Before opening my Aunt Millies Bakeries business, what does the Franchisor provide?
Aunt_Millies_Bakeries Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
Before you open your business, we will designate your exclusive Sales Area (Distribution Agreement, §1.1) and sell to you the Products for your first week of operation.
We designate the Sales Area and identify it in the Distribution Agreement offered to you. If you and we do not agree on a Sales Area, you will not enter into a Distribution Agreement with us.
The typical length of time between the signing of the Distribution Agreement and the start of your franchise operation is less than 1 week. You must commence operating your business on the Sunday following the date you sign the Distribution Agreement.
We anticipate that our Distributors will be persons who already have experience working for a business similar to the one described in this Franchise Disclosure Document. Based on that prior work experience, they will be familiar with the business operations involved in this franchise and will not require training. If necessary, we will provide one-on-one orientation if you do not have prior work experience.
The only computer you must have is the hand-held computer, software, and/or other devices described in Items 5, 6, 7 and 8. Its purpose is for ordering and billing. You will sign the Computer Equipment Use Agreement (Exhibit G) with us and agree to pay us the weekly use fee of $30 plus $5 per week for paper and ribbons. We may increase the weekly use fee, and there is no limit on how often or by how much we may increase it. That does not include sales/use taxes, estimated at $2 to $3 per week, which we charge you. Under that Agreement, we are obligated to furnish you the hardware and software, and to provide the maintenance, repairs, updates and upgrades to the computerized system, at no cost to you.
The Sales Area covered by your franchise is determined by us based on our need to ensure that our network of independent, franchised Distributors sufficiently covers Outlets in the Sales Area. All Sales Areas will contain existing Outlets that may have previously been serviced by us, and which will become your customers. Factors we consider in determining whether a Sales Area meets our approval are: (a) it contains a sufficient number of Outlets that generate a level of sales needed by the Distributor; and (b) its geographic size is not so large as to make it impossible for the Distributor to physically deliver the Products to all the Outlets within the Sales Area.
Source: Item 11 — FRANCHISOR'S OBLIGATIONS (FDD pages 25–27)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Aunt Millies Bakeries's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, prior to opening your business, the franchisor will designate your exclusive Sales Area, as defined in Section 1.1 of the Distribution Agreement. Additionally, Aunt Millies Bakeries will sell you the Products needed for your first week of operation. The typical timeframe between signing the Distribution Agreement and commencing franchise operations is less than one week, with operations expected to start the Sunday following the agreement's signing.
Furthermore, Aunt Millies Bakeries determines the Sales Area based on the need to sufficiently cover Outlets, considering factors such as the number of Outlets and geographic size. All Sales Areas will include existing Outlets that may have been previously serviced by Aunt Millies Bakeries, which will then become the franchisee's customers. The Sales Area is identified in the Distribution Agreement, and if an agreement on the Sales Area cannot be reached, a Distribution Agreement will not be entered into.
If a franchisee lacks prior work experience, Aunt Millies Bakeries will provide one-on-one orientation. The franchisee is required to have a hand-held computer with software for ordering and billing, as detailed in Items 5, 6, 7, and 8 of the FDD. The franchisee will sign a Computer Equipment Use Agreement and pay a weekly use fee of $30, plus $5 per week for paper and ribbons, and an estimated $2 to $3 per week for sales/use taxes. Aunt Millies Bakeries is obligated to furnish the hardware and software, and provide maintenance, repairs, updates, and upgrades to the computerized system at no additional cost to the franchisee.