Series 3 and Series 7 exams

Hi,

Here's a little background on me. I'm 28y/M, from Canada. I had my own business for 4 years but recently decided to move on to my true passion, trading. Since I've always been my own boss, I figure I'd be hard for me to work for a bank or related firm and therefore I'm looking to trade my own money and, hopefully, other people's money (But that's a long, long way away). I thought of doing day-trading, but after reading extensively on the subject, it seems like day-trading is some pie in the sky, get rich quick scheme. My ultimate goal would be to have my own small firm and handle and trade on behalf of myself and (a big maybe) clients.

So, I've been looking into getting my series 3 and series 7. For those of you who are veterans in this business, is having those designations a good way to get started or is it better to go for something more serious like the CFA? Can Canadian citizens apply for the Series 3/7 or is it only for U.S citizens? Any advice or recommendation would be very helpful.