Does Deck Medic permit franchisees to manage their business from a home-based administrative office?
Deck_Medic Franchise · 2024 FDDAnswer from 2024 FDD Document
If permitted by local law, you may operate your Deck Medic Business from a home based administrative office. Otherwise, you are responsible for selecting a site for your administrative office and must obtain our approval of your selected location. If you elect to establish an operations center comprised of a non-retail back-office facility to support the operations of your Deck Medic Business, including maintaining inventory, staging service visits, and parking your service vehicle, you are responsible for selecting and securing a site within your Operating Territory. We do not typically own or lease the real property that will serve as your administrative office and/or operations center and you are responsible for all costs and expenses in locating and evaluating proposed sites for your administrative office. We will provide you with site selection guidelines.
Within 30 days of our written receipt and submission of all information and documentation that we may request, we will respond to your proposed request for our approval or disapproval of the proposed location of your administrative office. Factors that into consideration include characteristics of the proposed site, whether or not the proposed site meets our criteria for non-retail back-office operations, and the location of your proposed site relative to your overall Operating Territory and proximity to other franchisee operating territories.
Since you may administratively manage your Deck Medic Business from your home there is no required time period within which you must secure a commercial office location. If you do not meet our requirements for site selection, we may terminate your Franchise Agreement without refunding any fees to you. It is your obligation to consult with government agencies, architects and legal professionals to evaluate and determine that your site permits the establishment and operation of the Franchised Business and that you possess the necessary licenses and authority to operate the Franchised Business. (Franchise Agreement, Article 3).
Source: Item 11 — FRANCHISOR'S ASSISTANCE, ADVERTISING, COMPUTER SYSTEMS AND TRAINING (FDD pages 24–29)
What This Means (2024 FDD)
According to Deck Medic's 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document, franchisees may manage their business from a home-based administrative office if permitted by local law. If operating from a home-based office is not allowed, the franchisee is responsible for selecting a site for their administrative office and must obtain approval from Deck Medic.
If a franchisee chooses to establish an operations center, which includes a non-retail back-office facility for inventory, staging service visits, and parking the service vehicle, they are responsible for selecting and securing a site within their operating territory. Deck Medic does not typically own or lease these properties and the franchisee bears all costs associated with locating and evaluating potential sites. Deck Medic will provide site selection guidelines to assist in this process.
Deck Medic must approve the location of the administrative office. Factors considered for approval include the characteristics of the proposed site, whether it meets the criteria for non-retail back-office operations, and its location relative to the franchisee's operating territory and proximity to other franchisees. If the site selection does not meet Deck Medic's requirements, the Franchise Agreement may be terminated without any fee refunds. The franchisee is obligated to ensure the site allows for the establishment and operation of the franchised business and that they possess all necessary licenses and authority to operate.