Franchise Opportunity & FDD Watch

Why this is recommended

An FTC action against a franchisor before signing a $300,000 agreement, a royalty increase in a new FDD, or an SBA lending change that affects financing each makes the fee trivial.

What the Tab covers

Who it is for

The 300,000 people researching a franchise purchase each year and the 800,000 existing franchisees in the US.

When it runs

Franchisors file updated FDDs by April 30 each year, state franchise registrations renew on fixed cycles, and FTC franchise rule actions publish year-round

Scope

FTC Franchise Rule actions and policy statements; state franchise regulators in California, New York, Illinois, Maryland, Washington and others; FDD filings from Subway, McDonald's, Dunkin', 7-Eleven, Planet Fitness, Jersey Mike's, Chick-fil-A, Wingstop, European Wax Center and other top-200 systems; SBA franchise directory; International Franchise Association; NLRB joint employer rules; franchise bankruptcy filings

Suggested task

The objective your Tab starts with. You can edit every line of it once the Tab is yours.

FTC and state franchise rule changes and enforcement actions with franchisor names, FDD updates showing fee, royalty and territory changes at major brands, franchisee lawsuits and association disputes, SBA franchise lending changes, franchise bankruptcies and closures with unit counts, new franchise system launches with investment ranges, and joint employer and labor rule changes, with the brand or rule first.

Track franchising for US prospective and current franchisees. Report only confirmed, source-backed items from the last 7 days: FTC and state franchise rule changes, policy statements and enforcement actions with franchisor names; FDD updates at top-200 systems showing initial fee, royalty, marketing fund, technology fee, territory or renewal changes; franchisee lawsuits, association disputes and arbitration rulings; SBA franchise directory and lending changes; franchisor bankruptcies, closures and refranchising with unit counts; new franchise system launches with investment ranges and Item 19 disclosures; and NLRB, DOL and state joint employer and franchise labor rule changes. Prefer FTC, state regulator, FDD filings, court, SBA and IFA sources; ignore franchise broker marketing. Put the brand or rule first in the title. Use high severity for an enforcement action, a royalty or fee increase over 1 point, or a bankruptcy over 100 units. Return no more than 6 findings. Push each as a finding with a title, a two-sentence summary, sections for what changed, who it affects, the date, what to check before signing or renewing, and the source link. If nothing qualifies, push nothing and submit the run receipt.