Who can review the annual financial statements of a Better Blend advertising cooperative?
Better_Blend Franchise · 2024 FDDAnswer from 2024 FDD Document
Local or Regional Advertising Cooperatives. We do not currently have any local or regional advertising cooperatives. We have the right to require you to participate in a local or regional advertising cooperative. We will define the area of the cooperative based on media markets, or other geographic criteria that we deem appropriate. Each franchisee in the area would have one vote per outlet (unless the franchisee is in default under its franchise agreement). The amount you must contribute to the cooperative will be determined by vote of the members, but not less than 1% and not more than 5% of adjusted gross sales. If our own outlets are members of a cooperative, they must contribute to the cooperative on the same basis as franchisees, and they will vote on the same basis as other members. We administer the cooperative, but we have the right to delegate responsibility for administration to an outside company such as an advertising agency or accounting firm, or to the franchisee members of the cooperative. We have the right to require the cooperative to operate from written bylaws or other governing documents that we determine. The documents are not currently available for you to review. Cooperatives will prepare annual financial statements which will be made available for review only by us and by the members of the cooperative. We have the power to require cooperatives to be formed, changed, dissolved, or merged.
Source: Item 11 — FRANCHISOR'S ASSISTANCE, ADVERTISING, COMPUTER SYSTEMS, AND TRAINING (FDD pages 21–27)
What This Means (2024 FDD)
According to Better Blend's 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document, the annual financial statements of a local or regional advertising cooperative are available for review by Better Blend and the members of the cooperative. Better Blend has the right to require franchisees to participate in these cooperatives, defining the cooperative's area based on media markets or other geographic criteria.
Franchisees within the cooperative each have one vote per outlet, unless they are in default of their franchise agreement. The amount franchisees contribute to the cooperative is determined by the members' vote, with a range of 1% to 5% of adjusted gross sales. If Better Blend owns outlets within the cooperative's area, those outlets must contribute on the same basis as the franchisees and have the same voting rights.
Better Blend administers the cooperative but can delegate this responsibility to an outside company or the franchisee members. Better Blend also has the power to require the cooperative to operate from written bylaws or other governing documents. This setup ensures that both Better Blend and its franchisees have oversight and input into the financial operations of the advertising cooperatives, promoting transparency and accountability.