Franchising offers a unique opportunity for entrepreneurs to expand their business while leveraging the strength of a proven brand and business model. To establish successful franchises within SiteZeus, it is essential to understand the process of creating franchise agreements and development agreements under 'Companies.' This support article will provide a comprehensive overview of the steps involved in setting up franchise agreements, development agreements, and their connection to the units within SiteZeus.
Understanding Franchise Agreements: A franchise agreement is a legally binding contract between the franchisor (the owner of the established business) and the franchisee (the individual or entity interested in operating a franchise unit). This agreement outlines the rights, obligations, and responsibilities of both parties. A Franchise Agreement must point to a Development Agreement within SiteZeus.
Understanding Development Agreements: Development agreements are commonly used when a franchisor wishes to expand into new regions or territories. These agreements allow the franchisee to establish multiple units within a specified timeframe. Development agreements belong to 'Companies', which can contain multiple 'Contacts', or individuals. Click here to learn more about how to create a Company, and click here to learn more about how to create a Contact.
To create a new Agreement, start by navigating to the Company to which the agreement will be associated and click on the 'Agreements' tab.
If there are already Development and Franchise Agreements associated to the Company, the page may look something like this:
Alternatively, if there are no Agreements created, the page will look like this:
To create a new Development Agreement, or a new Franchise Agreement under a Development Agreement, click the blue 'Create a Development Agreement' button.
In the pop-up window that appears, name your Development Agreement. You also have the option to input a 'Date Signed' or some Custom Data, if Custom Fields have been created, though this information is not required. Click the green 'Create' button when you're finished:
Once that Development Agreement is created, you'll have the option to either create another Development Agreement, or create a Franchise Agreement associated to this Development Agreement.
To add a new Franchise Agreement under the Development Agreement you created, click the yellow 'Add New Franchise Agreement' button. In the popup window that appears, you'll be required to name the agreement, as well as provide the Committed Open Date for the unit to which the agreement will be associated. The Franchise Fee information is automatically filled in based on Global Settings, however, that number can be adjusted. You'll also have the option to fill in any Custom Fields on the Custom Data tab, if the fields have already been created. Click the green 'Create' button to save your new Agreement.
Connection to SiteZeus Units: SiteZeus is a comprehensive business management platform that facilitates franchise operations, including unit management and reporting. Ownership of units is tracked by assigning the Company to a specific unit.
Ownership of a unit is assigned originally when the unit is created, be it at the Site level, the Project level or the Location level. Ownership can also be changed or edited by clicking the pencil icon on the Ownership box.
The assigned Company drives what Franchise Agreements are available for selection on a unit. To connect a Franchise Agreement with an existing Unit, click the 'Edit' button in 'Basic Details' and select the Franchise Agreement from the available options in the dropdown:
When the Franchise Agreement is associated to the Unit, the Unit will show back on the Agreements Tab.
SiteZeus's robust features empower users to create franchise agreements, connect them to specific units, and track both franchise and development agreements within the platform's Company framework. By utilizing SiteZeus, franchise owners can streamline their operations, ensure agreement compliance, and drive successful expansion.
For any questions about the functionality listed above, please contact your SiteZeus Support Specialist using the in-app chat.