Franchising is a business model that is increasingly been used by many people who want to do business with an established brand. However, buying a new franchise can be daunting at times. Taking the help of franchise lawyers in Sydney can make your task of franchising easy for you.
At Eden King Lawyers, we are here to resolve any mysteries you might have with franchising. Our franchise dispute lawyers offer a comprehensive franchise lawyers service, drawing upon our experience acting on behalf of both franchisors and franchisees. Our lawyers in Sydney have assisted many clients with the purchase of new and existing franchise businesses.
Advantages and disadvantages of franchising
Advantages :
- An immediate tap into an established brand, reputation, product, or service.
- Assistance with buying equipment.
- Assistance with lease negotiations, site development, and shop fit-out.
- Advertising and marketing support.
- Established standard procedures, operating manuals, and stock control systems.
- Assistance with finance.
- Management training and ongoing support.
Disadvantages :
- The franchise is restricted to an area of operation.
- Ongoing fees are paid to the franchisor.
- Less autonomy.
- Restraint of trade provisions.
- The Franchisee is only allowed to operate for a certain period.
- The Franchise agreement might be terminated when a default event occurs.
So it’s absolutely essential, that you get the right legal advice from our expert franchising lawyers in Sydney when making the right decision to enter into a franchise.
Franchise Agreement
A typical franchise agreement lawyer will cover the following terms:
- Grant of license
- Term and renewal options
- The territory of the franchised business
- Fees and expenses
- Conduct of the business
- Equipment and supplies
- Training and employees
- Termination
- Warranties, indemnities, and guarantees
- Intellectual property rights
- Non-compete restrictions
- Assignment and transfer
- Dispute resolution
The franchisor is also required to provide a disclosure document to the Franchisee at least 14 days prior to the Franchisee signing the Franchise Agreement.
Spend time on fully understanding your Franchise Agreement
Whether you are a franchisee or franchisor, the Agreement is essential to the structure of your franchise. Our franchise dispute lawyers in Sydney will help you to check the Agreement very carefully – and make sure you understand exactly what you are entering into, and that you fully understand your rights and responsibilities under the agreement.
In particular, you should pay attention to the following key aspects of any well-drafted agreement:
- There are normally significant fees that have to be paid to the franchisor on a continual basis – often calculated as a percentage of sales revenue as payment for the franchisee adopting the franchisor’s business model
- The operations of the franchised business should be clearly outlined in the agreement so the franchisee is usually very limited in the direction they can take the business. Restrictions are usually imposed on the geographical location of the business, restrictions on advertising, and the use of franchise trademarks
- The franchisor may be the one who provides most or all of the stock to the franchisee
- Terms and conditions in the agreement may place restrictions on the ability of the franchisee to sell the business – especially before the contract term has expired.
Our Services Include:
Advice to franchisors:
- Auditing franchise recruitment material – to reduce the risk of misleading conduct
- Franchise disputes
- Compliance issues and obtaining payment
- IP and brand protection
- Territorial rights and Internet selling
- Advising on renewal
- Sale of franchises and associated documentation
- Termination of franchises
- Injunctions to seek compliance with restrictive covenants
- Compliance with the Franchising Code of Conduct and the Competition and Consumer Act.
- Drafting and advising on franchise agreements and related contractual documentation
Advice to franchisees:
- Due diligence and the role of the Franchising Agreements
- Pre-contractual recruitment material and financials
- What does the contract mean?
- Disputes, payment, and franchisor’s obligations
- Termination, negotiating, and drafting termination documentation
- What happens after termination – am I personally liable?
If you require assistance with setting up a franchise or purchasing a franchise or franchise litigation dispute please contact our franchising lawyers in Sydney for a 30-minute consultation session.