FRANCHISE LAW
Franchise Law Articles
Plain-English analysis of FDD reviews, franchise agreements, exit strategy, and ongoing counsel for franchisees and franchisors.
483 articles
FDD Renewal Mistakes That Expose Franchisors
The FDD renewal mistakes that actually hurt franchisors are the ones that put a non-compliant document in front of a prospect — a missed deadline, a stale FDD …
FDD Renewal Risks: How Franchisors Stay Compliant
The biggest legal risk in an FDD renewal is disclosing inaccurate information or selling on an out-of-date document — both can trigger state enforcement and …
FDD Renewal Timeline: A Franchisor's Countdown
A franchisor must issue an updated FDD within 120 days after the close of its fiscal year — and in several registration states the filing is due even sooner — …
FDD Renewal Timeline: Key Deadlines for Franchisors
The FDD renewal timeline is anchored to one date: 120 days after your fiscal year-end, the federal deadline by which your updated Franchise Disclosure Document …
FDD Renewal Traps That Halt Franchise Sales
The renewal traps that actually stop franchise sales are timing traps — a missed mid-year amendment, a late audit, a state deadline that beat the federal one, …
FDD Renewal: A Franchisor's Annual Compliance Guide
FDD renewal is the franchisor’s recurring legal duty to keep its Franchise Disclosure Document current — chiefly by updating it within 120 days after the …
FDD Renewal: A Franchisor's Annual Update Guide
A franchisor must update its Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) within 120 days after the close of each fiscal year — and amend it again whenever a material …
FDD Renewal: A Step-by-Step Guide for Franchisors
Renewing your FDD means rebuilding it into a current document — refreshing all 23 disclosure items with this year’s audited financials and material …
FDD Renewal: Protecting Your Right to Sell
Annual FDD renewal is what keeps a franchisor legally able to sell — let it lapse and you lose the right to offer franchises until you bring the document …
FDD Renewal: The Annual Update Process for Franchisors
A franchisor must update its Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) every year, within 120 days after the close of its fiscal year. That federal deadline comes …
FDD Renewal: What It Is and Why It Matters
FDD renewal is the franchisor’s yearly obligation to update and reissue its Franchise Disclosure Document so the document a prospect receives reflects …
FDD Renewal: What You Must Update Each Year
An FDD renewal updates whichever of the 23 disclosure items changed during the year — most reliably the audited financials, the litigation history, the outlet …
FDD Renewals: What the Law Requires of Franchisors
An FDD renewal is the franchisor’s duty to update its Franchise Disclosure Document every year — and to keep its state registrations current — so that …
FDD Template: What Franchisors Must Disclose
If you’re looking for a fill-in-the-blanks FDD template, the honest answer is that one doesn’t really exist — and using a generic one is a serious …
Franchise Accounting: A Guide for Franchisors
Franchise accounting is the set of rules and practices a franchisor uses to record the money flowing through a franchise system — chiefly initial franchise …
Franchise Agreement Mistakes to Avoid Before You Sign
The most common franchise agreement mistake is signing before you fully understand the document — treating the franchisor’s contract as a fixed form to …
Franchise Agreement Red Flags: One-Sided Clauses
The biggest risks in a franchise agreement are not hidden “loopholes” — they are one-sided clauses sitting in plain sight: unilateral-change rights, …
Franchise Agreement Template: What It Should Cover
A franchise agreement should cover, at minimum, the grant and term, fees, territory, brand and operating standards, support and training, transfer and renewal, …
Franchise Audits: A Guide for Franchisees
A franchise audit is the franchisor’s contractual right to inspect your sales records, books, and operations to confirm you’re reporting revenue …
Franchise Audits: What Every Franchisee Should Know
A franchise audit is the franchisor’s contractual right to examine your books, records, and point-of-sale data to verify that the sales you reported — and …
