Is a Crawlspace Medic franchisee allowed to establish their own website?
Crawlspace_Medic Franchise · 2024 FDDAnswer from 2024 FDD Document
- 12.3.5. Franchisee shall have and maintain adequate hardware and software in order to access the Internet at the speed required by Franchisor from time to time. Franchisee shall utilize the electronic mail account provided by Franchisor. Franchisee shall promptly read and respond to all electronic mail related to the Franchised Business no less often than on a daily basis and shall accept and acknowledge receipt of all electronic mail sent by Franchisor. Franchisee shall not establish any website or other listing on the Internet except as provided and specifically permitted herein.
- 12.3.6. Franchisor has established a website that provides information about the System and the products and services offered by the Crawlspace Medic System (the "Website"). Franchisor has sole discretion and control over the Website. Franchisor shall include a listing on its Website linking Franchisee's Franchised Business location. Franchisee has no ownership or other proprietary rights to Franchisor's website and Franchisee will lose all rights to such link to Franchisee's location upon expiration or termination of this Agreement for any reason.
Source: Item 22 — CONTRACTS (FDD page 42)
What This Means (2024 FDD)
According to the 2024 Crawlspace Medic Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees are generally prohibited from establishing their own websites. Crawlspace Medic maintains a central website to provide information about the system and its services. The franchisor includes a listing on its website that links to the franchisee's specific business location. However, the franchisee does not have any ownership or proprietary rights to the franchisor's website or the link to their location, and these rights are lost upon termination of the franchise agreement.
Crawlspace Medic requires franchisees to use the electronic mail account provided by the franchisor and to promptly read and respond to all emails related to the franchised business on a daily basis. This ensures consistent communication and adherence to the franchisor's standards. Franchisees must also maintain adequate hardware and software to access the internet at the speed required by Crawlspace Medic.
While franchisees are restricted from creating their own websites, the franchise agreement does acknowledge that franchisees may conduct internet-based advertising and maintain social media accounts linked to the Crawlspace Medic brand. It also states that franchisees may acquire interest in domain names, social media accounts, and other electronic listings related to the franchised business. However, upon termination of the franchise agreement, the franchisee must transfer all rights and interest in these electronic advertising and telephone listings to Crawlspace Medic.