In The News

23 November 2019 – The Companies Office has launched a new resource for owners of growing small businesses to help them navigate the move into business director responsibilities

20 November 2019 - Having endured the chill winds of a slowdown, Westpac’s economists say signs of spring are emerging. Data suggests we are past the worst of it

19 November 2019 – McDonald’s has agreed to backdate miscalculated holiday pay for 10 years under an agreement with the Labour Inspectorate. It’s just one of many organisations, including the Police, that have been confused by complex legislation

9 November 2019 ­– Getting it right first time is what franchising is all about - and Pukeko Rental Managers did exactly that with a stunning new entrant win as Supreme Franchise System of the Year. The Coffee Club’s Sarith Thong repeated the feat as the new Supreme Franchisee of the Year

9 November 2019 – Daniel Cloete of Westpac has been awarded Life Membership of the Franchise Association in a ceremony at the 25th annual New Zealand Franchise Awards

5 November 2019 - Franchising contributes 2.7% to the economies of the 47 member countries of the World Franchise Council (WFC), as announced at its summit, held over five days in Abu Dhabi

25 October 2019 – San Churro enjoyed the sweet taste of victory in this year’s Australian franchise awards

25 October 2019 – New Zealand gains first Certified Franchise Executive under international programme

24 October 2019 – Things will look worse before they look better, says an economist, but the latest survey suggests franchisors are not yet convinced

22 October 2019 – An Employment Court ruling which has seen two former franchisees fined for serious employment law breaches has been applauded by the franchisor, which says it has no tolerance for abuse of legal obligations

17 October 2019 – Could your business go national or even international? Find out more about franchising and licensing at these free seminars

11 October 2019 – Who will win the 2019 Westpac New Zealand Franchise Awards?

8 October 2019 – A ranking of global franchises shows which brands are performing most strongly and identifies sectors to watch

4 October 2019 – Taco Bell will open its very first New Zealand restaurant in West Auckland

2 October 2019 – The Commerce Commission has warned Hell Pizza that its advertising of the “Burger Pizza” was, in the Commission’s view, likely to have breached the Fair Trading Act 1986.

Mina Phillips and Simon Lord look at how two New Zealand franchises are expanding overseas.

26 September 2019 – Andrew Skinner and Khushbu Sundarji of Stewart Germann Law Office discuss the potential impact on franchising of proposed changes to the Fair Trading Act

24 September 2019 – Proposed changes to the Fair Trading Act would extend current consumer protections against unfair contract terms to apply to business contracts with a value below $250,000

20 September 2019 - Our recent article about the possible impact of new rubbish regulation on food and retail franchises mentioned the concept of product stewardship. Here's a plain English guide to how it works from wasteMINZ, the Waste Management Institute of New Zealand.

Read more at https://www.wasteminz.org.n...

MBIE is warning of a sophisticated fake invoice scam  attacking small businesses. Emails from an attacker pretending to be a recognised supplier contain fake invoices and attempt to trick the business into paying the invoiced amount into the attacker’s account. The invoices look legitimate because the attackers have previously attacked an employee’s email account. In organisations such as franchises, where many people may share similar email addresses or platforms, one weak password can leave you vulnerable. CERT NZ recommends four measures to help keep franchisors and franchisees safe.

Read more at https://www.business.govt.n...

20 September 2019 - California's AB5 law, which could see franchisees classified as employees, has been called a 'cannon aiming at a mosquito' by the International Franchise Association. The law, which is designed to protect workers in the gig economy such as Uber and food delivery service drivers, but could affect the franchise business model as collateral damage. The IFA has asked for franchisees to be exempt from the law, which comes into force on 1 January 2020. Uber and food delivery companies Lyft and Doordash say they have pledged $90 million on a ballot initiative next year that would exempt them from AB-5.

Read more at https://www.franchisetimes....

Hell's use of fake meat in burger toppings without telling customers didn't meet food standards but the company won't face formal action from the Ministry for Primary Industries. Instead, the company has been given 'education and advice'. A separate investigation by the Commerce Commission is ongoing. The promotional stunt, which Hell said was 'to start a conversation and raise awareness about sustainable food choices', highlighted a number of current trends and issues in food franchising which are covered in the latest issue of Franchise New Zealand.

The ministry had taken several factors into consideration when deciding what action to take, including Hell's agreement to follow its advice in any future campaigns, improved allergen information on the company's website and the fact it hadn't previously been the subject of similar complaints.

Read more at https://www.stuff.co.nz/bus...

August 2019 – Columbus Coffee franchisees all over the country will be doing their bit for Cure Kids on Red Nose Day

From the Archives: 2019 - A Subway franchisee made the company a ‘priority focus’ for Labour Inspectorate investigators. How can franchisors prevent a similar problem in their own networks?

August 2019 – The Ministry for the Environment is seeking submissions after publishing a consultation document  which would see retailers and hospitality businesses responsible for specified products and packaging at their end of life

14 August 2019 - Legislation currently pending in the Californian state legislature could significantly affect the future of franchising in that state - and set a precedent for other US jurisdictions

21 August 2019 – Escalating trade war will affect NZ, but economists think the Reserve Bank’s actions will prove effective for now. A short-term rise in unemployment could ease staff shortages for franchisees

From the Archives: 2019 – A Subway franchisee who failed to improve employment practices after a warning has made the company a ‘priority focus’ for investigators

July 2019 – The world’s biggest food franchise is also one of the ten hottest brands on the planet, according to a recent report

July 2019 – One of New Zealand’s best-known home-grown franchise brands is gradually disappearing from our streets as Fastway Couriers rebrands

8 July 2019 – Dropping the CGT has helped franchise confidence increase, but worries remain about costs and staffing

1 July 2019 - A  stunt which saw Hell Pizza add plant instead of meat patties to its pizza toppings without telling customers and saw the popular franchise called to a meeting with the Ministry for Primary Industries has now caused further problems. While the company says it wanted to introduce customers to alternative proteins in an unexpected way, it has been suggested that Hell could be in breach of both the Food Act and the Fair Trading Act, and the Commerce Commission has launched an investigation.

Read more at https://www.stuff.co.nz/bus...

18 June 2019 – A new survey shows that running your own business can be stressful and frustrating. How does being part of a franchise help?

18 June 2019 – Liquor store franchisee fined after failing to address employment issues