The franchise disclosure document, or FDD, is a legal document that is given to those buying a franchise in the United States. It is given to them during the presale process and contains vital information about the investment the buyer is making.
However, there are some things about the franchise disclosure document that you should know. This is especially the case if legal terms are confusing to you- you do not want to sign anything if you are not 100% sure what you are getting into.
If you do happen to read an FDD and are completely unsure of what it is telling you, an attorney or consultant would be able to help you through the document. Chaps Pit Beef, however, does our best to ensure that you understand all of the important information in any of our legal papers.
This is what everybody ought to know about the franchise disclosure document.
Why It Was Invented
If you are looking to open a popular franchise, it is guaranteed that at some point you will be handed an FDD. This document originated many years ago, when salesmen were tricking people into investing their savings into franchises that were designed to fail.
In response, the FTC came up with guidelines to protect those looking to buy franchises. The FDD was designed as an agreement between the franchisee and franchisor to protect each other- and ensure that the business was going to be real.
All of the documents vary between companies, but the FTC requires that they contain information about the franchisee. You will want to read over the FDD you are given and be sure that it all seems fair to you, as well as that you are filling it out carefully and correctly.
You can expect to see at least 23 terms listed in the document. They usually have to do with your history, relatives, and other business experiences. This is to ensure that there is no false information between you and your franchisor. They will provide monetary information in return.
It Shows the Cost of the Franchises
The FDD also lists the cost of the franchise you are trying to buy, as well as if the founding company has ever gone bankrupt. You will want to read these sections carefully, to be sure you are making a sound investment.
The franchise costs are calculated by the expenses of the franchise and how much money you can expect to make. The FDD will let you know what the total initial investment is and any additional fees that may show up later.
If you are looking for a bbq business, you should consider Chaps Pit Beef. We are very upfront about our FDD and will walk you through the process. You can be assured that we will never hide any fees or charges from you and will do our best to make your franchise succeed.
It Tells You How Much Support You Can Expect
Most of the FDD will cover how much support you can expect to receive from the main company. The amount of support you get will determine how well your franchise succeeds at launch and if it will continue to succeed many years from now.
Many popular franchises will be willing to offer you support. As the franchise buyer, you should do your best to accept any additional support that comes your way. The more you do this, the longer you can expect to be successful, plus your franchiser will appreciate it.
You should also know that Chaps Pit Beef has some of the best franchising opportunities available. We will offer you all the support that you need to get up and running- and continue running for a long time.
It Lets You Know Your Obligations
As a franchisee, you are going to have obligations to the franchiser. Mainly, following their rules and guidelines. All restrictions for the products you can sell and what materials you can use will be covered. As well as what your store should look like.
This section of the franchise disclosure document will also let you know what aspects of the business you are expected to be more involved in. You might be required to provide the training for your employees or the franchiser may do that for you- this will all be explained thoroughly in the document.
You Will Want to Spend Time Reading It
The document can be very dry and boring, however, you will want to spend a good amount of time reading it over. The franchise disclosure document is packed with a ton of vital information- it can tell you if you are going to succeed as a franchisee.
If you are struggling to read through and understand the document, an attorney or other type of professional consultant would be willing to read it and explain the details to you.
If you skip reading it, you might miss catching any potential problems. It is better to be safe when you are looking to invest your money. A good franchise will help you work through the FDD and make sure that you understand the specifics of it.
Chaps Pit Beef is always willing to answer any questions that you might have about the franchising process, our FDD, or anything else that may pop up. We offer one of the best franchise opportunities, so you will want to be sure that you do not miss out on starting your own bbq business!
Conclusion
Those were some of the important aspects of the franchise disclosure document that you should be aware of. There are always at least 23 terms outlined in the paper, so you will want to be sure that you read the document the entire way through and understand it.
Chaps Pit Beef offers the best franchise opportunities- we would love to have you as part of our family! Contact us to learn information about our FDD, we will gladly help you.
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