Thinking of Selling Your Franchise? Save When You List with BizBuySell
If it’s time to finally call it quits on your franchise, you may wonder how to find the right buyer for your business. The longer it sits on the market, the more money you lose! The AAFD has partnered with BizBuySell, the internet’s largest business marketplace, to offer our members an exclusive discount when you list your business. Find out more…
AAFD Members — Have You Taken Advantage of Your FREE Franchise Attorney Consultation?
We’ve put a lot of effort into drafting some of the best franchise attorneys in the country to participate in our Franchisee LegaLineSM Network. As a member of the AAFD, you can get a complementary consultation with an attorney in our network. Don’t let these great minds go to waste, especially if you need help reviewing a franchise agreement or are considering taking legal action against your franchisor.
What Type of Franchise Attorney Do You Really Need?
A common misconception about the legal field is that the best lawyers are the ones who are the most aggressive, the most ready to dash off a demand letter and start prepping for the inevitable trial. Law & Order episodes aside, there are many transactional lawyers who are skilled negotiators—deal makers--who never step foot inside a courtroom, and that is very often a good thing!
Well-Known Franchise Attorney Zarco Tells Franchisees that the Browning-Ferris Decision was the “Greatest benefit you guys ever had.”
At the annual gathering of DDIFO, an independent franchisee association for Dunkin’ Donut franchise owners, well-known attorney Robert Zarco of Zarco Einhorn Salkowski Brito took the stage and gave a speech that some would consider heresy. As first reported by Scott Van Voorhis on Blue MauMau, Zarco explained how the National Labor Relations Board’s decision, which found that Browning-Ferris Industries is a joint employer with a company that provided staffers for one of its recycling centers, is not the start of the apocalypse as so many franchisees believe ...
You Already Need to Perform Payroll, So Why Not Save Money on Your Payroll Service?
Whether you have one employee, a dozen, or more, you need a reliable and compliant payroll program to ensure that your employees are paid correctly. You also need to make sure that you follow state and federal tax laws and keep track of important factors like vacation, sick leave, commissions, and bonuses.
Is Your Franchisor Giving Away Your Leads?
While many franchisors faithfully pass leads to their existing franchisees, the AAFD has been receiving an increasing number of complaints that franchisors abuse their lead generation programs by using leads to sell new franchises rather than forwarding the lead to the franchisee who effectively earned the business. In fact, franchisor lead abuse has led directly to the formation of several AAFD Chapters. This abuse usually happens in one of two ways:
Is Your Franchisor Planning to Cut Your Sales Territory in Half?
Establishing a meaningful protected market should be a high priority for any franchise owner. A sufficient market to earn an attractive living and profit without competition from your own brand is a key consideration for any franchise investment. A protected market is at the very top of the AAFD’s Franchisees Bill of Rights: “The right to equity in the franchised business, including the right to meaningful market protection.”
The (Not So) New Franchisor Insurance Trap
Insurance is as necessary to a business as pens, paperclips, and a working phone number. Most franchisees must purchase liability insurance, workers’ compensation, disability insurance, possibly health insurance and more. Since franchisees already need to purchase insurance, franchisors have the opportunity to use their large numbers to negotiate lower-cost group insurance policies that can benefit all of their franchisees. Some franchisors do make an effort to support their franchisees in this way.
California adopts new Franchisee Rights Bill, AB 525
What a difference a year makes! Just 12 months following his disappointing veto of fair franchising legislation SB610 Governor Jerry Brown signed a new, toned down, franchise bill on Oct. 12th that amends the California Franchise Relationship law in important ways. Assembly Bill 525 was introduced this year by a bipartisan group of Assembly Members: Chris Holden (D-Pasadena), Bill Dodd (D-Napa), and Scott Wilk (R-Santa Clarita). The bill was sponsored and aggressively supported by the Coalition of Franchise Associations (CFA), with support from several franchisee associations and labor unions. Major credit for pushing passage of the bill goes to the CFA and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).
What Franchisees Need to Know About the Brown-Ferris Decision
At the end of August, the National Labor Relations Board delivered a decision on the Browning-Ferris Industries case. Although franchisors and franchisees were not directly involved in the case, the implications of the decision have franchisors and franchisees very worried. The case itself revolves around Browning-Ferris Industries, a recycling plant that contracted employees from a company called Leadpoint. The two companies engaged in a very standard labor supply contract ....
