There are two helpful ways to ensure you’ve carried everything. One is to use a checklist. Tick off every item as you go. But remember, the usefulness of your checklist is dependent on how thoroughly you wrote it. Those little things you forget – like a rag for wiping the frames / fabrics before mounting – you might forget to put them on your list as well. Keep the list updated. So – for example – every time you ‘spot’ something you left at work, add it to the list for future reference. Also, as you pack up, list the items as you load them into your truck.

Portable bags

That kind of post-event listing will record any items you may overlook, such as product labels or chalk / whiteboard markers. When you purchase your banners, find out if they come with a carry case. Its stated function is to prevent damage in transit or storage. The most basic type is the dust cover, but you can get a hard-back cover, or something waterproof. Ideally, get a case with castors, so you can easily tug it around. Zippers are preferable to buttons.

A second advantage of a good banner bag is multi-use. Many bags have enough room (and sometimes specialised compartments) for your banner poles, screws, tools, stands, and other components. Having everything in one bag makes you less likely to forget relevant items. You can also put name tags and stand labels inside the bag. Just be sure not to overload it. Also, avoid keeping scissors, pins, and other sharp objects inside the bag, because they might rip your graphics sheets and/or fabrics, as well as tearing the bag itself.

Mounting brackets

A good banner supplier will include banner stands in the package, even if you’re not purchasing freestanding units. However, you may need specific brackets for your pop-up stand. Consider this before-hand and ask your supplier for relevant mounting accessories. Usually, you can get spiked feet for grass / earthen floors, drills and bolts for concrete surfaces (walls and floors), or weighed feet for flattened ground. If you have adequate budgets, you can buy multiple sets of each and have them in storage as needed.

If you plan on using wall-mounts, inspect the venue in advance. You’ll need to ask your host if they’re okay with you drilling into their surfaces. If they have prepped spaces for wall mounts, look at the mount sites carefully to be sure you have appropriatefastening. Screws and bolts will have to be the right size and shape. You also want to confirm how much weight those wall bracket sockets can support. If your banner breaks the walls of the venue, you’ll have to pay for the damage, and you’ll still have to pay for your own banner replacements.

Modular framing

For ordinary banners, a single stand is adequate, but sometimes you want to pull a Lego at your event. Modular framing is made from individual cubes, tiles, and rods that fit into each other, creating larger frames in diverse sizes and shapes. You can create a catwalk, restaurant floor, or even a vehicle showroom. For best results, combine modular ‘walls’ with modular ‘floors’. They provide additional advertising surfaces and make your booth stand out.

These modular pieces are made of lightweight aluminium and can be built and dismantled in just a few minutes. Before you buy them, check whether they’re compatible with the banners you already own. It’s smartest to buy the frames as a kit, with their own fabric and extensions. Then when you want to expand your selection, you can go back to the supplier. However, veer on the side of overstocking, because by the time you want a top-up, those parts may be out of circulation, and the upgrades may not fit your existing banner system.

Light fixtures

Whether you’re hosting a night-time event or hosting a pop-up in a darkened exhibition hall, banner lights are key. You shouldn’t just go for any generic light. Banner lights are designed to highlight target areas of your banner without reflective glare. They can be in-built, back-lights, or front-lights, mounted overhead or slipped inside the frame. Shop around to see what best suits your needs.

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Media walls form the foundation of any advertorial set-up. In establishes the mood and identifies the main sponsors of the event. Ideally, you don’t want your media wall to be too busy, because it could detract attention from your celebrity line up. It should be subtle but effective, staying in the background but establishing ambience. If it must have writing on it, position the text carefully so it’s not constantly blocked by anyone standing in front of the wall. The wall should also be easy to set-up, because it’s the first banner to go up and the last one to come down. It’s the most dominant part of the exhibition, so you need it throughout.

Exhibition essentials

If you’re running an event and you’re restricted to just one banner, make it a media wall. At its simplest, it’s a large roll of vinyl or canvas than can be unfurled from the ceiling to the ground. However, media walls in Sydney can be a little more complex. One common style is to drape the fabric around a lightweight aluminium frame, zipping it up to hold it in place. Other options involve multiple units of 6m fabric that can be coiled into shelters and interlocked for additional sizing requirements. Another option is to combine your media wall with other elements to create a comprehensive expo booth display.

Media walls can be draped from wall hooks, attached to foldable support frames, zipped, strung up with rope, or hemmed in with silicone strips and latches. You can mix and match them to create all kinds of pop-up stands, from portable reception areas to a fully-fledged catwalk. You can even mimic a vehicle showroom. It’s all about your sense of creativity, and the range of banners stocked by your supplier. Media walls are usually full-colour prints that can resist sunlight, rain, wind, and glare. Well-made options don’t chip or scratch, and the fabric can be interchanged or replaced, retaining your frames.

Complete portability

The fabric portion of the media wall can usually roll up for easy storage in tight spaces. Look for one that has its own carry-case, keeping it safe from dust, pests, or physical damage. Obviously, you don’t want it ripping in transit, and they can get pretty heavy, so find a case with wheels. Sometimes, the frames of the media wall are smaller, foldable poles and detachable bits that can be dismantled and put in the carry-case. The main issue isn’t movement though. Your banners stay in dark, forgotten storerooms for prolonged periods between events. This means they can be attacked by rats, get mouldy and damp, or fade.

By investing in a good protective case, your media wall will be safe during those weeks or months when it’s abandoned in storage. The last thing you want is to peep into the store three days before an event and discover your gorgeous banner in tatters. For complex media walls that are curled around a frame, you may need screws, latches, and fasteners. These small pieces can easily get lost, and if a single one is missing, your banner will be lopsided. Worse, it might topple over and hurt someone. Replacing these parts can be expensive. A carry-case lets you keep everything you need in a single spot, ready for your next use.

Styling options

Almost every banner company can give you a basic drape comprising 6m of fabric. When you really want to make a statement though, you should look for something more versatile. Options include curved media walls that can be coiled to form a circular booth. You can buy slim-line media walls complete with their own shelving. These are great for displaying brochures, magazines, flyers, and coupons.

Another option is the floating display suspended off the ceiling. This only works at venues with vaulted ceilings, or open-air festivals, where the hanging media unit will be floated off the ground and supported with heavy anchors. You could also try a media wall arch than can be decorated with flowers, balloons, tinsel, coloured light displays, or theme-related accessories. They can be inverted, curved, or square, and they make a great backdrop for guest photography, providing weeks’ worth of social media content.

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The saying goes, ‘Men are just little boys grown tall,’ and it applies to all genders. Our inner child is still alive, kicking, and tantrumming. We just hide them better, squeezing them into grown-up clothes and distracting them with responsibility. And so at some level, the idea of owning a shop and taking whatever you want from it, whenever you want, without asking anyone … it’s a giddily exciting idea. Of course if you actually ran your business that way, you’d soon be bankrupt, so take a step back and review.

Find the right spot

Let’s assume you’ve already decided what you’re going to sell. Now pick a location carefully. If you have a specialty shop, people will come to you. You’re the only one that supplies their requirements, so location is less of a barrier. But for a regular store, a place that’s visible and high in traffic is a better deal. It will attract passers-by, and that incidental business makes up a big chunk of your bottom line. You might consider other aspects, like how close the shop is to your home, or to your kids’ school – so they can hang out there on the way home.

A bigger factor might be budget. Ideally, sales from the store should pay for themselves, but it may take a while to pick up. And even when it does, there will be slow months – that’s the nature of business. You want to be sure you can afford the rent, even in a month with no sales. Check the lease too, and double-check the agreement. Look for something that doesn’t lock you in for unreasonable periods, and that has a workable exit clause.

Security measures

Most shops require the basics – an alarm system and well-positioned CCTV. Modern surveillance systems can be linked to your smartphone, so you can monitor the security screens at any time, wherever you are. You could be sitting in traffic, take out your phone, pull up the store, and look at the feed from your security cameras. Just be sure to put the phone away while driving. “Don’t text and drive” covers other screen-based distractions too. You might have access to a quick-response emergency service, and you could deck the outside of the shop with floodlights and motion sensors.

This depends on your neighbourhood though, because lights triggered by movement could be tripped by outdoor pests and strays. You need a physical form of security as well, to support your tech. Roller shutters are a good choice. They’re solid enough, and their triple-layer construction makes them resistant to ramming (and crowbars). They offer insulation, are fireproof, weather-proof, and are available in lots of pretty colours. Their automatic latch mechanism clicks into place when you close it, but you can also padlock inside and outside.

Confirm your suppliers

It’s not possible to stock an entire shop in cash – it’s too expensive. Plus, because this is a new store, you don’t know what will sell and what won’t. You have to buy your stocks on credit. Make sure your suppliers are reliable. You don’t want to get an item that sells well then when you go back, they don’t have more of it. You also need to be very clear on stock agreements and payment terms. You can’t pay them until you get paid, but you can’t just keep their money for nine months either.

Find out their policies on returns. If an item stays on your shelf and doesn’t look like it’ll ever sell, can you give it back or exchange it for something more popular? What are their terms on (nearly) expired products? Do they deliver to your store or do you need to send someone? Are they willing to source things for you if they’re not in stock, and can you make a special order for something a customer has requested? These are all factors that could affect the success of your shop, so get them clear from the start. Good luck!

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Despite the importance of positive cash flow, a lot of companies fail to generate enough cash to stay liquid by having a critical number of unpaid invoices, a financial loss which might threaten to slow the operating business down eventually. While it is easy to blame it on the customer who failed to pay on time, it is often not their fault but the business owners. Even though the financial department has sent out invoices after invoices, called the manager or announced outsourcing the receivables to a debt collection agency, the reason why some businesses are still waiting for their invoice to be paid is probably that they themselves give the customer reason to delay the payment.

A lot of customers prioritize one invoice over another and we have put together helpful tips for your accounts receivable process to pay attention to before the invoice leaves the finance department. If you follow these improvements, this might be the way to get the customer to pay your bill faster and keep your invoices at top of the stack.

1#

Check your invoice format. Maybe your customer has given you a template to use that your finance department forgot and now it is hard for the customer to have your invoice approved on their end, as the wrong formatting cannot be fed into their system. Always make sure your invoice fits the customer’s requirements. By using the right format, the customer is able to approve payment more quickly.

2#

The invoice has left your financial department too late, making it impossible for the customer to pay on time. Do not spend too long to create and deliver an invoice. Instead, hand the bill over quickly in order to leave the customer plenty of time to pay you within terms.

3#

Your competitors offer incentives for early payment and your business doesn’t. Think about a percentage on the next invoice to get paid the full amount and on time. By offering incentives you give the customer a pleasant reason to work with you again.

4#

The information on your invoice is incorrect or incomplete, hence the customers accounting department needs to get in contact with you to finalize the payment. As this extra step might take you down the priority list, make sure you always double check for correct and complete information.

5#

The customer has simply forgotten about your invoice, as you did not follow it up in a timely matter. This is why it is advisable to communicate regularly with the customers. Communication will not only help you to build a better relationship with the customer but improve your own work by learning what needs to be done to improve the way your invoices are handled to get paid on time.

All of the above matters might be reasons why your invoice sinks to the bottom of the stack. By eliminating such obstacles and taking a close look at every step of your current debt collection process you will most likely increase the possibilities to get paid earlier. Another helpful tip is to invest in an accounts receivable management software. This tool not only allows you to save customised templates which will be helpful for future invoices, this way your entire finance team is able to access all important documents easily to communicate effectively with customers regarding an invoice or dispute.

Read Also:

At What Point In Setting Up A Business Should You Seek Advice On Debt Collection?

Consequence of Neglecting Debt Recovery

Complementary Legal Service and Successful Debt Collectors

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If you are setting up a stand to sell your items, promotional displays are the best way to get attention to your stand. From a distance, a potential client can make out the product or services you are trying to sell by simply looking at your display. You can set up your promotional display in the face of your stand or behind your stand. The size is dependent on the design of your stand but the more visible the display is, the better. You can also opt to set up your display beside your stand. Whichever option you pick, promotional displays are bound to reel in clients. Place them where they can be seen and watch the magic happen.

Exhibition stands are good for marketing, branding and selling items but if you want them to be effective you must be keen on what goes up on your exhibition display. The content you put out on your displays heavily determines if your marketing or branding is going to be effective. There are various options for the content to put up on exhibition displays. You can have a picture only, text only or a combination of both. Your choice should depend on what you are trying to sell and if you are marketing at the point of sale. Pictures are ideal for stands where the item on display is up for sale at the stand. The idea is for the display to capture attention and reel in clients. From there, the duty to record a sale is on whoever is attending to the stand. Texts are good for high demand items that are recognizable by words. A combination of pictures and text is among the most popular options for exhibition displays. The picture captures attention while the text makes a call to action.

The key goal of any exhibition stands is to be seen. As a result, placement is crucial when it comes to marketing through exhibition displays. Depending on the premises you are using, there are a number of factors to consider before setting up your stand. It is effective to set up your exhibition stand to display in high traffic areas. The more people walking by your stand, the higher the chances someone will catch a glimpse of it. If you are setting up in a mall, go for spaces near the entrance. These areas get a lot of human traffic and coerce potential clients on entry to the mall. Moreover, it is prudent to set up your stand in a location where you can enjoy a lot of attention. This means avoiding spaces that already have stands especially stands that are marketing a product or a service that may be considered as a threat or competitor.

Exhibition displays come in all shapes and sizes. For an effective marketing campaign, you might want to go for a unique setup. Considering many marketing spaces in expos have different stands, having a unique set up is bound to get you the attention you need. There are many exhibition display options available in the market. Depending on your budget, you can get large ad stands or smaller info-stands. The shape and size of your exhibition display can be customized to meet your specifications. Hence, go for something unique that can get the attention you need. Exhibition displays are among the top marketing tools available for exhibition stands. Their effective use is guaranteed to get you the sales you require and push your brand. This year be creative and blow people’s minds with your exhibition stands. Your exhibition stands for 2018 not only need to be effective but also mind-blowing.

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The Medieval Times

Many attribute the Middle Ages as being the first-time period that exhibited a phenomenon akin to franchising. In those days, esteemed members of society such as church officials were granted a license to maintain order and assess taxes by the local governing bodies. Medieval courts (or lords) gave these individuals the right to hold markets, and perform business-related activities since there was essentially considered to be a monopoly on commercial ventures. These first franchisees paid a royalty to the lords in exchange for, these licences and protection among other things.

The Colonial Era

Fast forward to the colonial period where he local sovereign would authorize individuals to conduct all business-related activities on his land including transport, hunting, trade and so on. This concept extended to the Kings, who would grant a franchise for different types of business activities. European monarchs (a relative equivalent to the Kings themselves) even bestowed special permits (franchises) upon local citizens who were contracted to take on the daunting task of seeking out and founding new colonies. Once a colony was created, the founder could receive the protection of the “Crown” in exchange for taxes or royalties.

The 1800s: Birth of the Franchise Model

The franchise model of business that we now associate with is said to have found its origins in the 1880s, in the American entrepreneur Isaac Merrit Singer. He was the founder of I.M. Singer & Company and was the first person to patent a practical, widely-used sewing machine, which although there were already some in existence, stood head and shoulders above the rest. The invention was out of reach to most Americans, a problem which was solved by what is said to be the the first ever instalment plan. Now that average people could pay for his sewing machines, he now had to devise an effective distribution method, which he did in the form of Licensing Arrangement.

Singer and his partners would find businesspeople who were intent on owning the rights to sell Singer’s product. They would oversee selling them in specific geographical areas. Once they found interested people, they would charge them a licensing fee up-front, for the right to sell the machines. As a follow up, Singer mandated the licensees with teaching the average consumer how to operate the sewing machine. And that became the spark that ignited the spread of the wildfire that is franchising.

The 1900s Pick It Up

With the advent of the 1900s, another revolutionary product with enormous potential emerged on the American day to day scene; the automobile. Henry Ford, the pioneer of mass production of automobiles by way of the assembly line, needed to find a good way to distribute the product. Why? Because, by then the only methods available to sell them were through mail-order catalogues and salesmen who traversed the country trying to find buyers. The solution was none other than automobile dealership, yet another franchise example.

With the permeation of automobile dealerships into the heart of the USA, more roads became more paved and due to the need for gasoline, oil companies began franchising their stations along major roads. Some of them like Chevron, still exist to date.

As the population of automobile drivers grew, so did the diners, motels and roadside restaurants. Ultimately, food franchises began to open. In the 1960s, the most famous example of these is a fast food chain that is now a household name worldwide; McDonalds. A visionary salesperson named Ray Kroc, transformed the California-based business of the brothers Dick and Mac McDonald from a busy hamburger stand to a present-day empire which boasts approximately 34,000 McDonald’s restaurants, 80 percent of them are franchises and employs roughly 1.8 million people in 118 different countries. How did he do that? By selling franchises.

Read More:

Buying A Franchise? Tips to Get Started

Are The Laws Around Franchises Complicated?

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Simple Banners

Department stores, malls, museums and cafés rarely miss a simple banner. A simple banner is black or chrome and resembles a large picture frame on an A-frame. The banner stands are the easiest to set up. All you have to do is slide in your graphic and you are done. Unlike most banners, simple banners are designed for indoor use. Therefore, they will come in handy for your indoor expo. The size of the banner is limited, but it’s ideal for promoting sales and exhibits.

Flexi Banner Stands

Flexi banners are popular in trade shows and conventions. They also offer a great display option for travel agencies, airports and expos. Their popularity is drawn from the functionality and portability of the banner. Flexi banner stands are flexible in their use. The flexi banner stand can be used as one panel to display a vertical banner or form a large-scale horizontal display banner by joining multiple panels. If you switch out your banners ever so often, this is the best option for you.
Despite the flexibility, the build of a Flexi banner stand is sturdy. It’s made from strong anodized aluminium. The aluminium pieces are connected to form single- and double-sided banner options. The aluminium bars lock in together to give reliable support that makes flexi banners a viable option for both indoor and outdoor expos. Setting up the banner is easy and setting down is easier. Travelling with it is convenient and the travel bag comes in handy when moving the banner. The banner is designed to match your graphic design and the size depends on your specifications. What makes flexi banners good for indoor expos is that you can play around with the size selection. If the venue is huge, a big banner will be the best choice but if the venue is small, you have more options.

Pole Stands for Custom Banners

Pole stands are freestanding stands that are easily assembled with a set of poles. The convenience of the banner makes it a popular selection for many indoor expos. The parts come disassembled making transportation easy. You can ferry the poles to your destination in a travel bag and set up for the indoor expo. Setting up is easy since all the parts fit together seamlessly. Once the pole is secured, the banner is fitted with grommets and clipped to the pole stand, attached with special tape or slid into plastic rails. The final result is a stable, attractive banner that is certain to reel in potential clients and investors.
If you change your banners often, pole stand banners are an ideal choice. They can hold both vertical banners and large-scale banners. The use of the banner can extend beyond indoor spaces to outdoor venues. Indoor expos and corporate events are always packed with pole stand banners. To make your banner stand out from the rest, select a unique, captivating graphic design that not only sells your product but also sells your brand. Also, go for large-scale pole stands if the indoor expo you are attending is big.

Retractable Banners

If you are going to have a small team present at an indoor expo, retractable banners are the best bet. These banners are convenient and easy to use. The stands are assembled so that your banner is rolled up in the base. Setting up is simple and one person can manage to do it. You simply pull the banner up and out of the base and secure it to the back pole. Retractable banners are mostly designed for tall vertical banners, but they can be customised for small banners too. The banner is portable and ideal for corporate interiors, trade shows and indoor expos. Tabletop displays are also available. A retractable banner coupled with a travel bag is all you need to market your products and sell your brand at your next indoor expo.
Indoor expos have limited space, but you can still make the most out of what you have. If you are in a big venue, go for big banners to announce your presence. Remember if you are seen, you can sell

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Even though we live in an era of digital marketing, catalogues are as important than ever for marketing a brand. Hence investing in good brochure design is essential for every business and company, as it is the best way to get their product or services in front of people. A catalogue is something tangible for potential customers to hold on to and can easily get passed on or shown to family and friends for second thoughts. The prospectus will sell products right off the page and is designed to communicate your business on the market as well as grab tangible attention. A good catalogue will also communicate the personality of your company and its proposal. Hence, great catalogue design can drive your sales as it influences buying decisions by potential customers.

Big brands have learnt that publishing a catalogue does not only boost sales but can have multiple purposes as the print medium can include education, new products and deliver detailed prices in a popular and user-friendly way. It will assist the customer to make an informed decision when buying.

Several big retailers already use the medium to mail their catalogue as a tactic to gain new prospective clients and the market continues to grow all over Australia as catalogues make up about 60% of print advertising in this country. The sales volume that can be achieved through catalogue marketing makes up to one-third of the total sales volume and studies have shown that 8 out of 10 purchases have resulted out of viewing a catalogue as they are a trusted source of relevant information and are often looked through for further reference. Multi-channel shopping has been on the rise and Australia’s biggest companies state that customers who have a multi-channel relationship with them will spend four times as much as those who didn’t receive a catalogue first.

In digital times, catalogues are furthermore the ideal way to reach customers offline and the best way to improve sales is a mix of online and offline marketing tools. It is also possible to make the potential customer go to your website or social platform to mix marketing channels and methods. Having several marketing strategies is vital for your business success and catalogues play well in that area along with email campaigns, online advertisements and well-designed websites, which all add to the branding of your product and to the buying experience.

The handout will not only enlarge your business name but your brand. This piece of a handout is a great way to keep in touch with the customers and stay in mind about your product or service. A detailed prospectus is furthermore a great way for the public to compare prices on the competitive market.

If you are still not convinced about this great sales tool, give a catalogue designer a call and let them persuade you from their work. A qualified brochure designer will make sure that your print media will be used for high-quality marketing using background stories, attractive layout and high-quality print to bring your brand philosophy and identity across next to the products you want to sell.

Read More:

• Banner Display System – Inspiration for Your Business
• The Worst Design Mistakes Made on Display Banners

The post Does My Business Need a Catalogue? appeared first on Expert Zine.

The concept of franchising doesn’t seem that complicated. You take a well-known brand, open a local branch, get support from headquarters, and give them a share of your cut. And yet there are laws governing the process. And if you’ve ever tried reading your rental lease, car loan documents, or even the terms and conditions on any online account (which nobody ever does), then you know what lawyers are for. And this is just the routine stuff, before you ever experience franchise disputes.

The franchise model is quite popular in Australia, both from Old Mother England and other global entities. Most franchises run as incorporated organisations that legally require at least one Australian director. It’s easy to set up, and can take as little as two days.  The incorporation must follow the statutes on the Corporation Act of 2001, largely implemented by ASIC (Australia Securities and Investments Commission). Your franchise will need a TFN (tax file number) and ABN (Australia business number).

Statutes And Measures

You also have to register for GST (goods and services tax). If your franchise will receive foreign funds above AUD 231 Million (the official cap for non-American investors in 2010), you’ll need approval from the FIRB (Foreign Investment Review Board). The US has no caps, because of our free trade agreement with them. Franchises pay the same taxes as everyone else – income tax, payroll, state tax, workers’ comp, and stamp duty. They may also pay a 5% withholding tax on the funds they send back to their overseas brand headquarters (royalties and commissions).

Local income tax is 30%, so franchisees should clarify double-tax regimes and treaties with their lawyers. Lawyers also need to look into franchisee rights for your staff. For example, are they employed by their local Aussie boss or by the franchisor – whether it’s a local brand or an international one? In the latter case, are their (minimum) wages and hours governed by Australia or the franchisor’s ‘home country’? What about employee insurance and workplace safety standards? These may seem like straightforward matters for a franchisee, the kind of thing that’s agreed verbally.

Sifting Through Agreements

However, a lawyer needs to look through the agreements and see whether there are any clauses or loopholes regarding this. Issues don’t come up when things are fine, but the second someone gets fired and feels aggrieved, you’d be surprised what sneaky franchise terms they can find to sue you. You might also have to register patents and trademarks with IP Australia to avoid others unlawfully cutting into the exclusivity of your franchise. Some franchise agreements include a business premises which will be leased by the franchisor.

At the top level, the laws that govern buying or selling a franchise fall under the Franchising Code of Conduct i.e. the Trade Practices (Industry Codes – Franchising) Regulations 1998. It used to be called the Trade Practices Act but was renamed the Competition and Consumer Act, and it’s enforced by ACCC (Australia Competition and Consumer Commission). The ACCC is in charge of investigating and prosecuting non-compliance. They’re especially concerned with disclosure documents, which have to be reviewed and updated every year.

Altered Agreements

The document has information on litigation, payment terms, sites, territories intellectual property, obligations, earnings, terms of franchise closure, and a copy of the franchise agreement itself. After the end of the financial year, the franchisor must update the Disclosure Documents within four months and submit a fresh copy to ACCC for a compliance check. If there are any changes, the franchisor legally has 14 days to inform the franchisee. The franchisee can also request an updated document once a year.

Franchises have to abide by municipal laws in the region they are located. They may have to follow industry codes as well. If a franchisee feels wronged by the franchisor, they can seek assistance from ACCC under the Franchising Code. The FCA (Franchising Council of Australia) also issues conduct requirements for its members. There’s whole other network of laws governing when a franchisor or franchisee can exit the agreement and how, but as you can see franchise law is definitely complex. So before you sign on any dotted line, talk to a good franchise lawyer and let them walk you through what could either be a profitable venture or a messy legal nightmare.

Read More:

Buying A Franchise? Tips to Get Started

Why you Should Seek Legal Advice When You Are Buying A Franchise

The post Are The Laws Around Franchises Complicated? appeared first on Expert Zine.

There are different kinds of franchise systems. The most common is a business model franchise. It ensures that – for example – your burger tastes exactly the same whether you buy it in Darwin, Perth, or Cairo. To ensure uniformity the brand will give you access to manuals, training, quality assurance techniques, marketing channels, and support.

It’s the most popular option in Australia, because you essentially receive a starter pack and the option to ‘phone a friend’ at Head Office whenever you need to. The business model is common with food chains and direct services like automobile detailing. However, if the ‘franchise’ is car rental or banking, the more common choice is an Agency Agreement.

Franchise Types

In these models, the ‘branch’ simply distributes the products or services of their ‘franchisor’ with no responsibility or liability in terms of consistent quality. Under legal statutes, it’s not strictly considered a franchise. In the field of electronics, car sales, and related products, a similar option is selected. You sign up to be an Authorized Dealer, which means you offer the franchisor’s goods and services, including warranties and customer support.

Dealers don’t necessarily have to offer uniform service, but they create a direct link to the original brand, so there’s broader liability than agency arrangements. Then there are distributors, who are like dealers, except they work wholesale. It’s mainly a collection point, so there’s minimal liability for the ‘warehouse’. The distribution model lends itself to confectionaries, food products, fuel, and software. They can escalate customer complaints, but they never get directly involved if something goes wrong.

Finally, you can sign up as a licensor or manufacturer. This applies when the brand doesn’t (or can’t) have a physical presence in your locality, so they give you their ‘production formula’ and you manufacture on their behalf. When you’re buying a franchise, be clear on which of these models you’re signing up for, because their legal terms are vastly different.

Advantages of Franchising

Why would you want to buy a franchise? Well, it generally needs less capital than starting a business from scratch. The brand already has market positioning and a reputation of its own, so you don’t need to actively sell it. Franchise brands generally have a marketing machine in place, and will give you full access to all its tools, helping you tailor it for your locality.

This widens reach, expands market share faster, and develops an effortless customer base. Middle managers can expand into franchise owners, so it offers career growth. It enhances buying power, allowing owners to easily scale their franchise. For investors, there’s a higher ROI for less risk, and quicker turnaround for profit and penetration.

Given all these benefits, you need to get the right franchise agreement so you can maximise returns. After all, the franchise is designed to the advantage of the franchisor, so as a buyer, you need a good lawyer to skew things in your direction. If you can work with a law firm that deals exclusively with franchise deals. They have more experience in getting better terms.

What Your Franchise Lawyer Does

It’s important to know that when you buy a franchise, you’re not becoming an employer, employee, tenant, landlord, mortgager, partner, lender, borrower, or cooperative partner with your franchisor. You are simply using the brand name to supply their brand products and services for profit, and giving them a portion of returns.

These returns can be in the form of a capital investment fee. They will give you the money to start, and you’ll repay their investment loan with interest. You might be required to give your franchisor a percentage of overall sales. And you might have to pay them for training or discounted raw materials. Both these measures are for consistency and quality control.  Your lawyers will also look into more technical factors, like the lease agreement on your business premises, branding charges, fixtures, and any necessary construction work or furnishing.

Get a lawyer involved from the beginning. They’ll help you with designing a suitable franchise agreement, negotiating payment terms, renewal or termination of agreements, resolving disputes with your franchisor, and dealing with your finances in case your franchise has a slow start. Lawyers are essential if you need to transfer your franchise rights, or if you want help with the building and branded business vehicles.

Read More:

Advantages and disadvantages of buying a franchise

Why you Should Seek Legal Advice When You Are Buying A Franchise

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