Ignoring this franchise advice could ruin a business

Make sure you and the franchisor provide for Canadian withholdings tax applied on royalties crossing the border...

Read the full article at The Globe & Mail.

What to consider as a Canadian dealing with a U.S. franchisor

The first in a series of columns looking at cross-border issues that could affect your business...

Read the full article at The Globe & Mail.

Confidential information and why you must protect it

In the ‘information age,’ ensuring your trade secrets remain secret isn’t something limited to big companies with magic formulas locked up in vaults...

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When to patent something and how to do it

If you have an original and useful invention there are three basic registration criteria...

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Copyright issues that can affect your business

Some companies don’t know when they need protection, or when they may be infringing on someone’s turf...

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Limiting your personal exposure

Terrified of losing it all? By creating a corporation, one can reduce personal liability in the event the business fails...

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Ignore metadata at your peril

The history of an electronic document is important to anyone trading information, including companies and politicians...

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Human rights emerging as cost concern

Explosion in litigation could have serious ramifications for small and medium-sized businesses in particular...

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Don't leave branding to the lawyers

What they should be doing is clearing your company's proposed name with the appropriate registry in your province...

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Legal advice on starting a franchise

First of all, don't listen too much to your lawyer, and avoid long, complicated agreements...

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Want to buy a franchise? Read this first

If you're considering “buying” a franchised business in Canada and you live in Ontario, Alberta or PEI (and soon, New Brunswick), consider yourself lucky because they have specific legislation that protects franchisees.

In the current Canadian “disclosure jurisdictions” of those three provinces, the franchisor is required by law to give prospective franchisees a Franchise Disclosure Document, and a franchise agreement cannot be entered into until at least 14 days after the delivery of that document to the franchisee. In Ontario, no deposit can be provided or any other contract entered until that time period passes.

Read the full article at The Globe & Mail

Three more things to know about leasing - The Globe & Mail

Another article published in today's Globe & Mail...

Three more things to know about leasing

Do your homework before you buy a franchise - The Globe and Mail

My first article for my column in The Globe & Mail is now available!

Do your homework before you buy a franchise

Franchised businesses are never supposed to fail. But on occasion, they do.

That's why doing your homework before you “buy” is so important, so the prospective franchisee can avoid disastrous mistakes and the agony of defeat. Legally, franchising is very document-intensive and it is important for prospective franchisees to understand what they are signing.


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