16 August 2014

Franchising - Hull Franchise Conference

Hull by Night
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The Franchise Conference is coming to Hull on 25 Sept 2014. It has already been to Sheffield and you can find out what happened there on this YouTube video. The event is supported by Loven who are appearing with us at our IP workshop and clinic at the Gravity Fields science festival in Grantham on the 26 September 2014.

The keynote speaker will be Eric Ho, founder of the YoYo Group and topics will include:
  • Why businesses fail and how to avoid the traps 
  • Does your Brand belong to you? 
  • Branding & Marketing your business 
  • The Legal Aspects of Franchising
  • Optimise the Value of your business
  • What does owning a franchise really mean?
  • What will the banks be looking for from you?
  • Questions & Answer session.
There will also be an exhibition,

The event will take place at 
The Royal Hotel
170 Ferensway
Hull
HU1 3UF.
You can book online by clicking here.

I've been interested in franchising for a long time. One of my first cases when I came to Bridge Street Chambers was on behalf of a franchisee whose business failed because he had been forced to pay over the odds for supplies from his franchiser. Everybody including his solicitor and my clerk thought he was going down but I had read a report of  R-161/84 Pronuptia de Paris GmbH v Pronuptia de Paris Irmgard Schillgallis [1986] ECR 353 in the Financial Times and thought I could do something for him. I was right and managed to negotiate quite a favourable settlement for him. Word got round and I found myself representing two other franchisees of the same operation with similar results.

The law changed immediately after that decision and now you have to be very careful before taking a franchisee. As I said after a visit to "Which Franchise" on 2 Oct 2011 "Taking a franchise may be the best thing you ever do" but it could also be the worst. To help prospective franchisees I published The franchise agreement: understanding what you are letting yourself in for. on JD Supra on 20 Jan 2012 and "Franchising - what can a franchisee do if things go wrong?".   

If you want to discuss anything in these articles give me a ring on 020 7404 5252 during office hours or get in touch through my contact form.