If my Bigfoot Forestry Business is in a region subject to an advertising cooperative, what are my obligations?
Bigfoot_Forestry Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
If your Business is located in a region subject to an advertising cooperative you must: (a) participate in the cooperative according to its rules and procedures and abide by its decisions; and (b) pay a cooperative advertising fee. We may set the minimum cooperative advertising fee or we may allow the cooperative to set the fee based on majority vote of its members. In either case, the fee will not exceed 2% of Gross Sales. All cooperative advertising fees you pay are credited against your Local Marketing Commitment. Any companyowned Bigfoot Forestry Business located in the cooperative will contribute on the same basis as franchisees.
Advertising cooperatives are not required to prepare annual or periodic financial statements. Any financial statements that are prepared will be made available to you upon request. We reserve the right to form, change, merge or terminate advertising cooperatives at any time.
Source: Item 11 — FRANCHISOR'S ASSISTANCE, ADVERTISING, COMPUTER SYSTEMS AND TRAINING (FDD pages 22–29)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to the 2025 Bigfoot Forestry FDD, if your business is located in a region subject to an advertising cooperative, you have specific obligations. You must participate in the cooperative according to its rules and procedures and abide by its decisions. Additionally, you are required to pay a cooperative advertising fee.
The fee may be set either by Bigfoot Forestry or by a majority vote of the cooperative's members. Regardless of who sets the fee, it cannot exceed 2% of your Gross Sales. It's important to note that all cooperative advertising fees you pay will be credited against your Local Marketing Commitment, which is the greater of 2% of monthly Gross Sales or $1,000 per month.
Bigfoot Forestry may choose to administer the cooperative themselves or establish an advertising council comprised of the cooperative's members. The boundaries of the cooperative will be determined by Bigfoot Forestry and will typically coincide with zip codes, designated marketing areas, or municipal boundaries. Any company-owned Bigfoot Forestry businesses within the cooperative will contribute on the same basis as franchisees, ensuring a level playing field for advertising contributions.
While advertising cooperatives are not required to prepare financial statements, any statements that are prepared will be made available to you upon request, providing some transparency regarding the cooperative's finances. Bigfoot Forestry also reserves the right to form, change, merge, or terminate advertising cooperatives at any time, so the structure and requirements could potentially change during the term of your franchise agreement.