Can a Belocal franchisee relocate their territory?
Belocal Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
. You will be granted a non-exclusive geographic area ("Territory") described in Attachment B to the Franchise Agreement, within which you have the right to distribute the Publication. We do not allow you to relocate your Territory. You will not have the right to distribute the Publication to any person, community, or industry group outside of your Territory. You have the right to sell and offer to sell print advertising and digital advertising services to clients located both inside and outside of your Territory, but only in accordance with our then-current digital advertising policies, crossselling policies and Franchise Brand Standards Manual. We also have the right to allow other franchisees or affiliates to offer and sell advertising in all forms to clients located in your Territory.
Your Territory will be defined by geographic boundaries or descriptions we select. We do not grant any minimum territory. The actual size of the Territory will vary depending upon the availability of markets, our long-range plans, your financial and operational resources, and market conditions. A written description of the Territory will be inserted in Attachment B to the Franchise Agreement before you sign the Franchise Agreement. The boundaries used to define the Territory will be geographic boundaries as configured on the effective date of the Franchise Agreement, which may be described as certain neighborhoods, subdivisions, or communities, or a specific home count in an area, as determined by us. We have the sole discretion to change your Territory, including its size, shape, boundaries, and population, upon ninety (90) days' notice to you.
We divide each calendar year into four periods of three months each, and we call these periods "Quarters." For the Publication, we require you to (1) maintain a minimum, monthly Commission for the term of your Franchise Agreement, which is currently at least $3,000 per month for each of the BELOCAL ® publications you manage; (2) include a minimum of 28 pages that meet our standards in each issue of the Publication; (3) include the number of articles each month on the topics required in the Franchise Brand Standards Manual;
Source: Item 12 — TERRITORY (FDD pages 42–44)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Belocal's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees are not permitted to relocate their territory. The FDD states that Belocal grants franchisees a non-exclusive geographic area, or "Territory," within which they have the right to distribute their publication. This territory is described in Attachment B to the Franchise Agreement. However, the document explicitly states that Belocal does not allow franchisees to relocate their Territory, and franchisees do not have the right to distribute the publication outside of their assigned Territory.
While franchisees cannot relocate their territory, they do have the right to sell print and digital advertising services to clients located both inside and outside of their Territory, provided they adhere to Belocal's digital advertising and cross-selling policies, as well as the Franchise Brand Standards Manual. Belocal also retains the right to allow other franchisees or affiliates to sell advertising in all forms to clients located within a franchisee's Territory.
Belocal also specifies that the territory's boundaries will be defined by geographic boundaries or descriptions selected by them, such as neighborhoods, subdivisions, communities, or a specific home count. The actual size of the territory will vary based on market availability, Belocal's long-range plans, the franchisee's financial and operational resources, and overall market conditions. Belocal retains the sole discretion to change a franchisee's Territory, including its size, shape, boundaries, and population, with ninety days' notice.
Although the territory itself cannot be moved, Belocal franchisees must operate their Franchised Business from an office within a 50-mile radius of their territory's perimeter, unless a variance is granted. Franchisees can relocate their office as long as it remains within this distance requirement and they provide advance notice to Belocal. Belocal does not need to approve the office location as long as it meets the distance requirement.