While there is no doubt that investing in a franchise business opportunity in India is lucrative, given the proven business model, setting up a franchise outlet is no child’s play. In the franchise agreement, multiple crucial legalities are included and since there is no looking back once the agreement is officially signed, you must be aware of the intricacies of a franchise agreement.

Let’s take a closer look at what a franchise agreement is and what are the key components of a franchise contract.

What is a Franchise Agreement?

Simply put, a franchise agreement is a legal contract in which a well-established business (known as a franchisor) gives its permission to transfer its name, trademark, operating model and ongoing support to another entity (known as a franchisee). In exchange, the franchisor receives a startup franchise fee and ongoing royalty fees.

The franchise agreement is usually included in the Franchise Disclosure Document. It outlines the commercial, financial and legal obligations for both the franchisor and franchisee.

4 Types of Franchise Agreements

1. Single-Unit Franchises
2. Multi-Unit Franchises
3. Area Development Franchises
4. Master Franchises

There are several types of franchise agreements and their nature varies drastically from industry-to-industry. Here are a few prominent types that are widely used.

• Single-Unit Franchises

A single-unit franchisee agreement grants the right to only one unit. 

Territory: A single-unit is given a small radius and may have an exclusive territory to operate. 

Level of participation: These franchisees are extremely involved with all the operations and, thus, are also known as owner-operators.

• Multi-Unit Franchises

A franchisee with more than one unit is known as multi-unit franchisees. They may be given these units at reduced initial startup fees. Usually, if a franchisee is a multi-unit owner, this signifies that the franchise is in good health. 

Territory: Usually, there is no exclusive territory for these types of franchises. Franchisees can have one unit in one part of the town and another unit in a different part. 

Level of participation: The franchisee is not as involved in the unit’s operations since they are managing multiple units. 

• Area Development Franchises

The franchisee is granted a license to open a certain number of franchises in a specific area. Usually, there is a schedule for opening the franchises that must be adhered to. The franchisee must remain on track in order to maintain exclusivity. An area development franchise is not expected to pay the same franchise fee; instead, it is given a reduced rate on both the startup and royalty fees. 

Territory: As long as the schedule is maintained, the franchisee has exclusive territorial rights.

Level of participation: The franchisee must be involved closely with the first store to ensure its success. Once several locations are live, they reduce day-to-day assistance and take on a more supervisory role. 

• Master Franchises

A master franchisee is also known as a regional developer and is similar to an area developer but with a much larger area. The difference is that in addition to reduced startup and royalty fees, master franchises can sell a unit, multi-units, and area development franchises and make a profit from those sales as well. They also receive a part of ongoing royalties. Additional income may also come from the distribution of products and real estate interests. Given the multiple revenue streams, there is a tremendous ROI, which makes master franchise agreements the most coveted of the lot. 

Territory: It could be a large area, state, or even several states or the entire country. The exclusivity is dependent on the condition that the master franchisee sticks to the development schedule. 

Level of participation: The master franchisee usually gets involved with one unit and hires a manager to manage while selling other franchises. They act as business consultants.

14 Key Elements of a Franchise Agreement

1. Grant of Franchise
2. Launch Date, Exclusivity and Other Rights
3. Startup Fees, Royalties and Purchase Items
4. Advertising
5. Term of Franchise and Renewal
6. Franchisor Support
7. Protection of Intellectual Property and Proprietary Information
8. Quality Control Requirements
9. Transfer of Interest
10. Violations
11. Obligations upon Termination or Expiration of the Agreement
12. Franchisor – Franchisee Relationship
13. Indemnification Clause
14. Non-Competition Clause

While each franchise agreement is different from the other, certain key elements remain the same. It’s a great idea to familiarise yourself with these terms before starting your business journey in the franchising industry:

• Grant of Franchise

The “Grant” section is possibly the most crucial part. This lets franchisees know that the franchisor is granting them a limited, non-transferable, non-exclusive right to use their trademarks, logos, marks, operational model for a specified period defined in the agreement. The franchisee does not own the marks or the system, and the right to terminate the franchise agreement because of a breach always lies with the franchisor.

• Launch Date, Exclusivity and Other Rights

There is a time schedule by which the franchisee must set up their location, and this is defined in the franchise agreement. This section also describes the territory awarded to the franchisee, whether it is exclusive or not. 

• Startup Fees, Royalties and Purchase Items

This section lets the franchisee the startup fees they must pay initially, fees to be paid on an ongoing basis, and the fee to be paid for advertising and marketing services by the franchisor. The other vital information in this clause is the revenue or profit sharing agreement between the franchisee and the franchisor and the terms of the same. It also lets the franchisee know the requirements for business operations. 

• Advertising

This lays out the obligations on the franchisor’s part towards the franchisee. It details what kind of advertising will be done for the franchisee and how much it will cost the franchisor.

• Term of Franchise and Renewal

This lets the franchisee know how long the franchise agreement is valid for, beginning from the date of the contract. It also enlists what is required of them for further renewal if there is a clause for one.

• Franchisor Support

Franchisors may reiterate the services and support they are prepared to offer to franchisees before and after the opening of the store. This includes all the training and support provided to the personnel and managers before, as well as, during the term of the franchise.

• Protection of Intellectual Property and Proprietary Information

It is vital to remember that the franchisor is only granting a temporary license to the franchisee. This understanding is reinforced with specific language that ordains each item that is considered proprietary, confidential, and trade secret. The limitations placed on the franchisee’s right to use that information are also clearly specified. This is a key component found in every franchise agreement.

• Quality Control Requirements

To ensure that the goods and services meet the high standards of the original franchisor, there are specific quality control requirements laid out for the franchisees. These pre-set standards that must be met and maintained at all times. 

• Transfer of Interest

Franchise agreements usually regulate the right of franchise owners to transfer their interest. This section lists out all the prerequisites for such a transfer to be made. If a franchisee wants to sell their business or the agreement is expired or terminated, the franchisor has the option – but not an obligation – to buy the business by exercising a first right refusal.

• Violations 

The franchise agreement usually contains a comprehensive list of offenses that can effectively be treated as a breach of the contract and lead to the termination of the contract. The violations may be divided into two sections – one which is grounds for immediate termination of the agreement and the other, which gives scope for rectification.  

• Obligations upon Termination or Expiration of the Agreement

Once the term of the franchise ends, whether it happens through expiration or termination, the agreement lists out the steps that must be taken by the franchisee to formally end the agreement. These terms help to de-identify the business’ association with the original franchisor and the franchise system.

• Franchisor – Franchisee Relationship

Franchisees are deemed independent contractors, and not employees, for the franchisor. This means they cannot be treated as an employee by the franchisor at any point. An independent contractor is in business for their own benefit and operates as an individual entity as well. As a result, they have to do their taxes separately, hire separately, and are responsible for their employees. The franchisee and franchisor have to operate independently while carrying out their respective contracts.

• Indemnification Clause

All franchise agreements contain this important clause. This means that the franchisee will reimburse the franchisor for any losses suffered by the franchisor due to negligence or wrongdoing perpetrated by the franchisee.

• Non-Competition Clause

This clause prevents the franchisee from starting a business that would be considered a direct competitor to the franchisor. This is broken down into in-term and post-term; meaning that the franchisee may not start such a business during or after the term of the franchise.

What To Remember When Signing A Franchise Agreement

You must thoroughly read and scrutinise the franchise agreement before signing it. As an investor in a franchise business, you should take ample time to go through the document and even consult a lawyer with sufficient experience in franchise agreements. Here are a few things to keep in mind when signing a franchise agreement:

1. Can you negotiate the terms? 

Most franchisors are not open to negotiations, which is why having a lawyer can do you a world of good. Get an honest assessment regarding which parts of the agreement are in your favor and which ones are not.

2. What should you negotiate?

You may be able to get some additional support when you first open your franchise. It is also possible to get them to agree to an installment plan for the franchise fee. You may even be able to modify the right of first refusal clause. Try put across your concerns to the franchisor and suggest ways to modify the agreement. 

3. Watch out for red flags 

If you feel pressured or rushed to sign the agreement, refrain from doing so. Also, make sure that no franchise documents are withheld from you. If you feel that any of the terms is unfairly biased towards the franchisor, make sure you address the same. It would be best if you considered hiring a franchise consultant in India to help you with analysing the franchise agreement and prevent chances of franchise fraud.

Investors and businessmen should treat the franchise agreement like the holy grail and must go through it several times with a fine-tooth comb. Make sure to ask questions about what you don’t understand and that you are clear with the terms mentioned before signing the dotted line. For the first time franchisees, this can be a daunting task, but with the right resources, you should be to sail smoothly. If you’re looking to get more information on franchise business opportunities in India, please reach out to us by filling the Investor Enquiry form.