Hamilton Pratt

This book is designed to be a practical guide for all those who have already set up a franchise business (although they may wish to skip the first two chapters) and for those who intend to do so. It is not a legal text book and so does not set out in a complete or authoritative way the law that applies to franchising. Instead its purpose is to be an accessible source of advice and best practice for those who have decided that franchising is the way forward for them and their business.

I have used my experience over more than 25 years of franchising to deal with those issues which arise in practice and which are likely to give the greatest concern to franchisors or which, in my opinion, are the most misunderstood. Some of the statements contained in this book will come as no surprise to experienced franchisors, but inevitably in some areas there is a difference of opinion as to the correct way for franchisors to act. This publication will come down firmly in favour of a particular approach - simply because 'on the one hand and on the other hand' is potentially the least helpful for busy franchisors who need firm guidance as to how to proceed. As a result I may well be likened to the lawyer in the John Grisham novel who he described as, 'often wrong but never in doubt'!

This second edition has been prepared during the worst economic downturn for over seventy years, yet the strong anecdotal evidence is that franchising is holding up very well with few franchisors and franchisees going out of business.