For Franchisors
Build a network on documents that hold
Whether you are franchising a business for the first time or running an established system, the network is only as strong as the documents underneath it. We have established 63 franchisor systems since 2013.
Since 2013 · Minerva Law
63
Franchisor systems established
2,880
Franchise agreements reviewed
162
Disputes resolved at mediation
What we do
Franchising your business, and running it
From the first decision about whether to franchise at all, through to enforcement and exits.
01
Should you franchise?
Structure before paperwork
Franchising is not the right growth model for every business. We look at the margin, the systems maturity, the brand and the operational load before drafting anything, and will tell you if licensing or company-owned expansion fits better.
02
The document suite
Agreements, disclosure and Key Facts
The documents a compliant Australian franchise system needs, drafted to be commercially workable rather than maximally aggressive. Aggressive documents generate disputes.
- Franchise agreement
- Disclosure document and Key Facts Sheet
- Operations manual review
- Territory and multi-site schedules
- Guarantees, restraints and security
- Franchisee application and onboarding pack
03
Code compliance
Getting and staying compliant
The Franchising Code sets disclosure timing, cooling-off, marketing fund reporting, dispute procedure and termination constraints. Most franchisor exposure we see comes from process failures, not drafting failures.
- Disclosure timing and update cycles
- Marketing fund accounting and reporting
- Cooling-off and pre-agreement process
- Termination and breach notice procedure
- Records and register obligations
04
Growth
Sites, supply and IP
Head leases and licences to occupy, supplier and distribution agreements, trade mark protection and the corporate structuring that carries multi-site and master franchise expansion.
05
Enforcement and exit
When a franchisee is the problem
Breach notices that survive scrutiny, termination done properly, restraint enforcement, transfers and end-of-term. Mediation first wherever it can work.
How we work
Three steps, no mystery
01
Scope the system
A conversation about the business, not a template. What is being franchised, to whom, on what economics.
02
Fee in writing
Fixed scope and fee for the document suite before drafting starts.
03
Documents plus a process
You get the suite and the process to run it: disclosure timing, onboarding steps and the records you have to keep.
Client feedback
Voices of excellence
Live rating and reviews from the firm’s Google Business Profile , not testimonials we wrote for ourselves.
Common questions
Franchisor questions, answered
How long does it take to set up a franchise system?
Allow six to twelve weeks for a first system from a standing start. The drafting is rarely the constraint; deciding the territory model, the fee structure and the operations manual usually is.
What documents does an Australian franchise system legally need?
At minimum a franchise agreement, a disclosure document and a Key Facts Sheet, given in the order and timing the Franchising Code requires. Most systems also need territory schedules, guarantees, a lease or occupancy arrangement and an operations manual.
Can I use a franchise agreement template?
A template will not know your margin, your territory model or your supply chain, and a non-compliant disclosure document exposes you to Code penalties. Templates are also the most common source of the disputes we are later asked to run.
What is the most common franchisor mistake?
Disclosure timing. The Code requires the disclosure document a set period before signing or payment, and franchisors under commercial pressure to close routinely get this wrong.
Also relevant
Related services
Related reading
Reading for franchisors
Articles and briefings from the firm on this area. Plain English, no lecture.
Next step
Franchising a business, or fixing a system?
Tell us what stage you are at and we’ll tell you what it actually takes. Initial consultation is complimentary.