In April 2026, Virginia amended the Virginia Retail Franchising Act making significant modifications to post-termination competition restrictions. Virginia has enacted significant new protections for franchisees regarding post-term competition restrictions.
Key Provisions of the New Law
The legislation includes two main changes:
1. Governing Law Requirement: All retail franchise agreements involving franchises offered or operating in
On April 26, 2025, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced that it will reinstate the SBA Franchise Directory, effective June 1, 2025. This decision marks a significant policy shift following the discontinuation of the directory in 2023 established in 2018. Urgent action must be undertaken if franchisors want their franchisees to qualify for SBA
The franchisor has just informed you that the franchise disclosure document (“FDD”) is finally ready to go, and you are thrilled to begin talking to prospective franchisees about the best new concept you’ve seen. You are of course aware of the requirement to register in certain states https://www.franchisefeed.net/2024/07/franchise-state-compliance/ with franchise registration and disclosure laws, but
Gift cards and loyalty programs can be effective tools in generating sales, developing brand awareness, generating actionable customer data, and driving repeat business. When these programs are implemented on a single-store basis they fairly straightforward to administer. When rolled out through a network of independently owned franchised business, these programs require more attention and planning
So, you have your Franchise Disclosure Documents (“FDD”) and other related agreements in order and ready to start selling your newly created franchise system. You may consider advertising through various channels with catchy promises of success and profits and slogans such as “Join the Franchise Frenzy: Your Ticket to Business Success Awaits!” or “Follow our
Federal labor regulators have finally dropped their efforts (for now) to expand franchisor liability for the employment policies and practices of franchisees as the National Labor Relations Board (the “NLRB”) has revealed that it will not appeal a federal court’s decision striking down the NLRB’s October 2023 rule.
For context— historically, there was a clear
For most, the sale of a business is a new experience that requires sellers to learn many entirely foreign processes in a very short amount of time. The many steps to selling your business can be long and tedious, and chief amongst those steps in terms of length and tedium is due diligence. To those
The Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) has taken a renewed interest in the Franchise Rule and the relationships between franchisors and franchisees. In March 2023, the FTC requested comments from franchisors and franchisees. On July 12, 2024, the FTC took three distinct actions to showcase some of what it learned from those comments and its current
While franchising can be a powerful way to grow a brand, the complex and varied laws and regulations governing franchising can intimidate even the most experienced businessperson seeking to expand their business.
Over the past two decades, Manning Fulton has helped over 100 franchisor clients launch, grow, and protect their brands through franchising. We can