Are Zoomin Groomin Business Managers subject to confidentiality requirements?
Zoomin_Groomin Franchise · 2025 FDDAnswer from 2025 FDD Document
EXHIBIT G NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT
THIS NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT ("Agreement") is entered into this day of, 20 ("Effective Date"), by and between Zoomin Groomin USA LLC ("Company"), a Virginia limited liability company at 780 Lynnhaven Pkwy, Suite 240, Virginia Beach, VA 23452, and ("Recipient") for the purpose of preventing the unauthorized disclosure of Company's Confidential Information.
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- Confidential Information. "Confidential Information" means all information or data (oral, written, and electronic) disclosed or furnished by Company to Recipient, including but not limited to all business processes and information, negotiations and negotiated terms to the Franchise Agreement or other Agreement between the parties, financial data, trade secrets, customer lists, agreements, manuals, operating materials, knowledge, know-how, and all other data, regardless of whether such information is designated as "Confidential Information" at the time of its disclosure.
Confidential Information does not include information (a) already in Recipient's possession before receipt from Company; (b) that is a matter of public knowledge through no fault of Recipient; or (c) that is rightfully received by Recipient from a third party not owing a duty of confidentiality to Company.
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- Use of Confidential Information.
Recipient shall not, directly or indirectly, during the term of this Agreement or thereafter, communicate, divulge, or use any Confidential Information for the benefit of any other person, partnership, association, or corporation and shall use the Confidential Information only as authorized by Company.
Recipient agrees to take reasonable measures to prevent unauthorized persons or entities from accessing Confidential Information in Recipient's possession.
Source: Item 15 — **OBLIGATION TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ACTUAL OPERATION OF THE FRANCHISED BUSINESS (FDD page 37)
What This Means (2025 FDD)
According to the 2025 Zoomin Groomin Franchise Disclosure Document, a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) must be signed to prevent the unauthorized disclosure of the company's confidential information. This agreement is between Zoomin Groomin USA LLC and the recipient, which in this case would be the franchisee.
The NDA specifies that "Confidential Information" includes all data disclosed by Zoomin Groomin, such as business processes, financial data, trade secrets, customer lists, agreements, manuals, and know-how, regardless of whether it's explicitly marked as confidential. The recipient is prohibited from communicating, divulging, or using any Confidential Information for the benefit of others and must only use it as authorized by Zoomin Groomin. They must also take reasonable measures to prevent unauthorized access to this information.
While the excerpt focuses on the franchisee's obligation to maintain confidentiality, it also states that the franchisee and any General Manager working for them must attend and successfully complete the Initial Franchisee Training. Given the broad definition of "Confidential Information" and the requirement for the franchisee to prevent unauthorized access, it is highly likely that Zoomin Groomin would require Business Managers to adhere to similar confidentiality standards, possibly through a separate agreement or as part of their employment terms with the franchisee. A prospective franchisee should confirm this with Zoomin Groomin.