Blog Topics

The blog will initially focus on the following topics / experiences where I believe that existing or potential franchisees can benefit the most from;

Are Franchise Agreements ‘Ethical’? – In my view, a franchise agreement is probably the most one sided commercial agreement in existence and before signing it you need to fully understand it and be prepared to accept the real worst case scenario.
Should I care how Franchisors make their money? – It is really critical to the success or otherwise of your franchise that you understand how the Franchisor makes its money and the impact this has on your purchasing options, costs and ultimately the profitability of your franchise.
Top Tips for potential franchisees – a quick run through of the ‘does and don’ts’ for potential franchisees before you make your investment decision.
Could the Post Office Scandal happen again? – A review of whether the issues that resulted in the biggest miscarriage of justice in British history could happen again.
The importance of culture and values within a franchise and how this can change dramatically when the ownership of the Franchise or the leadership within the franchisor changes.
Why is it that Franchisors (and their lawyers) are so desperate to silence their Franchisees? – In my view, this is probably the most critical issue that results in a real lack of transparency within the franchise industry. Suffice to say that I was really shocked with the behaviour I experienced in this area.
Due Diligence….Ignore it at your Peril because if you chose badly it could be disastrous for both your wallet and your mental health.
’The Great Franchise Fraud’ – a run through of the ‘mind blowing’ circumstances behind a major issue that I encountered during my litigation that triggered a sequence of events that ultimately persuaded me to go through with this blog
Litigation – If you decide to go through with litigation I have some very useful experiences that I will share but I would also like to hear from others as there is very little information in the public domain because 90+% of cases are settled prior to court.
An interview with Shaun Bartlett, a franchisee that battled in court with his Franchisor, Drain Doctor (part of the Neighbourly group), for 3 years and has ultimately been bankrupted. Some of the behaviours demonstrated by both the Franchisor and their lawyers even shocked the judge.
Overall governance of franchising in the UK – There is no regulator for franchising in the UK & therefore if you have an issue with your Franchisor that cannot be solved amicably you are very likely to have to take legal action which is incredibly costly and stressful. Is it about time that the franchise industry is regulated?
The value of collaboration between franchisees – Should Franchisors embrace direct collaboration between franchisees or see it as a threat?
Governance within a franchise – What are the pros and cons of the various models that franchisors use to manage internal governance and how much say do franchisees have in future direction?
Profitability of franchising – Is there real money to be made in franchising? Should we believe all the marketing hype that franchisors push out to prospective franchisees? What can you do about it if returns are not as advertised or even worse if the Franchisor made false claims before signing your Franchise Agreement?
What are the implications for your investment of any significant Franchisor change e.g change of ownership, change of strategy…
Dealing with disputes – If the worst happens and you end up in a dispute, what are the pros and cons of the various options you have?
Exiting a franchise early – When you have either had enough or something out of your control forces your exit, such as ill health, how do you go about negotiating your exit and what aspects of the franchise agreement will likely complicate things?
Valuing & selling a franchise business – When it comes to selling your franchise, how do you value a franchise and what restrictions, if any, can / does the franchisor place on the sale process? How does the value of a franchise stack up against non-franchised businesses and are you really creating value that you can extract from the business when you sell it?
Representing yourself – If you decide to represent yourself (aka being a Litigant in Person (LIP)) I also have some very useful experiences that I will share, including the sort of behaviour to expect from the other side. Some of the things I experienced during my legal battle were a real eye opener for me and I question whether I would have encountered these issues if I had been represented throughout my legal battle.
Freedom – Does franchising provide the ‘freedom you have always dreamed of’ or ‘Create the lifestyle you love’ that so many Franchisors claim in their marketing?
The importance of Mental Health – It is hard to put into words the mental anguish that a journey like mine puts you through but I will attempt to capture this as best as I can on paper. The scars of this journey remain today over 3 years after I bought into my franchise.
Is franchising right for you – Based on all of the above, what are the key considerations when making a decision whether franchising or a particular franchise is right for you?
Based on my experiences and and those shared by others in this blog series, what are the key changes I think need to happen for the franchise industry in the U.K. to be considered ‘ethical’?
An ebook called ‘A nightmare on a Neighborly street’ which will be a warts and all account of how I wasted a significant amount of time, money and emotion for the benefit of being a franchisee for 6 months.

For franchisees to benefit from this resource relies completely on the active contributions from both existing and past franchisees. Please subscribe for future blogs and share this website with your current and past franchisee friends and with anyone that is thinking of investing in a franchise. Please contact me here if there are any topics not already covered that you think should be covered or if you would like to contribute your own ‘guest blog’ on any particular topic.

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