| I. The Benefits and Responsibilities of Franchise Ownership A franchise enables you, the investor or franchisee, to operate a business. You pay a franchise fee and you get a format or system developed by the company (franchisor), the right to use the franchisor’s name for a limited time, and assistance. For example, the franchisor may provide you with help in finding a location for your outlet; initial training and an operating manual; and advice on management, marketing, or personnel. The franchisor may provide support through periodic newsletters, a toll- free telephone number, a website, or scheduled workshops or seminars. Buying a franchise may reduce your investment risk by enabling you to associate with an established company. But the franchise fee can be substantial. You also will have other costs: for example, you may be required to give up significant control over your business while you take on contractual obligations with the franchisor. Typically, franchise systems have several components. Costs In exchange for the right to use the franchisor’s name and assistance, you will pay some or all of the following fees. Initial Franchise Fee and Other Expenses Your initial franchise fee, which will range from several thousand dollars to several hundred thousand dollars, may be non-refundable. You may incur significant costs to rent, build, and equip an outlet and to buy initial inventory. You also may have to pay for operating licenses and insurance, and a “grand opening” fee to the franchisor to promote your new outlet. Continuing Royalty Payments You may have to pay the franchisor royalties based on a percentage of your weekly or monthly gross income. Often, you must pay royalties even if your outlet isn’t earning significant income. As a rule, you have to pay royalties for the right to use the franchisor’s name. Even if the franchisor doesn’t provide the services they promised, you still may have to pay royalties for the duration of your franchise agreement. Indeed, even if you voluntarily terminate your franchisee agreement early, you may owe royalties for the remainder of your agreement. Advertising Fees You also may have to pay into an advertising fund. Some portion of the advertising fees may be allocated to national advertising or to attract new franchise owners, rather than to promote your particular outlet. Controls To ensure uniformity, franchisors usually control how franchisees conduct business. These controls may significantly restrict your ability to exercise your own business judgment. Here are a few examples. Site Approval Many franchisors pre-approve sites for outlets, which, in turn, may increase the likelihood that your outlet will attract customers. At the same time, the franchisor may not approve the site you’ve selected. Design or Appearance Standards Franchisors may impose design or appearance standards to ensure a uniform look among the various outlets. Some franchisors require periodic renovations or seasonal design changes; complying with these standards may increase your costs. Restrictions on Goods and Services You Sell Franchisors may restrict the goods and services you sell. For example, if you own a restaurant franchise, you may not be able to make any changes to your menu. If you own an automobile transmission repair franchise, you may not be able to perform other types of automotive work, like brake or electrical system repairs. Restrictions on Method of Operation Franchisors may require that you operate in a particular way: they may dictate hours; pre-approve signs, employee uniforms, and advertisements; or demand that you use certain accounting or bookkeeping procedures. In some cases, the franchisor may require that you sell goods or services at specific prices, restricting your ability to offer discounts, or that you buy supplies only from an approved supplier even if you can buy similar goods elsewhere for less. Restrictions on Sales Area A franchisor may limit your business to a specific territory.While territorial restrictions may ensure that you will not compete with other franchisees for the same customers, they also could hurt your ability to open additional outlets or to move to a more profitable location. In addition, a franchisor may limit your ability to have your own website, which could restrict your ability to have online customers. Moreover, the franchisor itself may have the right to offer goods or services in your sales area through its own website or through catalogs or telemarketing campaigns. Terminations and renewal You can lose the right to your franchise if you breach the franchise contract. Franchise contracts are for a limited time; your right to renew is not guaranteed. Franchise Terminations A franchisor can end your franchise agreement for a variety of reasons, including your failure to pay royalties or abide by performance standards and sales restrictions. If your franchise is terminated, you may lose your investment. Renewals Franchise agreements may run for as long as 20 years. At the end of the contract, the franchisor may decline to renew. Renewals are not automatic, and they may not have the original terms and conditions. Indeed, the franchisor may raise the royalty payments, impose new design standards and sales restrictions, or reduce your territory. Any of these changes may result in more competition from company-owned outlets or other franchisees. |
Bankruptcy This section discloses whether the franchisor or any of its executives have been involved in a recent bankruptcy, information that can help you assess the franchisor’s financial stability and whether the company is capable of delivering the support services it promises. Initial and Ongoing Costs This section describes the costs involved in starting and operating a franchise, including deposits or franchise fees that may be non-refundable, and costs for initial inventory, signs, equipment, leases, or rentals. It also explains ongoing costs, like royalties and advertising fees. In addition, ask about: continuing royalty payments advertising payments, both to local and national advertising funds grand opening or other initial business promotions business or operating licenses product or service supply costs real estate and leasehold improvements discretionary equipment, such as a computer system or a security system training legal fees financial and accounting advice insurance the costs of compliance with local ordinances, such as zoning, waste removal, and fire and other safety codes health insurance employee salaries and benefits Starting your business may take several months. Estimate your operating expenses for the first year and your personal living expenses for up to two years. Compare your estimates with what other franchisees have paid and with competing franchise systems. You may be able to get a better deal with another franchisor.An accountant can help you evaluate this information. Restrictions This section tells whether the franchisor limits: suppliers from whom you may purchase goods the goods or services you may offer for sale your customers where you can sell goods or services your use of the Internet to sell goods or services to customers in and out of your territory and the right of the franchisor (or other franchisees) to use the Internet to solicit customers or to sell in your territory These kinds of restrictions may limit your ability to exercise your own business judgment in operating your outlet. That said, if the franchisor does not limit the territory where each franchisee can sell, the franchisor and other franchisees may compete with you for the same customers, either by establishing their own outlets, or by selling to customers in your area through the Internet, catalogs, telemarketing, and the like. Terminations This section spells out the conditions under which the franchisor may end your franchise and your obligations to the franchisor after termination. It also defines the conditions under which you can renew, sell, or assign your franchise to others. Training This section explains the franchisor’s training and assistance program. Check for information about: who is eligible for training whether new employees are eligible for training and, if so, at what cost. Who pays? how long the training sessions take. How much time is spent on technical training, business management training, and marketing? who conducts the training and their qualifications whether the company offers ongoing training and at what cost support staff available for trouble-shooting: Are they assigned to your area and how many franchisees they are responsible for? whether on-site individual assistance is available and at what cost The training you need will depend on your business experience and your knowledge of the franchisor’s goods and services. If you have doubts about whether the training offered is sufficient to give you the tools you need to handle day-to-day business operations, consider another franchise opportunity. Advertising This section has information on advertising costs. Franchisees often are required to contribute a percentage of their income to an advertising fund. Find out: what part of the advertising fund is devoted to administrative costs what other expenses are paid from the advertising fund whether franchisees have any control over how the advertising dollars are spent what advertising promotions the company has already engaged in and what’s on the drawing board what percentage of the fund is spent on national advertising what percentage of the fund is spent on advertising in your area what percentage is devoted to selling more franchises whether all franchisees contribute equally to the advertising fund whether you need the franchisor’s consent to develop and buy your own advertising whether there are rebates or advertising contribution discounts if you do your own advertising whether the franchisor gets any commissions or rebates when it places advertisements, and who benefits from those—you or the franchisor Current and Former Franchisees This section has very important information about current and former franchisees. Many franchisees in your area may mean more competition for customers. The number of terminated, cancelled, or non-renewed franchises may indicate problems. Some companies may repurchase failed outlets and list them as company- owned outlets. Look for contact information for current franchisees and franchisees who have left the system within the last year; talking to them may be the most reliable way for you to verify the franchisor’s claims. Visit or phone as many of the current and former franchisees as possible to chat about their experiences, and the volume and type of business they’re doing. Note that some of them may have signed confidentiality agreements that prevent them from speaking with you. If that’s the case, try contacting others on the list. If you buy an existing outlet that was reacquired by the franchisor, the franchisor must tell you who owned and operated the outlet for the last five years. Several owners in a short time may indicate that the location isn’t profitable or that the franchisor hasn’t supported that outlet as promised. Consider contacting several previous owners to learn more about their experience operating the particular outlet. You will want to learn: how long the franchisee operated the franchise where the franchise was located whether they were able to open the outlet in a reasonable time their total investment, including any hidden or unexpected costs how long it took them to cover operating costs and earn a reasonable income whether they were satisfied with the cost, delivery, and quality of the goods or services they sold their backgrounds before becoming a franchisee If you have doubts about whether the training offered is sufficient to give you the tools you need to handle day-to-day business operations, consider another franchise opportunity. whether the franchisor’s training was adequate whether the franchisor provided ongoing help their satisfaction with the franchisor’s advertising program whether the franchisor fulfilled its contractual obligations whether the franchisee would invest in another outlet whether the franchisee would recommend the investment Some franchisors may give you a separate reference list of franchisees to contact. To ensure that you get the full picture, you may want to contact at least some references listed in the disclosure document that are not on the separate list. Associations of Franchisees Operating Similar Outlets There’s no question that the disclosure document is critical reading for potential franchisees. Associations of franchisees who are operating similar outlets are another important source of information. Whether or not these associations are sponsored or endorsed by the franchisor, they can provide information about the state of the relationship between the franchisor and its franchisees. You may want to ask a franchisee association about: its membership its history its goals its relationship with the franchisor any benefits in buying from one franchisor versus a competitor any problems franchisees are facing in the operation of their outlets Earnings Information You may want to know how much money you can make if you invest in a particular franchise system. Be careful. Earnings information can be misleading. Insist on written substantiation for any information you may receive that suggests your potential income or sales. Franchisors are not required to disclose information about potential income or sales, but if they do, the law requires that they have a reasonable basis for their claims and that they make the substantiation for their claims available to you. When you review any earnings claims, consider: Sample Size Say a franchisor claims that franchisees in its system earned $50,000 last year. The claim may be deceptive if it doesn’t represent the typical earnings of franchisees. The disclosure document should tell the sample size and the number and percentage of franchisees who reported earnings at the level claimed. Average Incomes A franchisor may claim that the franchisees in its system earn an average income of, say, $75,000 a year. Average figures tell very little about how individual franchisees perform. An average figure may make the overall franchise system look more successful than it is because just a few very successful franchisees can inflate the average. Gross Sales 5 Some franchisors provide figures for the gross sales revenues of their franchisees. These figures don’t really tell about the franchisees’actual costs or profits. An outlet with a high gross sales revenue on paper may be losing money because of high overhead, rent, and other expenses. Net Profits Franchisors often do not have data on net profits oftheir franchisees. If you get net profit information, ask whether it includes information about company- owned outlets; they often have lower costs because they can buy equipment, inventory, and other items in larger quantities, or they may own, rather than lease, their property. Geographic Relevance Earnings may vary with geography. If it’s reported that a franchisee earned a particular income, ask about the franchisee’s location. The disclosure document should note geographic or other differences among the group of franchisees whose earnings are reported and your likely location. Franchisees’ Backgrounds Keep in mind that franchisees have different skill sets and educational backgrounds. The success of some franchisees doesn’t guarantee success for all. Reliance on Earnings Claims Franchisors may ask you to sign a statement— sometimes presented as a written interview or questionnaire—that asks whether you received any earnings or financial performance representations during the course of buying a franchise. If you heard or got any earnings representations, report it fully during an interview or on a questionnaire or other statement. If you don’t, you may be waiving any right to contest the earnings representations that were made to you and that you used to make your decision to buy. Financial History The disclosure document gives important information about the company’s financial status, including audited financial statements. You can find explanatory information about the franchisor’s financial status in notes to the financial statements. Investing in a financially unstable franchisor is a significant risk; the company may go out of business or into bankruptcy after you have invested your money. It’s a good idea to hire a lawyer or an accountant to review the franchisor’s financial statements, audit report, and notes. They can help you understand whether the franchisor: has steady growth has a growth plan makes most of its income from the sale of franchises or from continuing royalties devotes sufficient funds to support its franchise system |
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| What is a Corporation? A Corporation is also referred to as a standard corporation. It is also called a C-Corporation or a Regular Corporation. A Corporation is a legal form of organization of persons and material resources, chartered by the state, for the purpose of conducting business and may have an unlimited number of shareholders, which may include shareholders who are foreign citizens. A Corporation may be public - one in which shares is offered for sale to the public or privately held - one in which shares is not sold to the public. Usually shares are held by the founders, by board members and by private investors, such as venture capitalists, who may or may not sit on the board of directors. Shareholders are protected from the corporation's liabilities. "Double taxation" frequently occurs, because the corporation is taxed on its profits, and shareholders are also taxed on the distributions they receive, such as profit sharing payments or dividends The most common type of incorporation is the C Corporation, which is a for-profit, state-incorporated business. A company registration is done with state authorities and must abide by corporate laws in the state where it is incorporated. To incorporate or register company, you will need to register your business name, file a certificate of incorporation or articles of incorporation and pay a fee. You will also need to draft corporate bylaws and hold a board of director's meeting. Why should I Incorporate? Incorporating is one of the best ways a business owner can protect his or her personal assets. Most people choose to incorporate solely for this reason, but there are other advantages as well. For example, the corporate business structure saves you money in taxes, provides greater business flexibility, avoids audit chances, better itemization and lets you more easily raise capital. There are many advantages to incorporate your business. Liability protection of your personal assets is one of the primary reasons why a small business will form a corporation. Incorporating helps to separate your personal assets from that of your business. A corporation is a legal entity that exists separately from its owners or shareholders. Typically, shareholders are not liable for the debts and obligations of the corporation or from any litigation where the corporation is the defendant in most cases. In a partnership or sole proprietorship, the creditors can go after the owner's personal assets if the company assets are not enough to settle a claim in most cases. In company registration or corporation formation, prospective shareholders exchange money, property, or both, for the corporation's capital stock. A corporation generally takes the same deductions as a sole proprietorship to figure its taxable income. A corporation can also take special deductions for federal income tax purposes; a Corporation is recognized as a separate taxpaying entity. Corporation conducts business, realizes net income or loss, pays taxes and distributes profits to shareholders. The profit of a Corporation is taxed to the corporation when earned, and then is taxed to the shareholders when distributed as dividends. This creates a double tax. The corporation does not get a tax deduction when it distributes dividends to shareholders. Shareholders cannot deduct any loss of the corporation. Advantages of Incorporating Reduces Personal Liability: In most cases owners are not personally liable for the company's losses or debts. Their investments in the registered company are their only financial risk Incorporating helps separate an individual's identity from that of his or her business. Insurance may still be necessary, but incorporation contributes an added layer of protection. Tax Savings: There are a number of tax benefits for doing business under incorporation. Depending on your business income, incorporating a Corporation could lower your tax rate. Careful planning of entity type can result in lower overall tax rates. Even if your small business is quite profitable, a corporation is entitled to so many deductions. For example, as the owner of a corporation, your salary and those of your employees are tax-deductible for the business. Reduces Likelihood of an IRS Examination: IRS Form 1040 and Schedule C (Profit or Loss from a Business), particularly of higher gross income levels, is the target of many IRS Audits. Incorporated businesses have a much lower audit rate, even if they have high income levels. Anonymity: A Corporation can be established in such a way that shareholders/owners remain anonymous. Often this same anonymity can be accomplished for officers and directors. Adds Credibility: A corporate structure communicates permanence and credibility. Even a company with only one stockholder and employee may incorporate. Easier Access to Capital Funding : With a corporation, investors are easier to attract through the sale of stock. Easier Transfer of Ownership: Through the sale of stock, ownership of a corporation may be transferred without substantially disrupting operations. The need for complex legal documentation is also reduced. Shareholders: Your registered company will include shareholders, and you can take the company public. You can also issue stock or stock options to employees. The shareholders have ownership in the incorporated company, the Board of Directors governs the business, and elected officers manage the day-to-day activities. Registered company must adhere to corporate tax laws and file corporate taxes regularly. Longevity: The board carries on the corporation, not the owner. That means that a corporation formation can last longer than an owner-based company such as an LLC. C-Corporation VS S-Corporation VS LLC If you're incorporating your small business you may have heard that you should "form corporation" or "C-Corporation." In a C-Corporation, the corporation pays income tax on profits of the corporation. If the corporation pays a dividend to the shareholders, this money is taxed again as income to the shareholders. It may not be as bad as it sounds, though. If you are working for your corporation you should be paid a salary. This salary is deducted from the income of the corporation before taxes, so it will only be taxed once. Depending on the business, salaries may use up most or all of the profit. As long as the salary is not unreasonably high, the IRS should not challenge it. Fringe benefits for employees such as health insurance may also be deducted by a C-Corporation, but not by an S-Corporation. For a profitable and growing company it may be better to be a C-Corporation. In a C-Corporation profits beyond salaries and other deductible expenses can be used by the company for growth rather than being distributed to the shareholders and creating taxable income for them. An S-Corporation does not have the double level of taxation, corporate and individual, that a C-Corporation has. Instead, profits and losses are distributed among shareholders who report that income or loss on their own federal income taxes. This is the main advantage to electing S-Corporation status. |
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