Affiliate Your Existing Franchisee Organization
• Strength in Numbers—an essential reason that franchisees form owners associations.
• Strength in Numbers—also the essential reason your Association should affiliate with the AAFD.
Through our growing numbers, AAFD is becoming a compelling force to promote Total Quality Franchising practices in the franchising community.
The AAFD is organized by Trademark Chapters, with the goal of creating or affiliating a chapter for every franchise system in the U.S. The AAFD’s Franchisee Leadership Council (FLC) is becoming a powerful network of independent franchisee associations providing a substantial voice for franchisees throughout the United States.
Association affiliation as an AAFD chapter has many benefits:
1. A strong national association is paramount to providing an effective voice and counterbalance to the influence of the franchisor community.
2. The AAFD has amassed a valuable array of member benefits and services, including our publications, chapter support services, and professional service panels.
3. AAFD Association members are entitled to a $1000 discount to have the AAFD grade your franchise system’s current franchise agreement against the AAFD’s Fair Franchising Standards (a $6000 value).
4. AAFD Supplier programs are designed to augment the purchasing efforts of our affiliated associations, and never to compete with your own programs. The AAFD provides a robust Supplier Incentive Program whereby 90% of negotiated patronage dividends earned by Affiliate Member purchases are passed through to our affiliated associations. A successful program of group purchasing may be the only tool you need to solve member retention problems for your association.
5. Perhaps saving the best for last, most of our affiliated associations tell us that the AAFD’s greatest value is the opportunity to network, dialogue and do business with the leaders of dozens of successful franchisee associations throughout the United States.
Independent franchisee associations can affiliate with the AAFD for as little as $2000 in annual base dues, plus your right to offer AAFD Affiliate membership to your membership benefits for just $99 per member.
The AAFD has pursued a market driven approach to reforming the franchise community. In a political climate dominated by franchisor influence, and a dearth of franchisee associations rallying together in common cause, both laws and legal precedents relating to franchising strongly favor franchisor interests and perspective. The AAFD has sought to develop and promote Fair Franchising Standards, to promote effective franchisee associations, and to identify and reward franchisors that recognize internal franchisee associations and develop collaborative relationships that are based on the AAFD’s Fair Franchising Standards.
As the Federal Trade Commission continues to limit its regulatory focus on presale disclosure, and rejects a role to address any imbalance in franchise relationships, the importance of franchisee associations to aggregate their combined resources under the common banner of the AAFD has never been more essential.
Through the Franchisee Leadership Counsel, the Franchisee LegaLine and the AAFD Fair Franchising Standards committee, the AAFD has established itself as the leader in defining franchisee rights and in promoting franchisee interests within the franchise community. Our goal is to increase the negotiating leverage of member associations by offering our prestigious Fair Franchising Seal to place fair-minded franchisors on a pedestal in the franchising marketplace.