How does Bigfoot Forestry designate the territory for a franchisee?
Bigfoot_Forestry Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
pdates or upgrades.
ITEM 12 TERRITORY
You will not receive an exclusive territory. You may face competition from other franchisees, from outlets that we own, or from other channels of distribution or competitive brands that we control.
Your Territory (Franchise Agreement)
Designation of Territory
We grant you the right to operate a Bigfoot Forestry Business within the territory described in Part E of ATTACHMENT "A" to the Franchise Agreement. We determine the boundaries of your territory using one of the following approaches:
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- We may designate a geographic area that includes a minimum of 100,000 owner-occupied households. If we use this approach, we may designate the boundaries by zip codes, municipal boundaries, or in any other manner we deem appropriate.
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- We may identify a central geographic point for your territory and designate your territory as the area within a 50-mile radius from the central point we designate. We intend to use this approach only in situations where there are fewer than 100,000 owner-occupied households within a 50-mile radius from the central point we designate.
We do not offer territories with more than 210,000 owner-occupied households (you must purchase an additional franchise to operate within a larger area). We use recent U.S. Census Data to determine the number of owner-occupied households. We reserve the right to use an alternative source of data in the future.
Your territory will not change during the term of the Franchise Agreement based on changes to the number of owner-occupied households. You have no right to alter or relocate your territory. If you renew your franchise rights we can (at the time of renewal) modify the boundaries of your territory in accordance with our thencurrent territory guidelines and criteria.
Extraterritorial Operations
You may not provide Bigfoot Forestry Services at job sites located outside your territory except as otherwise described below. With our prior written approval, you may provide Bigfoot Forestry Services at job sites located outside your territory but within a geographic area we approve (an "Approved Open Territory"). Under no circumstances will we approve an area that: (a) is assigned to another Bigfoot Forestry Business; or (b) is not adjacent to and contiguous with your territory. If we grant our approval, you may provide Bigfoot Forestry Services at job sites located in the Approved Open Territory subject to your compliance with: (a) our thencurrent extra-territorial operations policy, if any, described in the Manual; and (b) all other conditions and requirements that we specify. We may revoke our approval if we award the territory (or a portion of the territory) to another Bigfoot Forestry Business or if we determine you are not servicing the territory in accordance with our minimum standards (for example, if we receive a high number of customer complaints). If we revoke our approval, you must immediately discontinue all operations within the Approved Open Territory. You must also help transition to us (or any person we designate) any projects involving job sites located in the Approved Open Territory.
Location of Franchised Business
We expect franchisees will operate from a home office. You do not need our approval of your home office and you may relocate your home office at any time. You must notify us of the address of your new home office at least 30 days before you relocate. Although you may operate from a home office, you will need adequate storage space to store your equipment and tools. You may store these items at your home if you have sufficient space. Otherwise you must rent commercial storage space. We must approve the site of any commercial storage facility where you propose to store your equipment and tools. However, the storage facility is not required to be located in your territory.
Your Development Territory (ADA)
If you acquire area development rights, we will identify the boundaries of each franchised territory you will develop before signing the ADA. In other words, before you sign the ADA we will designate the boundaries of each territory that will granted to you under each Franchise Agreement you sign. The total geographic area comprised by all of the individual franchised territories constitutes your "development territory". The boundaries of your development territory will be described in Part E of ATTACHMENT "A" to your ADA.
There is no specific minimum or maximum size for a development territory. Instead, the size of your development territory is determined based on the number of Bigfoot Forestry Businesses you commit to develop under the ADA.
Source: Item 12 — TERRITORY (FDD pages 29–31)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Bigfoot Forestry's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees do not receive an exclusive territory and may face competition from other franchisees, company-owned outlets, or other channels of distribution. The territory is defined in Part E of Attachment A to the Franchise Agreement. Bigfoot Forestry determines the territory boundaries using one of two approaches.
First, Bigfoot Forestry may designate a geographic area that includes a minimum of 100,000 owner-occupied households, using zip codes or municipal boundaries. Second, they may identify a central geographic point and designate the territory as the area within a 50-mile radius, especially in areas with fewer than 100,000 owner-occupied households within that radius. Bigfoot Forestry does not offer territories with more than 210,000 owner-occupied households, requiring an additional franchise for larger areas. They use U.S. Census Data to determine the number of owner-occupied households but reserve the right to use an alternative data source in the future.
The territory boundaries remain fixed during the Franchise Agreement term, regardless of changes in the number of owner-occupied households, and franchisees cannot alter or relocate their territory. However, upon renewal of the franchise, Bigfoot Forestry can modify the territory boundaries according to their then-current guidelines. If a franchisee acquires area development rights, Bigfoot Forestry will identify the boundaries of each franchised territory before signing the Area Development Agreement (ADA). The total area of these individual territories constitutes the franchisee's "development territory," described in Part E of Attachment A to the ADA. The size of the development territory depends on the number of Bigfoot Forestry Businesses the franchisee commits to developing under the ADA, with each territory determined using the same two approaches mentioned earlier.
Prospective franchisees should be aware that while they can market and advertise outside their territory, they cannot use alternative channels of distribution like the Internet or telemarketing. Additionally, Bigfoot Forestry retains the right to engage in National Account contracts, even for job sites within a franchisee's territory, and may authorize other Bigfoot Forestry Businesses to service these accounts. This lack of territorial exclusivity and the potential for competition, including from National Accounts and possible future competing businesses under different marks, are important factors for potential franchisees to consider.