Last week while I was busy ensuring that our franchisor clients had updated their profile on the Franchise Disclosure Register, the Federal Government released its consultation paper on a licensing regime for the franchising sector.

In this guide we consider the franchise disclosure document, the importance of franchise disclosure document compliance, and best practices to ensure compliance as a franchisor in Australia.

1- The Importance of Franchise Disclosure Documents
2 - Key Components of Franchise Disclosure Documents
3 - Common Disclosure Document Issues for Australian Franchisors
4 - Best Practices for Franchise Disclosure Document Management

The franchising sector in Australia has approximately 1,144 franchise systems and approximately 70,735 franchisees.¹

One of the questions I'm asked, when talking to people about franchising their business, is, "what are the legal requirements?".

What I tell them, is that, unfortunately, franchising is legally complex and highly regulated.

I also talk about the many legal requirements that need to be complied with in order to successfully franchise your business. I discuss these requirements in more detail in the article below.

Guide to Franchising Your Business

The growth strategy for your business will ultimately be determined by the nature of your business and your business objectives. In this article, we have outlined 5 strategies for growing a business in Australia.

1 - Understanding the Australian Business Landscape
2 - Building a Strong Brand Presence
3 - Marketing Effectively for Growth
4 - Product Development
5 - Licensing or Franchising

The Franchising Code of Conduct (the Franchising Code) was amended on 1 June 2021, with most amendments applying from 1 July 2021. Given it is the time of year when franchisors must update their disclosure documents, in this article we revisit the current Franchising Code requirements for Significant Capital Expenditure.

In Part 1 of our series "Can I Franchise my Business?" I covered crucial factors such as branding, consistent business systems and maintaining uniformity.

As a franchise lawyer, I see many people who are interested in using franchising as a growth strategy for their business. When discussing whether franchising is the right growth strategy for a business, one of the first topics I talk about is branding.

In this article, in addition to branding, I'll cover a number of initial factors that should be considered when assessing the possibility of franchising your business.

But first, I examine what franchising involves and how it can facilitate the growth of your business.