Small businesses are the key to Maine’s well-being. They compose a significant share of the state’s economic production and hiring. According to the Small Business Administration Office of Advocacy, Maine’s businesses have shown signs of stability and improvement. In 2008, small businesses totaled 147,484. Of those, 33,926 were employers, and they accounted for 59.7% of […]
Maine ‘crowd investing’ bill becomes law
The measure is designed to help Maine start-ups raise funds from small investors. J. Craig Anderson at the Portland Press Herald reports that a measure allowing Maine businesses to raise up to $1 million through “crowd investing” became law Monday. The bill, L.D. 1512, “An Act To Increase Funding for Start-ups,” was approved overwhelmingly in […]
Failure to Pass Franchise Protections 20 Years Ago Cost Maine More Franchised Units
In 1994, Legislative document 1916, or as some people remember it — The Franchise Practices Act, was shot down by Governor John R. McKernan, Jr. even after it passed both the Maine House of Representatives and the Maine Senate. Leonard Kovit, owner of 5 Meineke’s in Maine and New Hampshire in 1994, remembers the bill […]
Letter from Maine Franchise Owners Chairman Ed Wolak
February 21, 2014 Dear Maine Franchise Owners, I am writing to you as the Chairman of the Maine Franchise Owners Association “MFOA”. We represent Maine franchised small businesses. Most are owned and operated by Maine families. MFOA supports the Minority Report, Senator Patrick’s amendment to LD 1458 to strengthen franchising, not harm or limit it. […]
Bill Zolper b.good Franchise Owner in Portland, Maine
Kate Taylor of Entrepreneur.com interviewed Bill Zolper about opening a b.good burger franchise in Portland, Maine. Bill had stopped into burger chain b.good in Boston to grab a quick lunch, he didn’t know how much a bite to eat would change his life. Drawn in by the food and the concept of locally-sourced ingredients, Zolper […]
William Whipple of Kittery Reads the Franchisee Bill of Rights
A lively William Whipple joined Maine franchise Owners, and legislators from all across the state to read the Universal Franchisee Bill of Rights (UFBOR) on Wednesday, January 29th at the Senator Inn in Augusta. Whipple was born January 14, 1730 in Kittery, Maine. By the late 1750’s, he was heavily involved in the Patriot movement, […]
FBR Survey 26% of Franchisees in Maine Do Not Trust their Franchisor
The Franchise Business Review published a report n the State of Franchising in Maine. Here are the findings: 26% Don’t trust their Franchisors 23% Believe That the Franchisor Does not operate with a high degree ofhonesty and integrity. 22% would not recommend their franchise to someone else. 22% Do not respect their franchisor. 18% Feel […]
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 Has No Risk by Claiming “the Sky is Falling” in Maine
Recently the International Franchise Association (IFA) sent out its IFA Insider Newsletter (Vol. 19, Issue No. 47 ) with the following wake-up call to franchisors “next month the Maine legislature will address LD 1458 (Maine Small Business Investment Protection Act), the most far-reaching and harmful franchise relationship legislation in any state in the country”. They […]
ABA Legal Wizard Abrams Asks for Good Faith in Franchise Law Reform
Enact State and Federal Good Faith & Fair Dealing laws to overrule devious franchise contract provisions. Janet Sparks writes at Blue MauMau that franchisee attorney Lee Abrams had no problem playing along with last year’s American Bar Association Forum on Franchising’s theme in its plenary session, “If I Had a Wizard’s Wand,” expressing his wish […]