What is Franchisexit?
Whether you love it or loathe it Britain left the EU on 31st January & has now started tough talks with the EU about our future relationship. Britain will want a good relationship with it’s EU friends but is now free to trade with whom it likes without EU rules & control, but is it the same with franchising in the UK?
The simple answer is no. To explain franchising is not government regulated in the UK but for many years a single UK trade association appointed itself as the regulatory body. This UK franchise association was founded in 1977 & joined the European Franchise Federation ( EFF ), another trade association which was founded in 1972 & also appointed itself as the European franchising regulatory body. According to the EFF website there are a total of 20 members, one for each country which is odd as at least one of these countries has more than one association. It also refers to & promotes the World Franchise Council & I will cover this organisation & how it works in a future post.
As part of the EFF membership each member presumably must agree with it’s vision & to abide by the European Code of Ethics, please see below the Vision of the EFF according to their website today ( I pasted it as it was & have not corrected their typo’s!);
VISION of the EFF
The franchiser members of each of these founding assocations were accutely conscious
• that the development of the franchise industry in Europe would be subject to instituional and regulatory framework of the EU, in the context of its Single Market,
• that to enhance and protect its development, the industry had to protect itself with a framework of self-defined principles of ethics => European Code of Ethics for Franchising,
• that the Federation’s member Associations had to build themselves and their reputation on the promotion of the principles of the Code as well as set up significant accreditation procedures for their own franchise company membership which would promote good and ethically-conscious franchises
“subject to instituional and regulatory framework of the EU, in the context of its Single Market.”
So even though Britain has left the EU the EFF member for Britain still has to enforce a regulatory framework of the EU in the context of a single market then as if we have never left the EU?
“that to enhance and protect its development, the industry had to protect itself with a framework of self-defined principles of ethics => European Code of Ethics for Franchising”
So let’s have a look at the European Code of Ethics for franchising. I have downloaded the document from the EFF website today. The PDF is 36 pages. When you take out the history of the EFF, the amendments made by each country, translations & a list of members & read what the EFF describes as the “Full text of the code” how many pages? Well it equates to a total 800 or so words & easily fits on 1 page of A4? You can download the “Full text of the code” here European Code Of Ethics – Full Text
So why join the QFA & what’s the QFA Code of Conduct?
- QFA is run by experienced entrepreneurs with practical franchising experience including franchisors, lawyers & franchise consultants.
- QFA is run by a team of dedicated volunteers. This allows us to provide a huge benefits package for franchisors for less than £1 a day making franchise association membership & support accessible to all businesses.
- The QFA Code of Conduct & our association actively welcomes & encourages international businesses to apply to join and partner with us.
- The only influences on our association are UK law & it’s members!
- The QFA Code of Conduct has been written as a practical code of conduct by franchising professionals with many years of practical franchising experience. It’s easy to read, understand & is updated in collaboration with it’s members.
Get Franchisexit Done!
If you want to be part of a dynamic, fast growing franchise association & help us get Franchisexit done then find out more about the benefits of QFA membership & apply to join us today, Join
