Jason Shinn of the Michigan Employment Law Advisor had a great post entitled "Is your company making this mistake when it comes to employees and intellectual property?" The post centers on a lawsuit filed by an employee of Marvel Entertainment who claimed he created the Ghost Rider character back in the 1970s. With the recent success
Franchise Law
Franchise Agreement Negotiation Red Flag: We Won’t Hold You to It
In this video I discuss a red flag I’ve seen come up in franchise agreement negotiation. Sometimes a franchisor will tell a prospective franchisee that they can’t (or won’t) change the franchise agreement. That’s just fine but my problem comes when they say, "Don’t worry though, we won’t hold you to that provision." That is…
The Franchise Contract is Over. What Next?
Maryland franchise lawyer Jeff Fabian has an excellent blog post on the issues to consider when the franchise agreement terminates on the Franchise Help blog.
In my experience many franchisees are under the misconception that they can simply change the name of their business and then begin serving the same customers the next day under…
Should a Spouse Sign a Franchise Agreement?
I recently received an inquiry on the blog asking whether or not a spouse should sign a franchise agreement. Circumstances may vary, but in general, I usually recommend that spouses don’t sign the franchise agreement if they aren’t going to be involved in the franchise business. It’s my view there is no reason your family…
Rush on Business You Tube Channel on the Air!
I am pleased to announce that I now have a Rush on Business You Tube Channel where I’ll post short videos on various aspects of business and franchise law. I have a few videos posted so far and I’ll add content weekly.
New videos include:
Should You Include Your Spouse When Forming a Small Business LLC?…
Business Formation: What Entity is Right For You?
Do you know the difference between sole proprietorships, partnerships, corporations and limited liability companies? Do you know whether to set up an S corporation or is a C corporation better for you? Are limited liability companies really all that and a bag of chips?
Be sure to join me for an information-packed webinar through MyEntre.Net on…
Franchising in the 21st Century: How can franchising improve?
Franchisee lawyer Richard Soloman suggests there may be watershed changes in franchising over the next 15-20 years in a post on BlueMauMau. It’s an interesting post from a lawyer who has seen many franchisees lose their life savings in franchise operations gone awry.
Some prospective franchisees reading Richard’s post may be surprised. Are the…
Business Growth Summit 2012 in Ankeny on January 31st
A new organization called Above the Line America is hosting a Business Growth Summit in Ankeny, Iowa on January 31, 2012 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The Summit is located at the FFA Enrichment Center, 1055 SW Prairie Trail Parkway in Ankeny.
The day should be a great one. Business owners and professionals will get an opportunity to…
Does Your Iowa Business Need an Angel?
Iowa entrepreneurs have an opportunity to connect with potential investors at the i2Iowa Investors and Innovators Forum on April 12, 2012 at Veterans Memorial Auditorium. Business owners and entrepreneurs can pitch their businesses to investors from four tracks which include:
- Life and Bio Sciences
- Information Technology
- Advanced Manufacturing
- General Business
Companies can apply online through…
Tips on Negotiating Franchise Agreements
I saw an interesting post from franchise attorney Michael Webster on the BlueMauMau site on Negotiating Your Franchisee Rights. Some of his helpful nuggets:
- Review the FDD to see if they are using franchise brokers – you may be able to knock something off the franchise fee by asking for the broker’s rebate.
- Budget for professional advice. Hire
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