Can the All County Advertising Fund be used to solicit the sale of franchises?
All_County Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
The Advertising Fund will not be used to defray any of our general operating expenses, except for such reasonable salaries, administrative costs, travel expenses and overhead as we may incur in activities related to the administration and activities of the Advertising Fund and its programs. The Advertising Fund is not audited, and there are no restrictions under the terms of the Franchise Agreement that it must be audited at any time. (Franchise Agreement Articles 17.1. through 17.4.). The Advertising Fund will not be used to solicit the sale of franchises.
Source: Item 11 — Franchisor's Assistance, Advertising, Computer Systems, and Training (FDD pages 20–26)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to All County's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, the Advertising Fund will not be used to solicit the sale of franchises. This means that the money collected for the Advertising Fund will be strictly used for advertising, public relations, market research, and promotional programs to benefit existing franchisees and promote the All County brand to customers, not to attract new franchisees.
All County may administer the Advertising Fund, using it to prepare and produce advertising, public relations, market research and promotional programs in media they select, potentially including print, radio, television, or internet, including the ALL COUNTY® website. These advertising and marketing efforts may be national, regional, or local. The fund is supported by advertising and marketing fees paid by franchisees. Currently, the monthly Advertising Fund Fee for all franchisees is the greater of 1% of Gross Revenue or $195, with all franchisees contributing at the same percentage rate.
During the most recently concluded fiscal year ending December 31, 2024, All County spent 26% of the collected Advertising Fund monies on website development services, 51.8% on client retention, and 22.2% on marketing and public relations. All County (or its affiliates) may contribute to the Advertising Fund at their sole discretion, but they are not obligated to do so. The fees contributed by franchisees are not held in a trust or fiduciary relationship but are treated as an ordinary commercial relationship for mutual economic benefit.