International Franchising

Franchising has gone international in various sectors. The world seems to be getting smaller as more and more companies scan the globe to put up franchise operations. The international franchise market has expanded to a large extent during the past few years. Countries throughout the world seem to be participating in the growth of industries that was previously specific to a particular country only.

Some of the major industries are food, electronics, and automobiles, which have shown a rapid growth through franchising worldwide. International franchising allows the companies to infiltrate countries by introducing the product in the country in franchises.

Starting an international franchise can be very difficult and require extensive research in that market that might take years to finish. The company must ensure that raw materials and other requisites can be found in the country itself as it is cost effective.

Certain legalities concerning the leasing of land or offices in a different country, receive the permission from the government to use trademarks, tax related issues, and employing the regional manager or an area manager to manage the initial proceedings are few of the initial hurdles to be crossed. A contract containing these aspects as well as other management criteria must be drawn up.

Since there definitely would be a difference in the currency, the fee amount, conversion rate, and such monetary related issues must be considered. Some countries might have restrictions on the amount that can be remitted into the country at a given time.

All the related government approvals must be considered at the initial stage itself. Some governments need the company to get special licenses for putting up a franchise in the country. Also, all the monetary related issues such as fee details, and repatriation etc need to be run through at the government office before being approved.

The company must be ready with the financing and background check in order to confirm the time that would take to start the franchise. Accurate preparation will ensure the franchise will be up and running in no time with any additional costs cropping up out of the blue.

There are various other aspects to consider before opening a franchise in a different country. It is suggested to go through the whole lot before signing an agreement for an international franchise.