What Causes The Franchise Termination Illinois Business Owners Sometimes Face

By Virginia Burns


Franchises are great ways for entrepreneurs to own a business without having to start from scratch. The products and services they offer already have name recognition and an established organizational network. Franchising management teams work hard to make sure their owners have upstanding reputations and good work ethics before accepting them into the organization. Things can go wrong however, and a franchise termination Illinois owners try to avoid is the result.

In most states franchises can terminate relationships for good cause. This usually means that the franchisee has failed to comply with the contractual requirements of their agreement. As the franchisor, you need to make sure that agreement covers a wide range of misbehavior. One of them would be damage to the franchise's reputation. This might include a franchisor pleading no contest or being convicted of fraud or some other felony.

If for some reason an owner is caught selling fraudulent or competing merchandise using the franchised trademark, the owner may be terminated. The language prohibiting this must be included in the signed agreement however. There have been cases where this prohibition was not included in the contract, and a court decided that the owner was within his rights.

Failure to maintain standards is another good cause that can get franchisees terminated. There have been cases when businesses have been cited for lack of cleanliness, quality, and service. There are other instances in which franchisees have failed to operate their businesses in a responsible fashion. Termination was permitted in the case of a franchisee who failed to renew a building lease agreement, costing the franchise additional rental charges.

Sales are at the core of most businesses. Franchise management have goals they expect their owners to meet. Failure to meet those goals, if they are reasonable, can constitute a breach of the contract. Franchises have to be profitable to remain viable. In cases where franchises have become insolvent, or a franchisee neglects to sell the product or service in a section of its territory, the franchises have been terminated.

Following procedures is important if a franchise truly intends to terminate a franchisee. The exact procedural process varies from state to state. Franchisors are required to notify a franchisee about the termination in advance. Notifications must include a line item listing of the franchisor's objections and the exact date of the cessation. In cases where a breach is curable, the franchisor must give the franchisee a time frame to correct the objections.

A franchisor must give a franchisee enough time to attempt to cure the breach unless it is determined that the breach is incurable. The time frame allotted must be sufficient for the franchisor to correct the problems. If a court decides the franchisee was not given sufficient time, it can prohibit the termination.

Franchises can be great opportunities for those interested in opening a business with an established reputation. It comes with responsibility though. Franchises are not independent operations. They come with obligations and restrictions that, once agreed to, must be upheld.




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