Understanding the Disclosure Document: Financial reporting and payments April 27, 2018 On an ongoing basis, franchisees are typically required to make regular payments to their franchisor. Depending on the specific franchise system, these may include royalties, advertising fund contributions, rent under a sublease arrangement, etc. + Read More

Ask the Experts: Choosing a food-service franchise concept March 1, 2018 By Karen Weldman Q: What factors should a prospective franchisee consider when comparing various food-service concepts? A: The location for your franchise is a key factor. Choosing the optimal space will depend on the specific menu and the daypart(s) when the business generates the majority of its sales. + Read More

How do franchisors make money? February 26, 2018 By Allan D.J. Dick Franchising is one way of many by which a business can expand. The key ingredient the business must have before its founder can consider expanding it through franchising is what someone else would want to license for use in the operation of an independently owned business. + Read More

Ask the Experts: Marketing franchises through social media February 12, 2018 By Alex Porter Q: What online resources have proven most useful for franchise systems’ location-specific marketing efforts and why? A: Google is still the most effective option for location-specific marketing, as it dominates online searches with more than 63 per cent market share and mobile searches with almost 95 per... + Read More

Ask the Experts: Ensuring multi-unit franchise consistency January 12, 2018 By Steven Kramer Q: What management problems do you see with multi-unit franchise ownership? A: With multi-unit franchising scenarios, franchisors will often reduce the fees and royalties for the franchisee, who can also save further money by employing fewer ‘back-of-house’ managers to oversee operations. + Read More

Ask the Experts: Transitioning from employee to franchisee January 11, 2018 By Jon Dwoskin Q: How do you know when the time is right to leave a corporate job and buy a franchise? A: If you have the appetite to be an entrepreneur, but you do not want to take on the full risk of starting from scratch, then the franchise... + Read More

Understanding the Disclosure Document: Why is it so big? January 4, 2018 By Peter Snell It is not unusual for someone who is looking to buy a franchise to initially feel overwhelmed when presented with a huge disclosure document. While the following information can serve as a general overview, prospective franchisees must also seek their own legal and accounting advice when reviewing... + Read More