Article by Pam Vermeersch and Juliana Mah, Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP posted at Mondaq In October 2012, the British Columbia Law Institute (BCLI) began a project to bring forth recommendations for a Franchise Act for British Columbia. So far, five of the 10 provinces in Canada have franchise legislation. Provinces that have enacted franchise legislation are: Alberta, Ontario, […]
Grass-roots effort underway to create Maine economic development strategy
October 4, 2013 By Whit Richardson, Bangor Daily News, Maine In 2009, when FairPoint Communications wanted to entice the Maine Public Utilities Commission to approve its acquisition of Verizon’s landline business in Maine, it sweetened the deal with a promise to invest in Maine’s economic development. The telecommunications company won its approval and invested in […]
Paid Sick Leave – Another Unfunded Mandate?
More U.S. cities and states are considering mandating paid sick leave. Only four cities, Portland, OR; San Francisco, CA; Seattle, WA; Washington, D.C., and one state, Connecticut, have enacted legislation mandating that all workers be provided with paid sick leave. Portland, OR is the most recent city to adopt a paid sick leave ordinance that […]
Franchising’s Impact on the Economy
The International Franchise Association published an interesting info-graphic that shows the impact franchise owners have on the US Economy. 10% of all new jobs are created by franchise owners!!!
Maine Lender to Support Small Business Owners
Bill Whitmore, who has operated franchised fitness centers, will offer financing and other business services. He has launched a new lending institution focused on providing commercial financing to the region’s entrepreneurs, franchise owners and small-business owners. Whitmore has operated and sold several Planet Fitness franchises in Maine, said in a news release that his latest […]
Food Franchise Owners Face Low Pay, Long Hours
According to a survey conducted by Franchise Business Review, a market-research company in Portsmouth, N.H. the owners of food franchises are less satisfied with their experience, on average, than people who run other types of franchises, plus food franchisees work relatively long hours and often don’t make all that much money, according to the survey, […]
Real Estate Franchise Owner Masiello Group Expands Presence in Maine
Keene-based franchised real estate firm has expanded its offices in Maine. Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate The Masiello Group has acquired Maine-based Better Homes and Gardens Real State Town and Country, and merged the companies’ offices, Masiello Chief Executive Christopher J. Masiello said this week. The merger took effect Friday. Masiello described the acquisition […]
Forbes Ranks Maine Last for Business Climate
Forbes magazine released its “Best States for Business” list on Friday. Forbes cited Maine’s high corporate tax burden and poor job and economic growth forecast. Maine ranks last in Forbes’ Best States for Business for a fourth straight year. Much of the blame can be placed on the state’s high corporate tax burden and lousy […]
Maine and 3 Other States Consider New Rights for Franchisees
Lawmakers in Maine, California, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts have introduced bills that would give owners a lot more leverage Elizabeth Garone writes in The Wall Street Journal that lawmakers in Maine, California, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts have introduced bills that would give owners a number of new rights and options—such as allowing them to join and support […]
Franchising’s Impact on the US & Maine Economy
In 2004 the International Franchise Association (IFA) published it’s first report “Franchising’s Impact on the Economy” the report was updated in 2005 and 2007. In 2007 franchised businesses operated over 828,000 establishments in the United States, counting both establishments owned by franchisees and franchisors. These establishments represented 2.8 percent of all nonfarm business establishments in […]