of Franchising is Upon Us! It’s the Ten Yard Line, we are in Red Zone. You Can Help Us Put Points on the Board! Maine Franchise Owners have been working for over a year to pass sensible legislation that provides basic equity protections for Franchise Owners in Maine. LD1458 aims to protect franchisees from “fraudulent or unfair practices […]
The IFA is Not Pulling Punches
Yesterday the IFA sent a letter to its members alerting them to the pending doom, and that the sky will fall in Maine if the Labor Commerce and Economic Development Committee votes “ought to pass” on the “5 Principles” of the Maine Small Business Investment Act. They have organized a Town Hall Telephone Call for […]
McDonalds Franchisees Express Discontent in Annual Survey
Fron QSR Magazine Last year, investment management and capital markets firm Janney Montgomery Scott downgraded stock in McDonald’s from a buy to a neutral rating. This type of move is a daily occurrence on Wall Street, but for the fast-food giant, it was another matter. McDonald’s first-quarter results had shown a 1.2 percent decrease in […]
A Dunkin’ Donuts Franchise Owner, had his Business Taken Away from him in 2009
Stan Furash was operating two Dunkin’ Donuts franchises in Bradenton, Florida when, in 2009, Dunkin’ terminated his franchise agreement. “Dunkin Brands terminated us because they claimed my wife abandoned the business, which to me was a farce because the shops were doing better than ever before, and there was no mention of abandonment in the […]
Five Key Principles for the Maine Small Business Investment Protection Act
The Labor, Commerce and Economic Development Committee (LCRED) held a work session yesterday on LD 1458, the Maine Small Business Investment Protection Act. The work session was open to the public, but the Co-Chairs of the Committee decided that comments were not invited from the public, but the committee members and LCRED counsel spoke. There […]
Sign this Petition: Veterans Deserve Success NOT Matco Tools Franchise Failure!
Our Soldiers deserve an opportunity to SUCCEED as a Franchise owner not become another VICTIM of a “Churn and Burn” Franchise SCAM. Matco Tools is a VetFran Opportunity Our Soldiers deserve an opportunity to SUCCEED as a Franchise owner not become another VICTIM of a “Churn and Burn” Franchise SCAM. Sign this Petition to IFA […]
For Whom the Legislation Bell Tolls
Janet Sparks writes at Blue MauMau …for the past few years there have been new efforts on the part of franchisees and their associations to pass fair franchising laws in various states. Executive director Jim Coen of the Maine Franchise Owners Association states, “There are many fine businesspeople who have been terribly harmed by predatory […]
MFOA Board Votes to Ratify the Universal Franchisee Bill of Rights
The Board of Directors of the Maine Franchise Owners Association (MFOA) voted unanimously to ratify the Universal Franchisee Bill of Rights. MFOA joins 19 other franchisee associations that have voted to ratify the Universal Franchisee Bill of Rights. The intent of the document is to spell out a framework of a mutually beneficial relationship between […]
Is Franchising Highly Regulated?
The International Franchise Association an opponent of franchise-protection legislation argue that franchising is already a “highly regulated industry.” This contention seems highly suspect considering the many blatant stories of franchise abuse by shady companies that violate franchise disclosure laws with impunity, and established franchisors who seem to hold all the cards in the franchise relationship. […]
Universal Franchisee Bill of Rights Makes An Impact
The Universal Franchisee Bill of Rights (UFBOR) was released in August 2011 and to date has over 1,200 franchisees, friends of franchisees, and franchisee associations that have endorsed it. The UFBOR was created by franchisees for franchisees as a fairness doctrine, and the goal was to highlight the imbalance in the relationship between franchisees and […]