend Privacy Policy.
• Vercel: Hosts the Platform infrastructure. Server logs may contain IP addresses and request metadata. Vercel Privacy Policy.
• Google Analytics: Collects anonymous browsing data and usage statistics to help us understand how the Platform is used. Google Privacy Policy.

Each of these providers maintains its own privacy policy governing the processing of your data. We encourage you to review their policies.

6. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

The Platform uses cookies, localStorage, and similar technologies for authentication, session management, user preferences, analytics, and payment processing. For detailed information about the specific cookies we use and how to manage them, please refer to our Cookie Policy.

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as reasonably necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected:

• Account Data: Retained for as long as your account remains active. Upon account deletion, your personal data will be removed from our active systems within 30 days, except where retention is required by law.
• Inquiry Data: Retained for the duration of the business relationship and for a reasonable period thereafter to fulfil our recordkeeping obligations.
• Analytics Data: Aggregated and anonymized analytics data may be retained indefinitely, as it does not identify individual users.
• Legal Obligations: Certain data may be retained for longer periods where required by applicable law, regulation, or legal proceedings.

8. Your Rights Under PIPEDA

Under Canada's Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and applicable provincial privacy legislation, you have the following rights with respect to your personal information:

• Right of Access: You may request access to the personal information we hold about you.
• Right of Correction: You may request that we correct inaccurate or incomplete personal information.
• Right to Withdrawal of Consent: You may withdraw your consent to the collection, use, or disclosure of your personal information, subject to legal or contractual restrictions. Withdrawal of consent may limit your ability to use certain features of the Platform.
• Right to Deletion: You may request deletion of your personal information, subject to our legal retention obligations.
• Right to Complain: You have the right to file a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada if you believe your privacy rights have been violated.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at hello@startwithfranchise.ca. We will respond to your request within 30 days.

9. Data Security

We implement reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include encryption of data in transit (TLS/SSL), secure authentication protocols, and access controls limiting data access to authorized personnel. However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

10. International Data Transfers

Your personal information may be processed and stored in jurisdictions outside of Canada, including the United States, where our third-party service providers maintain infrastructure. By using the Platform, you consent to the transfer of your personal information to jurisdictions that may have different data protection laws than your province or country of residence.

11. Children's Privacy

The Platform is not intended for use by individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under 18, we will take steps to delete that information promptly. If you believe a child under 18 has provided us with personal information, please contact us at hello@startwithfranchise.ca.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technologies, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically. Your continued use of the Platform after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

13. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our handling of your personal information, please contact us: