What does 'source-restricted' mean regarding goods and services for a Bigfoot Forestry business?
Bigfoot_Forestry Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
tricted Purchases and Leases - Generally**
You must purchase or lease certain source-restricted goods and services for the development and operation of your Business. "Source-restricted" means the good or service must meet our specifications and/or must be purchased from an approved or designated supplier (in some cases, an exclusive designated supplier, which may be us or an affiliate). The Manual includes our specifications and supplier list. We notify you of changes to our specifications and suppliers by email, updates to the Manual or other means of communication.
Supplier Criteria
Our criteria for evaluating suppliers include standards for: (a) quality, performance, design, appearance and price of the product or service; and (b) dependability, production capabilities, reputation and financial strength of the supplier. Upon request, we will provide you with any objective specifications pertaining to our evaluation of a supplier or product, although certain important subjective criteria (e.g., product appearance, design, functionality, etc.) are important to our evaluation but cannot be described in writing.
If you wish to purchase or lease a source-restricted item from a non-approved supplier, you must send us: (a) a written request for approval; (b) product samples for testing purposes; and (c) all additional information we request. The supplier must agree to comply with our minimum insurance, indemnification and confidentiality requirements for system suppliers and allow us to periodically inspect their facility. We may require that the supplier pay us a license fee to use our Marks. We will notify you of our decision within 30 days after we receive all required information and product samples. We may periodically reinspect approved products and suppliers and revoke our approval if a product or supplier fails to meet our then-current criteria. You must reimburse all costs we incur to evaluate products and suppliers you propose.
Current Source-Restricted Items
We estimate between 75% and 95% of the total purchases and leases to establish and operate your Bigfoot Forestry Business will consist of source-restricted goods or services, as further described below.
Vehicle
You must have access to a new or used vehicle that meets our standards and specifications. The vehicle must be capable of towing your crew and equipment to job sites. You may purchase or lease your vehicle from any supplier of your choosing. If you do not already own a suitable vehicle, we recommend you purchase a used vehicle, not more than 5 years old, with a minimum towing capacity of 18,000 pounds. You must purchase our required vehicle wrap or vehicle decals from a supplier we designate. You may use your vehicle for purposes unrelated to your Business, but subject to any restrictions we impose in the Manual in order to protect our brand or limit liability risks.
Operating Equipment and Tools
All of your operating equipment and tools must meet our standards and specifications and be purchased exclusively from our affiliate (other than your vehicle which is separately discussed above).
Technology Systems
Your Technology Systems (including hardware, software, equipment, software applications, mobile apps and similar items) must meet our standards and specifications.
Source: Item 8 — RESTRICTIONS ON SOURCES OF PRODUCTS AND SERVICES (FDD pages 18–20)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to Bigfoot Forestry's 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document, "source-restricted" means that certain goods or services required for the development and operation of your Bigfoot Forestry business must meet the franchisor's specifications and/or be purchased from an approved or designated supplier. In some cases, these suppliers may be exclusive, and could even be Bigfoot Forestry itself or one of its affiliates. The specific requirements and supplier lists are detailed in the Bigfoot Forestry manual, which is subject to change via email, manual updates, or other communication methods. Bigfoot Forestry estimates that 75% to 95% of the total purchases and leases to establish and operate your Bigfoot Forestry business will consist of source-restricted goods or services.
Bigfoot Forestry's criteria for evaluating suppliers include standards for the quality, performance, design, appearance, and price of the product or service, as well as the dependability, production capabilities, reputation, and financial strength of the supplier. While objective specifications are available upon request, subjective criteria such as product appearance, design, and functionality are also considered but may not be described in writing.
If a franchisee wishes to use a non-approved supplier for a source-restricted item, they must submit a written request for approval, product samples for testing, and any additional information requested by Bigfoot Forestry. The supplier must also comply with minimum insurance, indemnification, and confidentiality requirements, and allow Bigfoot Forestry to periodically inspect their facility. Bigfoot Forestry may also require the supplier to pay a license fee to use their marks. The franchisee is responsible for reimbursing all costs incurred by Bigfoot Forestry to evaluate the proposed products and suppliers. Bigfoot Forestry will notify the franchisee of their decision within 30 days after receiving all required information and product samples, but can revoke approval if a product or supplier fails to meet then-current criteria.
Several items are source-restricted for Bigfoot Forestry franchisees. All operating equipment and tools (other than the vehicle) must be purchased exclusively from Bigfoot Forestry's affiliate. Uniforms must also be purchased exclusively from Bigfoot Forestry's affiliate. For technology systems, the franchisee must purchase a preconfigured laptop exclusively from Bigfoot Forestry, while other components may be purchased from any supplier. Certain marketing materials must be purchased exclusively from Bigfoot Forestry's affiliate as part of the Startup Package, and franchisees must utilize Bigfoot Forestry's designated SEO marketing company for SEO and Google business management services.