New Franchising Code in Effect: What Franchisors Must Do Now to Stay Compliant
Australia’s new Franchising Code came into effect on 1 April 2025, bringing with it significant regulatory changes for franchisors and franchisees. While the Government has indicated a grace period for compliance, the transitional arrangements are more limited than they appear. This article breaks down the key dates, delayed obligations, and practical steps franchisors must take now to ensure compliance under the new regime.
Draft Franchising Code of Conduct Released for Public Consultation
The Australian Government has released a draft update to the Franchising Code of Conduct, with the consultation period open until 29 October 2024. The revisions, set to come into effect on 1 April 2025, aim to modernise and strengthen regulations for the franchising industry. Key Proposed Changes: These proposed changes aim to improve transparency, fairness, […]
The proposed franchise register. What you need to know!
The federal government has released plans to improve transparency in the $180 billion franchising sector that’s often plagued with disputes between franchisees and franchisors. The draft amendments, which were announced as part of the May 2021 budget, will see the establishment of a new disclosure register if they pass Parliament. Treasury is leading the consultation, allowing […]
5 Takeaways From The International Franchise Expo 2019 – New York
Five Tips from the 2019 New York International Franchise Convention Recently we were lucky enough to attend the 2019 International Franchise Expo in New York City. Held by the International Franchise Association, the Expo is a massive event which attracted over 12,000 attendees and hundreds of brands. The Expo is a truly international event with […]
It’s just paper right? Do I really need to read my Franchise Agreement?
The Franchise industry in Australia has been under scrutiny recently with the Senate inquiry into the Franchise Code of Conduct and subsequent report attracting significant media attention. With this in mind, and with changes likely to be made, it is more important now than ever that both franchisors and franchisees understand completely what is involved […]
It’s been a rough year, but is franchising in recession?
The election of a coalition government promised an economic boon that would re-instil confidence in the small business sector. Now, just a few weeks on, the Federal government looks poised to tackle some of the industry’s most prevalent concerns, but is it enough? While critics have been calling for an independent review of the franchising […]
Thinking of Franchising in New Zealand….?
Thinking of franchising into New Zealand? With relatively low barriers to entry for foreign franchise systems looking to enter the New Zealand market, it is becoming an attractive proposition. How so? Well, New Zealand is an exciting and fast developing market for franchising. The population of New Zealand is about 4.6 million and there are […]
Franchise Recruitment – Part One – Tinder for Franchisors
The vast majority of franchise systems employ a recruitment process to both obtain expressions of interest from prospective franchisees, and to qualify those franchisees prior to entering into more substantial discussions surrounding their entrance into the system. This recruitment ‘funnel’, is a critical element in any franchise system. From a franchisor perspective, it ensures the […]
Disclosures and the Franchise Code – The lesson of Ultra Tune
By a decision of the Federal Court on 18 January 2019 by Justice Bromwich, national franchisor Ultra Tune was ordered to pay fines totaling $2,604,000. The fines (known as pecuniary penalties) sought by the ACCC and awarded by the Court were for various breaches of the Franchising Code of Conduct (Code) and Australian Consumer Law. The […]
The ‘Fairness in Franchising’ Report and the future landscape of franchising in Australia.
Franchisors and investors in them are the subject of criticism in the latest Australian Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services ‘Fairness in Franchising’ report, and should expect some serious changes to the Australian Franchising Code of Conduct. In brief The recent Australian Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services ‘Fairness in Franchising’ […]