Franchisee Protection Bills in Congress
Franchisee protection bills have been introduced in some states, but now there are two in Congress. Both were introduced by Keith Ellison, a Democratic Congressman from Minnesota. The Fair Franchise Act of 2015, H.R. 3196, is intended to provide minimum standards for “fair conduct” and to add a requirement of…
Franchisees Getting Involved with the Community
Successful franchisees know that they can’t leave all the marketing efforts to the franchise corporate office. When you think about which franchise business opportunity to choose, you should consider what kind of marketing strategies will work for each franchise you consider, and what resources you have in those areas. One…
Franchise Business Renewals
Do you really have to think about renewals when you’re looking for a franchise business opportunity to invest in? You should. You can find sad stories about franchising, and quite a few of them center on renewal. The franchise was great, the franchisees were happy, and then it came…
Should the U.S. Have National Franchise Laws?
Canada and Australia have recently made updates to their franchise business laws, but in the United States, every state has its own rules. You might have noticed, for example, that California is back in the headlines with a new version of the “Franchise Bill of Rights” which was vetoed by…
Franchise and Independent Business: Would You Swap?
Robin had her own cleaning service. She operated out of her apartment, but planned to own a building in the future. When she signed on more clients than she could handle, she recruited friends and relatives to help. They didn’t know everything Robin knew — like what kind of cleaning…
Franchise Business Goals: Does It Take Two?
One of the most important things to do when you get ready to invest in a franchise business opportunity is to determine your goals for the franchise. Do you want a side gig that will let you earn money and have fun while you’re in school or raising kids or…
Looking for a Franchise? Here’s What You Should Know about Trademarks
One of the most important things a franchisee gets from a franchisor is the right to use a trademark. You can’t open your own burger joint and call it “Burger King” in order to get a great jump on marketing. You can only call your restaurant “Burger King” if you…
Your Franchisor, Your Friend?
Should you be friends with your franchisor? In the first exciting discussions, when you may be talking to salespeople and current franchisees especially recruited to help persuade you to choose a particular franchise business opportunity, you might feel like you have made friends. Lots of friends, even. If you’re getting…
Franchise Business from a Virtual Office With Management Software
Talk with a franchisee who works from a “virtual office,” and you might think it’s the same as “work from home.” In some ways it can be, but there are definite differences. A virtual office centers around the software being used. It might involve virtual filing, virtual meetings, virtual…
Franchise Jobs on the Rise
The ADP National Franchise Report for June 2015 says that 28,800 new jobs have been created by franchise businesses in June of 2015. Restaurants and automotive businesses showed the largest numbers of new jobs, but the infographic below shows that many segments of the franchise industry added new jobs in…
