Maria D’Amico

We could tell you that you acted unwise by putting down a substantial deposit before you had the balance of the funds tied up in writing, but this would not be particularly helpful. Given the situation you are in, you should discuss your situation with the franchisor. Perhaps they can put you in touch with a “sleeping partner” or offer you a joint venture arrangement. Alternatively, they might decide to release you from the agreement and refund your cash. If nothing positive transpires, we would advise you to seek competent legal advice. FASA’s Code of Ethics which is binding on its members is unambiguous on this matter. It reads, in part, as follows: “A franchisor shall select and accept those franchisees who, upon reasonable investigation, appear to possess the basic skills, education, personal qualities and financial resources adequate to perform and fulfil the needs and requirements of the franchise.” One could argue that the franchisor did not investigate your financial situation properly before accepting the down payment. Unfortunately, these guidelines are binding on FASA members only and it is uncertain whether a Court of Law would enforce them.

The answer is “yes”. One of the most important obligations a franchisor has is to select individuals as franchisees who appear to possess the skills needed to succeed in the business. Access to adequate funding is another essential prerequisite. And then there is the all-important chemistry between franchisor and franchisees – see article above. To ensure the growth of their networks, franchisors need to bring additional franchisees into the system and have every incentive to do so. The decision to turn down an application is never taken lightly. However, to accept someone into the network who is unlikely to succeed in the business would be outright irresponsible. Franchisee failure causes disaster all-round, with the likelihood of the franchisee suffering significant financial losses extremely high. The brand could also be damaged, and relationships with other franchisees could be soured. Franchisors know from experience which kind of person fits their franchisee profile best and act accordingly. Scientific instruments can also be used for this purpose. Experience has shown, however, that, human nature being what it is, stating the reasons for turning down an application often lead to endless correspondence or worse. It is for this reason that most franchisors prefer to make their decision without giving reasons. They are within their right to do so and you have to accept that.

It certainly isn’t! When the Franchise Association of Southern Africa (FASA) introduced an obligation on its members to prepare a disclosure document, the intention was to give prospects an opportunity to check out the franchise offer before they commit themselves. FASA even stipulates that the disclosure document must be given to a qualified prospect at least 14 days before a franchise agreement may be signed, or the prospect pays over any money. This has not changed; in fact, requirements are bound to become stricter in future. This does not mean that the franchisor is forced to put his intellectual property at risk. FASA recognises that the disclosure document contains confidential and sensitive information. To protect franchisors’ legitimate interests, they are entitled to insist that you sign a Confidentiality Undertaking. This compels you to respect the confidentiality of the information the disclosure document contains, and not to use it or pass it on to anyone else. For further details go to www.fasa.co.za. Let’s be charitable for a moment and assume that the franchisor you negotiate with does not know about this. In our minds, this raises serious concerns because it would indicate that he or she has not done the necessary homework. Before you go any further, you should obtain a list of the network’s existing franchisees, usually part of the disclosure document. Visit a good number of them and find out how they are doing. It may prove to be an eye-opener. Should the franchisor refuse to facilitate your access to established franchisees, we would advise you to simply walk away from the deal.

When you enter into a franchise agreement, you do so for keeps. That’s why we advise readers to check out not only the opportunity itself but also their own motivation and willingness to stay the course. The only way you can break a franchise agreement prematurely is if the franchisor fails to fulfil its contractual obligations. If, for example, the franchise agreement stipulates that the franchisor will visit your branch at regular intervals to offer support but this does not happen, you would have a reason to demand performance. Should the franchisor fail to respond in an appropriate manner, you would have good cause to terminate the agreement. Keep in mind, however, that this is a serious step and one you should not take it lightly. To protect yourself from unintended consequences, we advise you to consult with an experienced attorney before you terminate the agreement.

Not at all – being able to measure performance against similar operations is part of best practice in franchising. The only problem is that because franchising is unregulated, you have no way to force your franchisor to comply with your eminently reasonable request. We can only suggest that you get together with your fellow franchisees and present your demand jointly. Should this approach fail then there is nothing stopping you from creating an informal alliance with other franchisees and exchange figures on a regular basis. Unless your franchise agreement says otherwise, which is highly unlikely, the franchisor would have no right to stop you from doing this.

Your problem proves two things we keep stressing over and over: Firstly, you should never deplete your cash reserves, rather opt for a lower investment, or extended credit terms. Secondly, read the franchise agreement and have its contents explained to you by an attorney with experience in franchising. Sadly, these two pieces of advice don’t solve your problem. We can only advice you to visit your franchisor, explain the situation and request time to build up financial reserves before investing in the coffee shop. The franchisor is unlikely to refuse because it is generally not in the network’s interest to force a franchisee into bankruptcy.

It seems to us that you have fallen victim to the oldest con in the book. By telling you that someone else was interested, the “franchisor” prompted you to part with your money. We used inverted commas advisedly because a bona fide franchisor would never act in this way. Taking a deposit before a disclosure document has been issued and a cooling-off period has lapsed is strictly against the guidelines for ethical franchising issued by the Franchise Association of Southern Africa. This means that your “franchisor” has not acted ethically. From what you are saying, it appears to us that you may have legal recourse but court proceedings are lengthy and expensive. Embarking on such a process may mean throwing good money after bad and we cannot advise you to do that. However, you are the injured party and only you can make this decision. We realise fully that this is cold comfort for you but even the most rudimentary investigation of the opportunity prior to paying over the money would have sent alarm bells ringing. Should you find it in your heart to learn from this experience and make a fresh start at some time in the future, we urge you to contact us early on and we’ll go out of our way to guide you through the pitfalls.

When you join a franchise, it’s for keeps! That is precisely the reason why we – and every other ethical source in franchising – advise potential franchisees to investigate the opportunity carefully before they sign the franchise agreement. You are not saying why you want to jump ship, but unless your franchisor is in breach of the agreement, your chances of having it set aside are slim to non-existent. Why not tell the franchisor how you feel and request assistance with selling the business? You could then move to another area and start afresh, this time under your own banner. The restraint clause is unlikely to preclude you from operating a similar business as long as you do not rely on the goodwill and systems of the franchisor.

It sounds like you have fallen for one of the oldest tricks in the book. If interest in the franchise, and your chosen territory, was so strong at the time you were asked to pay the deposit, why is the franchisor suddenly concerned about finding a replacement? If the franchisor is a member of the Franchise Association of Southern Africa (FASA) you have some recourse. According to FASA’s Code of Ethics, which is binding on its members, the franchisor must give you a disclosure document and a copy of the franchise agreement at least 14 days before any money changes hands. From what you are saying, it does not sound like this was the case, so you could ask FASA to intervene on your behalf. As matters stand, however, FASA has no statutory powers, meaning that their influence over errant franchisors, especially if they are non-members, is limited at best. If the franchisor is not a member, you may have to go the legal route but this can be costly and time-consuming.

Your franchise agreement should deal with this eventuality. We have no access to this document, and you don’t give the reasons for being de-franchised, or how you feel about it. This means that we can only respond in very general terms. Should you feel that the franchisor has acted unfairly, you could approach the Franchise Association of Southern Africa (FASA) and ask for mediation. You could also go to court but this could become a lengthy and expensive process. Also, its outcome is never certain and even if you win, you may find it difficult to continue as part of the network. Assuming that you want to stay in the same business as an independent operator, you will have to give up everything that links you to the network. This may include your list of customers (which you would have built up while a franchisee) and even the premises you trade from. The good news is that restraints of trade are difficult to enforce, especially if you are a tradesman and want to continue working in your trade. Before you decide on a course of action, however, we recommend that you consult with an attorney with expertise in franchise matters.

To provide someone with a licence to perform your service is essentially the same as franchising the concept, with one extremely important difference. A licence will not give you the degree of control over the licensee’s contact which a franchise agreement provides. To grow the brand, you would want your business partners to operate under your name, perform the service and conduct the business exactly as prescribed by you. Only a properly drafted franchise agreement will give you the necessary power to reign in reckless operators whose actions may damage the brand.

Many companies offer such a service – at a fee! but we are not convinced that this is the best way to go about it. Your business plan is your map towards business success.
When you want to use the business plan to raise money, it must reflect your aspirations and your passion should shine through. Once in business, you need it to get suppliers and staff on board. On an ongoing basis, you need to track the progress of your business.

Use input from your accountant by all means but, rather than paying someone else to draw up a run-of-the-mill plan, buy a good book on the subject, study it carefully and do the job yourself. This will assist you greatly when it comes to discussing the plan with funders, suppliers or key staff.