The franchise agreement is the foundation on which your franchise is built. It gives both parties a clear understanding of the basis on which they're going to operate. It should ensure uniformity to protect the franchisee as well as the franchisor. Remember, your business is only as good as that same business down the street or in the next town. If people have a bad experience with another franchisee, the odds are they're not going to want to do business with you either.
There's an obligation on your part to sustain this uniformity. This agreement establishes standards of operation including what quality products you're going to use and what quality services you must provide. It eliminates future problems and has a deterrent value. A lot of problems can be avoided if you know that a certain activity would violate the franchise agreement. The company won't try to do something to you that it knows is a violation of the agreement. By the same token, you may not try to do something that you know is a violation.
The franchise agreement provides for remedies in the event of defaults. It outlines what will happen if you do something wrong, including the steps and notices the company must give you. After the company gives you this notice, how much time do you have and why? If you don't agree with the demands, what recourse do you have? The franchise agreement provides for all of this.
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