Pre-entry Franchise Education program proves popular

Written on the 1 July 2010 by Fiona Taylor

Free pre-entry franchise education is now live.

The program, announced last month and funded by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), commences today/this week with more than 270 participants already registered.

Offered online, through the Asia-Pacific Centre for Franchising Excellence, the program may be accessed from across Australia or the world.

Asia-Pacific Centre for Franchising Excellence Director Professor Lorelle Frazer said the program was strongly recommended for everyone who planned on entering the franchise sector.

“The program is free thanks to the ACCC funding, and offered entirely online to make it accessible to anyone looking at entering franchising,” Professor Frazer.

“With such low barriers to the program, there now is no excuse not to educate yourself about what franchising really involves, your obligations as a franchisee and the elements you need to be aware of.

“The program will help people make sure they’re making the right decision and are better prepared for franchising.”

ACCC Deputy Chairman Dr Michael Schaper said anyone thinking about buying a franchise should enrol in the program.

“The pre-entry education program provides potential franchisees with a better understanding of their rights and obligations under the Franchising Code.”

The pre-entry franchise education program covers:

• An overview of franchising;
• Franchise disclosure, agreements, royalties and finance;
• Franchise support services, site and territory selection, retail leasing and franchise marketing funds;
• Franchising Intellectual Property, the operations manual, franchisor-franchisee relationships and dispute resolution; and
• Questions to ask, additional due diligence and useful business skills.

The pre-entry franchise education program includes five modules, and is delivered one a day direct to a participant’s inbox.

Each module will take about 45 minutes to complete and consists of video, audio and text documents, as well as additional resources and an assessment quiz.

Upon successful completion of each module participants will receive a Certificate of Completion.

To enrol in the Pre-Entry Franchise Education Program visit: http://www.franchise.edu.au/pre-entry-education