UNDERSTANDING THE FRANCHISE CREATE A BUSINESS MANAGE YOUR BUSINESS DEVELOP A NETWORK MULTI-BRAND GROUP: SUCCESSFULLY INTEGRATING A NEW NETWORK More than a quarter of franchise brands belong to a multi-brand group, but it is sometimes difficult to manage the integration of a newcomer. The franchise lawyer François-Luc Simon gives franchisors some keys to succeed in this first step. Focus on complementarity “26% of brands belong to a group that develops several brands,” observes François-Luc Simon, lawyer specializing in franchising and member of the College of Experts of the French Franchise Federation. To integrate a network within it, the group must be part of a complementary approach. "The offer and the clientele must be different" , specifies François-Luc Simon. Obtain the agreement of the franchisees Is it necessary to obtain the agreement of the franchisees in the event of a change of control? "It all depends on the situation of the sign" , explains the lawyer. In the event of a merger, a split or a partial contribution of assets, "the agreement of the franchisees is essential if the contract does not provide for anything, " says François-Luc Simon. In the case of a contract transfer , "case law considers that it is necessary to obtain the agreement of the franchisees if the signatory is no longer the original franchisor" , he continues. However, "in the case of an outright change of control, the agreement of the franchisees is not necessary", précise l’expert. En effet, dans cette situation, la personne morale signataire du contrat ne change pas, seuls les actionnaires sont différents. Mutualiser les ressources Le droit de la concurrence interdit aux sociétés de s’entendre sur les prix et sur la répartition de la clientèle, mais l’appartenance à un même groupe va permettre aux enseignes de déroger à cette règle et d’ajuster leur positionnement les unes par rapport aux autres. « Cependant, la formation du savoir-faire et l’animation ne peuvent pas faire l’objet d’une mutualisation inter-enseigne », signale François-Luc Simon. En effet, le savoir-faire doit être unique, et par conséquent distinct d’une enseigne à l’autre. « Par contre, le développement et la comptabilité peuvent être, par nature et sans risque, mutualisés », poursuit l’avocat. Attention : même dans le cas d’une possible mutualisation des services, il est "Simpler and healthier to partition the brands, legally speaking, and to create a dedicated structure for them, in order to avoid any conflict relating to the secrecy of know-how" , indicates François-Luc Simon. Reassure franchisees “The psychological dimension is often the most difficult to manage,” concludes the lawyer. This is why communication within a group is extremely important to reassure franchisees. “The role of the franchisor is to draw their attention to the fact that their situation is not going to deteriorate and that, on the contrary, they will come out on top. " Interview at Franchise Expo Paris 2012 Camille Prigent 02/25/2021 RECEPTION - DEVELOPING A NETWORK - MULTI-BRAND GROUP: SUCCESSFULLY INTEGRATING A NEW NETWORK THE ECHOES OF THE FRANCHISE SELECTION The DIP: the essential pre-contractual document of the franchise The advantages of wage portage? 3 good reasons to promote your business through promotional items GROUP SITES Legal Announcements Odella Les Echos Solutions Notebook of the day Les Echos Le Parisien Announcements LEGAL INFORMATION Legal Notice CGU A service offered by © Copyright 2021. All rights reserved