FRANCHISE LAW
Franchise Law Articles
Plain-English analysis of FDD reviews, franchise agreements, exit strategy, and ongoing counsel for franchisees and franchisors.
477 articles
Franchise Agreement Negotiation: What You Can Change
Yes, you can negotiate a franchise agreement — just not all of it. Franchisors hold certain terms fixed to keep their system uniform and their disclosures …
5 Franchise Agreement Clauses to Watch Before Signing
Five clauses carry most of the long-term risk in a franchise agreement: renewal, non-compete, mandatory upgrades, termination, and transfer. They are not hidden …
Franchise Non-Compete Clauses: What's Enforceable
A franchise non-compete clause is enforceable only to the extent your state’s law allows, and almost every state that allows them, judges them on the same …
Franchise Due Diligence: How to Vet a Franchise
Due diligence on a franchise means verifying the franchisor’s claims before you sign — reading all 23 items of the Franchise Disclosure Document, calling …
Franchise Termination Notice: Required Elements & Template
A franchise termination notice is the formal written document by which one party tells the other that the franchise agreement is ending — and a proper notice …
How Negotiable Is a Franchise Agreement?
A franchise agreement is more negotiable than most buyers think and less negotiable than most hope — the core economics and brand standards rarely move, but …
FDD and Franchise Agreement: A Franchisor's Guide
A franchisor sells franchises with two documents that do opposite jobs: the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) discloses, and the franchise agreement binds. …
How to Negotiate Franchise Royalty Fees
You can sometimes negotiate franchise royalty fees, but the headline percentage is usually the hardest term to move — what more often gives is the structure …
Do Franchises Give Exclusive Territories?
Not necessarily — franchisors are not required to grant exclusive territories, and many don’t. Whether another franchisee, or the franchisor itself, can …
How to Grow and Scale a Franchise System
Growing a franchise system comes down to one discipline: protect what makes the brand work while you multiply the number of units running it. Scaling is not …
Training and Onboarding New Franchisees
Effective franchisee training does one thing above all: it makes a new owner able to run a unit to your standards before they open the doors. The best programs …
Buying a Franchise Resale: What Buyers Should Know
A franchise resale is the purchase of an existing franchised unit from its current owner, rather than opening a brand-new location from the franchisor. You …
How Much Control Does a Franchisor Have Over You?
A franchisor controls almost everything that touches the brand — operations, suppliers, branding, and store standards — but its control over the prices you …
Franchise Territories: What Your Agreement Actually Grants
A franchise territory is the geographic area — and sometimes the customer set — in which your franchise agreement defines your rights to operate. What most …
Can a Franchisor Require You to Buy From Specific Suppliers?
Yes — in most cases a franchisor can legally require franchisees to buy products, equipment, and services from specific suppliers, including from the franchisor …
Franchise Territory Definition Checklist for Franchisors
Defining franchise territories well means answering seven questions before you sell your first franchise: how much market each territory must contain, how its …
Can a Franchisee Own Other Businesses or Franchises?
Usually, yes — you can own other businesses and even other franchises while operating as a franchisee, as long as they don’t compete with the brand …
Franchise Financial Projections Cheat Sheet
Every reliable number in a franchise financial projection comes from four places: Item 19 of the franchise disclosure document (FDD) — the only place a …
How to Franchise a Handyman Business
Franchising a handyman or home-repair business turns your scheduling, pricing, and quality standards into a system other owners can run the same way in new …
Franchising Mobile Food Trucks: Territory, Permits, FDD
Franchising a mobile food truck means taking a business with no fixed address and forcing it into a legal framework — territories, permits, brand standards — …
