The AAFD Franchisee Voice Blog, provides valuable articles to prospective Franchise Buyers, Franchisees, Franchise Owners and Franchise Associations. We welcome your comments and viewpoints. The information contained in this Blog has been carefully compiled from sources known for their reliability, but the AAFD does not guarantee its accuracy. If you wish to copy or distribute reproductions of this newsletter please call us first for approval. Become a Contributor for The AAFD Franchise Voice Blog
- Start A Franchisee Association as a Chapter of the AAFD
- The AAFD Road Map to Total Quality Franchising
- Advertising Super Bowl 2013: A Triumph for Franchising!
- AAFD Story Video
- This Just In from Office Depot!
- Franchise Myth Seven: Buying a Franchise Means that you will Lower the Cost of Doing Business through the Power of Group Purchasing
The AAFD Welcomes Ross Almo As New Executive Director
Almo Brings Over 20 Years of Franchise Management Experience to the AAFD SAN DIEGO, JUNE 2013 – The American Association of Franchisees & Dealers (AAFD), a non-profit trade association that represents the interests of franchisees and independent dealers, has announced that Ross Almo has joined its executive team as the company’s new Executive Director. Almo will initially focus on supporting, managing and growing the AFFD’s network of franchise suppliers, and the AAFD’s member benefits program. Additionally, he will supervise...
read moreThis Just In from Office Depot!
The Office Depot is now offering an additional 15% off already discounted prices through the Office Depot Online Purchasing Program.* This is a great way for AAFD members to start taking advantage of this win-win program. Remember: All online orders are delivered next day with no charge for orders of $50.00 or more. Log in to your AAFD Members Only web page to get your Office Depot Coupon Now! LOGIN NOW » *Not valid for in-store purchasing. Customers that have already purchased on line are not eligible for this...
read moreFranchise Myth Seven: Buying a Franchise Means that you will Lower the Cost of Doing Business through the Power of Group Purchasing
Part Eight of a Nine Part Series Exposing Franchising Myths. The myth that owning a franchise guarantees to lower your cost of doing business due to the synergies of group purchasing that will benefit the entire franchise network is, quite sadly, the most recent addition to the Franchising Hall of Shame. I didn’t even recognize franchisor abuses with respect to suppliers as a distinct and separate issue when my book, The Franchise Fraud, was first published in 1994. Twenty years later, the failure of franchisors to deliver on the...
read moreCalifornia Fair Franchising Legislation Passes CA Senate!
May 28, 2013. Fair franchising legislation authored by State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson and sponsored by the AAFD has passed in the California State Senate by a vote of 22 Yes and 12 No. There were five abstentions, and just two Republican votes were cast in favor of the measure. Now the legislation moves to the State Assembly, where both sides are expected to offer amendments. AAFD Chairman, Robert Purvin, was pleased with this second important step for the CA Senate Bill 610, which just a month ago was passed out of the Senate Judiciary...
read moreUrgent Notice: AAFD Members and Friends are Urged to Support California Fair Franchising Legislation! Senate Action is Imminent! Please act now!
Fair franchising legislation authored by State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson and sponsored by the AAFD is scheluled for a vote by the California State Senate the week of May 27. This is the best opportunity in years to have major franchisee protection legislation enacted to protect the vital interests of franchise owners. Senate Bill SB610 will impose an affirmative and enforceable duty of good faith and fair dealing between franchisors and franchisees. If passed, California law will require that franchisors act fairly and in good faith...
read morePut Your Franchise to the Test with the AAFD’s New Self-Evaluation Tool
The AAFD is proud to offer its new and current members an invaluable tool that will help them assess the strengths and weaknesses of their current franchise or a franchise they may be seeking to buy. The AAFD’s Franchise Opportunity Self-Evaluation Tool is a FREE tool for AAFD members that was built using the same metrics as our AAFD Franchise Opportunity Review service. The tool’s evaluation criteria is based on the AAFD’s principles of Total Quality Franchising, our cornerstone manifesto Eight Things to Look for in a Franchise...
read moreFranchise Myth Six: Franchising Creates a Critical Mass of Market Penetration
Part Seven of a Nine Part Series Exposing Franchising Myths. Too many prospective franchise buyers I know assume that a franchise is successful because it is “big enough” to sell franchises or because it already has hundreds of franchises in operation. The mere fact of franchising does not equal successful market penetration, nor does a specific amount of existing franchises. The truth is, almost any company can decide to franchise. There are no minimum performance or quality standards, no certification and no oversight board that...
read moreFranchise Myth Five: Franchising Promises a “Proven Franchise Business System”
Part Six of a Nine Part Series Exposing Franchising Myths. This is a myth I hear from prospective franchises all the time, and it’s one of the most compelling reasons why an individual decides to buy a franchise. Franchisors aren’t just selling their name and logo to prospective franchisees – they’re selling their operating manual, which many claim is a “proven business system”. What is a proven franchise business system? I still haven’t figured this one out. A lot of franchisees leap to the conclusion that a proven...
read morePlease Support SB 610 and AB 1141, Small Business Investment Protection ACT 2013
I signed a petition to The California State House, The California State Senate, and Governor Jerry Brown which says: “Please Support SB 610 and AB 1141, Small Business Investment Protection ACT 2013″ Will you sign this petition? Click here: http://signon.org/sign/support-sb-610-ab1141?source=s.icn.em.cp&r_by=7684277 The American Association of Franchisees and Dealers (AAFD) is pleased to co-sponsor Senate Bill SB610, which will help insure good faith and fair dealing in franchise relationships in California. Modern franchise...
read moreAre Franchisees Well-Informed? Revisiting the Debate over Franchise Relationship Laws
By Robert Emerson & Uri Benoliel. The most vital debate in the field of franchise contract law over the last few decades has focused on the following issue: Whether the law should protect franchisees against franchisor opportunism. Franchisor advocates suggest that franchisee protection laws, commonly known as ―franchise relationship laws,‖ are undesirable. Their opposition to such laws is based primarily on an assumption that franchisees consider all relevant information before signing a franchise contract and make a...
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