At last week’s work session for the Labor Commerce and Economic Development Committee, I was asked by a franchisee why were there so many people attending the work session from the side of the Franchisors? They had counted over 20 lobbyist, attorneys, representatives from the International Franchise Association, Maine Restaurant Association, Maine Innkeepers Association, McDonalds, […]
Jim Coen Launches Maine Franchise Owners Lobbying Effort
By Carol Coultas, MaineBiz, Published 1-27-2014 Jim Coen has spent decades in the franchise industry. It’s a familiarity he’s hoping to parlay into legislative action that improves franchise owners’ chances of controlling their own business destinies. Coen, a former executive director of the New England Franchise Association and for five years the president of the […]
The Super Bowl of Franchise Disputes is Upon Us. ACT NOW!
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 […]
Failed Quiznos Franchisees Drag Maine Economy Down
Portland – As Maine Quiznos franchisees fail miserably under a broken business model, some are questioning what detriment there will be to their state’s economy. Analyzing the sub sandwich chain’s past franchise disclosure documents shows there was approximately $5.4 million in citizen economic loss. The human toll is even larger. Quiznos franchisees and their families have been and will be devastated financially and personally for the remainder of their lives. While the […]