What Are My Responsibilities as a Franchisor?

Franchising a business can present an excellent opportunity to grow brand recognition and introduce your business model to new markets. As a franchisor, you play a crucial role in shaping the success of your franchise network. Alongside developing your network, you are responsible for upholding obligations to your franchisees. Understanding these responsibilities is vital to ensure compliance with your obligations. By ensuring consistent compliance, you help to foster strong working relationships, maintain your brand’s integrity and mitigate the potential for legal disputes. This article will explore franchisors’ fundamental responsibilities.

1. Having an Established Franchise Concept 

You are responsible for providing franchisees with a proven business model. Ideally, you should test your franchise concept for at least a year to ensure its viability. It should have a profitable track record, and franchisees should be able to replicate your franchise concept and its systems and processes. This responsibility is crucial for laying the foundation for a successful franchise system.

Protecting your brand’s intellectual property is also a great idea. This step ensures that you and your future franchisees have the exclusive right to use your brand’s trade marks and any unique inventions or innovations essential to your business.  

2. Recruiting Suitable Franchisees 

It is your responsibility to recruit franchisees. You will advertise franchise opportunities and select candidates who align with your brand’s values. In recruiting suitable franchisees, you must give them the necessary documents, including the franchise agreement and operations manual. 

To avoid misrepresentation, you must be transparent about the franchise opportunity throughout the recruitment process. This transparency includes financial matters such as track records, forecasts and the fee structure. 

3. Providing Training and Support to Franchisees 

You must develop and offer franchisees a comprehensive initial training program. Once you have successfully onboarded your new franchisee, you should deliver this initial training program. This responsibility is a contractual obligation established by the franchise agreements you share with your franchisees. It is also a franchising best practice. Through the initial training, you can make sure your franchisees: 

• clearly understand your proven business model; 
• know how to operate a business under your brand; and
• the standards and expectations they must meet. 

You are also responsible for providing ongoing support to your franchisees. Ongoing support includes assistance with aspects such as:

• operations;
• troubleshooting; 
• marketing; and
• brand updates. 

For example, marketing support will entail providing franchisees with marketing materials and helping them plan advertising strategies and promotional campaigns to drive business and enhance your brand’s visibility. 

Moreover, you should establish open communication with each franchisee. This approach will allow franchisees to address their concerns and seek your support. 

4. Managing Finances 

You will likely need to invest in starting and developing your franchise network. Initial costs include recruitment, training and legal expenses. Development costs can consist of franchisee support, investment in brand development, and brand marketing costs. 

Franchisees will provide an initial investment and pay ongoing royalties and marketing fees. You must ensure that you manage these finances compliantly, for example, spending the marketing fees on marketing expenses. 

5. Developing and Protecting Your Brand

You are responsible for developing your brand and maintaining its competitive edge. This requires that you continually evaluate and improve your brand and franchise system. Any changes you make should be in light of changing market conditions, customer preferences and trends. 

You must also safeguard your brand’s integrity and reputation by enforcing standards and quality control mechanisms to ensure consistency across all franchise locations. It is advisable that you monitor your franchisees’ performance to help them improve their efficiency. 

6. Complying With the Law

You are responsible for complying with relevant legal obligations, such as industry requirements or contractual obligations. Your contractual obligations will arise from your franchise agreements, supplier contracts and any other legally binding agreements you share with other parties. As such, you should carefully read the terms of your agreements to understand your specific responsibilities. 

You must also handle disputes that arise in a fair and timely manner. In your franchise agreement, a clear dispute resolution framework should be set out. This framework will outline the steps that you will take if a conflict arises. 

UK Franchisor Handbook

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Key Takeaways

By understanding and complying with your obligations as a franchisor, you can establish supportive relationships with your franchisees and develop a successful franchise network. Upholding these obligations can also mitigate the risk of legal disputes. 

Your responsibilities as a franchisor include the following: 

• starting with a proven business model;
• recruiting suitable franchisees who align with your brand and concept; 
• providing training and support to franchisees; 
• managing finances in a compliant manner;
• developing your brand and protecting its reputation; and
• complying with relevant legal obligations. 

If you would like to learn more about the responsibilities you have as a franchisor, contact our experienced franchise lawyers as part of our LegalVision membership. For a low monthly fee, you will have unlimited access to lawyers to answer your questions and draft and review your documents. Call us today on 0808 196 8584 or visit our membership page.