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Meet the Team at Limelight Websites

Meet the team behind Franchise Finder and Limelight Websites!

Left to Right: Elzet Pederson, Candice Wharren, Lauren Webb, Louise Sanders

Seminar - Consumer Protection Bill

How the New Consumer Protection Bill will affect Franchises.

Date: 13 November 2008

Guest Speakers: Prof. Tanya Woker (Franchise law expert) & Advocate Neville Melville (ex Banking Ombudsman, who was closely involved with the drafting of the Bill)

The Consumer Protection Bill was presented to the National Assembly on Friday 26th September and in response to this there will be a seminar at Gallagher Conference Centre in Midrand on 13 November 2008. The seminar will explain how the bill will affect businesses, clubs and especially franchisors.

Contact Lily Melville - L&N Events 0845824495 /012-8071379 or email her at lily@wol.co.za for more info or to book.

Quality Control at Restaurant Franchises

We were horrified to experience quality control at its worst at a local franchised restaurant recently. Six out of seven of us ordered what sounded like the best item on the menu – pepper encrusted seared tuna and wasabi mash for a not-so-cheap R89. Well, the food itself didn’t look as good as the menu description sounded but nevertheless we were hungry and we all know that looks can be deceiving so we dug in. It didn’t take too long before we made the discovery that our mash potato was in fact the camping convenience version – Smash. Now Smash is all very good and well but when the menu says mash potato then for crying in a bucket serve mash potato! We actually confronted the manager about it and he didn’t try and deny anything and didn’t seem to see anything wrong with it either. His reason was that Smash was much easier to make, well DUH but we are not camping buddy!!

This is where many restaurants fail because if they don’t get it right the first time, many people will never go back. Perhaps a couple of nice, friendly people will give them a second chance but this is really the minority. We will never go back and eat there again! We actually wrote a letter of complaint to the head franchisor and they subsequently gave us a R500 voucher for any of their franchised stores but to be totally honest we don’t really want to go back even if it’s free! The head franchise office mentioned that they had strict quality control (really?) and that serving any mash potato substitute was not acceptable. Their response was much appreciated.

Enforcing these quality control measures is difficult though because the head franchisor will often only find out when there has been a complaint and by that time it is usually too late –the customer has been lost to some other restaurant! So if you own a franchise or have just bought a franchise, the lesson is to serve what’s on the menu, don’t take short cuts!

New development looking for Restaurant Franchisors

The Marketing Manager of an upmarket development in dullstroom is looking for a franchisor or franchisee to open an upmarket restaurant or coffee shop in the development. The development consists of 9 shops and a restaurant and the building will be completed March 2009. If you are interested, please phone Mr Alex Kilbride on
083 443 4350

Franchise India 2008

International franchise shows are always a great place to get business ideas and to meet other franchisors. Franchise India 2008 takes place on the 29th & 30th November in Delhi, India. The flagship International Franchise show held annually is now returning in its 6th edition with Franchise India 2008.

For more info please visit www.franchiseindia.net

Beware of Rogue Franchises

New franchises enter the market on a monthly basis and whilst the majority of them have a sound business and legal framework, there will always be a select few whose business practices are somewhat questionable if not illegal. These franchisors may not be “out to get you” as such but they may not have necessarily invested the time or money into setting up their franchise system properly (consulting lawyers, investors etc) to ensure the longevity of the concept. With no structure for growth, support or development, franchises are bound to fail. In other situations, franchisors may knowingly make false claims and promises about earning potential and various other aspects of the franchise. When considering purchasing a franchise, remember to get everything in writing. If the franchisor makes a claim, then ask for the information that it was based on and check whether it is verifiable. Get your lawyer or accountant to verify the claims, don’t just automatically trust the person because of the way they look or sound as this can be deceiving. If in doubt about a franchise, a great way of getting an honest opinion is to get testimonials from the franchisees themselves. Ask for names and contacts of existing franchisees and get their personal opinion of the franchise. If the franchisor refuses for whatever reason then consider that a red flag and run!! Lastly don’t pay any money over to a franchise without reading and completing an agreement that your lawyer has approved.


Purchasing a franchise is an investment in your future so make sure that you take the time and the necessary steps to ensure that your money is well spent. Don’t be rushed into making a decision, ask questions, speak to franchisees and always get everything in ink!