One less document for franchisors to worry about is the Key Facts Sheet for prospective franchisees – this is no longer required.

The Treasury recently released a table of key changes to the 2024 Franchising Code of Conduct.

A key change with immediate effect is around restraints of trade in new, renewed or extended agreements issued on or after 1 April 2025.

Franchisors cannot include a restraint of trade clause for franchisees wanting to extend or renew an expiring agreements, and they may face civil penalties if these terms are included.

No changes are required to an existing agreement if it is not scheduled to transfer, extend or renew.

Not all elements of the Code will be enforced immediately; these include disclosure document obligations and compensation for certain instances of early termination.

There is a grace period of 1 November 2025 for full implementation of the Code.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission will enforce the remade Code and is expected to provide further guidance on its website.

This article originally appeared on the website of our sister publication, Franchise Executives.

The post New Franchising Code takes effect: Key changes for 2025 appeared first on Inside Small Business.

Cyber Wardens is a Council of Small Business Organisations Australia (COSBOA) initiative to tackle cyber crime.

The Australian government-funded program is a free online course designed to help small businesses build their cyber safety capabilities.

Green features in a series of videos and promotional materials highlighting the parallels between physical defences in boxing and digital defences in business.

“In boxing, staying one step ahead of your opponent is crucial,” he said. “The same applies to protecting your business and customers. I’m proud to be part of this initiative to help small businesses stay secure in the digital world.”

The course delivers practical tips and strategies for small business owners to enhance their cyber security.

Safeguarding small businesses against cyber crime

“The Cyber Wardens program is a great initiative for small business owners like the franchisees of UBX,” he said. “It provides them with a simple, easy to understand resource to better safeguard their businesses in an increasingly digital world.

“By integrating this cybersecurity training into their operations, our franchisees are not only protecting themselves from cyberthreats, but also ensuring the privacy and trust of our members.”

COSBOA CEO Luke Achterstraat said the association was thrilled to have Danny Green and UBX on board for the important campaign.

“Danny and UBX’s commitment to cyber security sets a powerful example for small businesses everywhere,” he said.

Cyber Wardens is a national initiative of the Council of Small Business Organisations of Australia (COSBOA), supported by the Australian Government and an industry alliance led by Telstra, CommBank and the Australian Cyber Security Centre, to help protect Australia’s 2.5 million small businesses from online threats.

This story originally appeared in our sister publication, Franchise Executives.

The post Boxing champ helps SMEs fight cyber threats appeared first on Inside Small Business.

The report Staying Open: Future-Proofing Aussie Hospitality from shift-work platform, Deputy, is an analysis of more than 12 million shifts between January 2020 and October 2021 with results compared by generation, age, state and industry sector.

What the report confirms is that cafes and coffee shops have proved resilient and continued to innovate and trade throughout the pandemic. In these sectors, shift work hours have improved and remained significantly higher than employment levels before the pandemic.

Similarly, restaurants operating 80 per cent below pre-pandemic levels in April 2020 have rocketed to 80 per cent above these levels in May 2021.

Minimal restrictions and a surge in domestic travel account for the recovery, however these gains were countered by the recent 2021 lockdowns.

So, what can you expect if you are about to buy coffee shop, fast food restaurant or food and beverage franchise?

Labour costs and location will be important considerations for new franchisees as will the tech tools franchisors provide.

Hospitality trends and challenges

• Talent spotting. Now as the return to post-lockdown trade picks up and there’s a demand for staff, rising wages and employment benefits are on the menu for hospitality bosses. Critical worker shortages are looming in the hospitality sector with an expected 140,000 new jobs coming up in the next five years. The competition to attract and retain talent will be unprecedented and the worker will wield more power in the bargaining process.
• Think local, act local. Remote working in residential neighbourhoods has revived support for local businesses and spending on local food and entertainment is enjoying a boom. With the focus on community spaces, the reduction in city workers will have a long term impact on Sydney and Melbourne CBDs.
• Tech to the rescue. The hospitality sector will embrace working with technology to help overcome the labour shortage. By using technology to properly and easily manage back-end business operations, hospitality workers can focus on delivering the human connection and customer experience that’s most important.
• Local tourism boost. With international borders reopening, a boom in tourism will likely support the recovery of hospitality operators in the near term. Government interventions to stimulate the domestic tourism industry are likely to benefit the hospitality industry.
• Want to find a food franchise? Check out food and beverage opportunities.

This story first appeared on our sister publication Inside Franchise Business

The post Local businesses in spotlight as hospitality trends and challenges 2022 revealed appeared first on Inside Small Business.

In Australia 47 per cent of respondents are spending more than they have in previous years on wellness items, with natural vitamins and supplements (39 per cent), in-home fitness equipment (31 per cent), and organic food (30 per cent) ranked as the top three item. And the trend will continue, with those three categories the big focus for future spending.

However, the consumers surveyed across the seven countries (Australia, Canada, India, Japan, Mexico, the UK and the US) are also planning to invest on travel as a means of boosting their wellbeing with 88 per cent admitting it is good for their mental health.

In Australia 54 per cent of those surveyed want to spend time outdoors on holiday, and 55 per cent say they would be willing to pay extra for wellness activities on future trips.

COVID restrictions have shifted consumers’ mindsets and there’s a focus on looking after ourselves, the survey reveals.
While in the UK respondents were most likely to find sleep and walking the best wellness and travel activities, in Australia mental breaks during the day, and exploring the outdoors, were cited most.

The majority of adults surveyed (78 per cent) agreed they are working on more goals tied to health and wellness than in previous years with more than two-thirds (70 per cent) planning to try out a new fitness or wellness activity to improve their well-being.

From the sauna and float tank at City Cave to StretchLab’s flexibility focus, from wholefoods retailer The Source to EliteSupps supplement stores, from tourist destinations such as the Big4 campsites or travel planning with Helloworld, there are plenty of ways to tap into the wellbeing trend.

The Amex Trendex online poll was conducted by Morning Consult between September 9-15, 2021 with 3,000 respondents across Australia, Canada, India, Japan, Mexico, the UK and the US. Respondents had a household income of at least US$70,000 and traveled by air at least once in 2019.

This story first appeared on our sister publication Inside Franchise Business

The post Wellness trends reveal consumers prioritise health and fitness appeared first on Inside Small Business.

With New South Wales and Victoria in current lockdown, takeaway food services, pharmacies, post offices, newsagents and of course supermarkets remain open.

If you’re working in the services sector though, how do businesses keep trading? Inside Franchise Business – sister publication of Inside Small Business – spoke to a few franchisors to find out how they can adapt to lockdown restrictions.

Home maintenance adapts to rules

Brendan Green heads up Hire A Hubby. He says, “Most of our franchisees are a man in a van. They drive around, pick up items through click and collect, they can be working outside quite comfortably and safely. All our work orders go electronically through our app, you read it, you do the job, you move on to the next job. It’s all cloud-based.”

So far through the pandemic Hire A Hubby franchisees have continued trading, except in Victoria’s toughest lockdown. Right now in New South Wales there is an unprecedented halt on handyman work, except emergency repairs.

While not everyone can keep trading through this, some franchisees can pick up work, Brendan says.

“Some franchisees have built up their business around real estate property management, and tenants have the right to have things be made safe,” he says.

What’s crucial in such times is the help of the franchisor in navigating the rules, and sourcing any financial support available.

Hire A Hubby is using lessons learned from the previous Victorian lockdown, and taking a sure and steady approach to finding and sharing the government’s guidelines on restrictions and on financial support.

“We collect the information that’s gazetted on the government site, we check it before we share it, We make sure the franchisees understand we will support them,” Brendan says.

“First and foremost we want to protect our guys and protect our customers, and find the way to do that safely, to take away any anxiety for our franchisees.”

Children’s tutoring goes online

James Wells, spokesperson for Kumon Australia and New Zealand, told Inside Franchise Business, “While Kumon franchises have undergone many changes to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing lockdowns, our core product and service, the Kumon worksheets and instruction of students, remains unchanged. What has changed is how franchises deliver Kumon’s product and service.

“During lockdowns, franchises provide worksheets via contactless pickup and delivery and provide Kumon instruction virtually, through Zoom and other digital technologies. We are incredibly proud of Kumon franchisees’ ability to adapt to the challenges of the pandemic. They have continued to provide excellent customer service to Kumon students and families.”

Indoor fitness heads outdoors

When you run an indoor cycling business, lockdown can be particularly tough as Matt Gordin, CEO of CycleBar, explains.

“Restrictions and lockdowns are a challenge for every business but the fitness industry really takes a hit. The uncertainty can be daunting for franchisees so ensuring open and honest communication is vital.

 “It was important our head office studio set the precedent. We moved our bikes into the carpark, continued classes in masks and gave members the space to reach out with concerns of financial hardship and did what we could to assist.

“By staying on the front-foot with communication to ensure transparency with our members and doing everything we could within the restrictions to allow classes to continue we were able to dodge the COVID-shaped bullet.”

Mobile retail is supporting essential workers

Ajit Ponnambalam, managing director at mobile tool retailer Snap-on Tools, says, “Snap-on franchisees are in a somewhat fortunate position. They are a service provider to the essential work of repairing and maintaining vehicles including trucks, ambulances, fire engines, cars, courier vans and motorcycles.

“This means that outside of three Local Government Areas in Sydney, our franchisees are able to visit and support their customers personally in their critical work. Of course the rules are changing almost on a daily basis and we have shared the guidance from the FCA and various State Governments with franchisees to ensure regulatory compliance with both the letter and the spirit of the law.

“During the extended Victorian lockdown last year, Snap-on worked with our franchisees to call upon those customers who requested us to visit but also engaged in contactless delivery where needed. Snap-on also supplemented that by absorbing the freight cost for deliveries direct to customers during the lockdown period. These and other initiatives were well regarded and we are repeating those initiatives now.

“Our overriding goal at the present time is to protect the network by ensuring our franchisees’ safety and emotional well-being. So, just as importantly, we are once again working to ensure that we remove unnecessary stress from our franchisees’ lives. We are able to support our franchisees, on a case by case basis, with financial assistance such as longer payment terms, delaying the despatch of stock and also taking back stock that would ordinarily be non-returnable.

“One of the lessons from previous lockdowns is that when restrictions end, there usually is a sharp rebound in business. During the second half of 2020 and the first half of 2021, our franchisees have benefited from that. When restrictions ease, we expect to see a similar rebound this time, too.”

This story first appeared in our sister publication Inside Franchise Business

The post How resilient franchises are keeping business going during lockdown appeared first on Inside Small Business.

The pizza franchise achieved five-star reviews for customer service, store layout and overall satisfaction.

Canstar asked more than 1430 consumers who purchased and ate a pizza from a specialist pizza store or restaurant in the last three months for their feedback.

Respondents rated their experiences based on taste and quality of ingredients, menu variety, speed, customer service, store layout, value for money and overall satisfaction. Pizza stores that received at least 30 responses are included in the ratings.

Pizza Capers won the top spot in Canstar Blue’s pizza stores review, picking up five stars for its customer service, store layout and overall satisfaction. On the menu are toppings as diverse as Cajun prawns, Japanese crumbed karaage chicken, lamb, fire-roasted capsicum, blue vein cheese, cinnamon.

Here are the top five pizza chains with the most satisfied customers in order of overall satisfaction:

• Pizza Capers
• Crust
• La Porchetta
• Pizza Hut
• Domino’s.

Pizza Capers won the only five-star review for overall satisfaction. Crust, La Porchetta, and Pizza Hut each gained a four-star rating, while Dominos scored three stars for overall satisfaction. Crust also scored a five-star rating for its variety of food choices available.

The results are good news for Retail Food Group which is the franchisor of the top two rated brands, both of which offer gourmet takeaway pizzas.

Pizza Capers opened its first store in Kenmore, Queensland in 1996; Crust Gourmet Pizza Bar started out in Sydney as a family business in 2001 – both brands joined the Retail Food Group portfolio in 2012.

This story first appeared in our sister publication Inside Franchise Business

The post Aussie consumers reveal their favourite pizza chains appeared first on Inside Small Business.

The pizza chain estimates the change to biodegradable straws and wooden spoons will remove two metric tonnes or up to 2.85 million pieces of plastic from circulation each year. 

In an industry first, Domino’s is also trialling a recyclable ‘lineless box’, using cutting-edge technology to apply an approved food grade lining that will eliminate secondary plastic packaging from the supply chain.

The new concept is being trialled and is expected to boost franchisees’ business with reduced wastage and improved food preparation times in stores.

The company’s ANZ chief procurement officer Paul Connors said the results of the trial could change the  supply chain forever.

“Innovation is one of our core pillars at Domino’s, and we genuinely believe there is a huge opportunity to improve the way we efficiently deliver food and packaging to stores that is more environmentally friendly and sustainable,” Connors said.

Domino’s Australia and New Zealand CEO Nick Knight said Domino’s is proud to be doing its part to help ease plastic pollution across the country.

“As Australia’s largest pizza company, we know we have the responsibility and opportunity to make a significant change and are proud to be taking positive steps forward by reducing plastic consumption, and our environmental footprint,” Knight said.

“By removing single-use plastic straws and cutlery like spoons from Domino’s stores, we will expel more than two metric tonnes of plastic from our system,” he added. “Recycling is also a great way to help cut down on the increasingly growing landfill problem, which is why we’re proud to use recycled materials in our sundae packaging and our thick shake cups are PET.”

The brand’s use of electric delivery bicycles since 2015 has reduced its carbon footprint; the goal is to achieve two million e-bike deliveries in Australia each year.

This article first appeared in our sister publication Inside Franchise Business

The post Domino’s ditches single-use plastic and trials industry-first concept appeared first on Inside Small Business.

Reducing carbon footprint is now more important for 57 per cent of Australians surveyed, with 61 per cent believing companies need to adopt more sustainable and eco-friendly practices.

According to Mastercard, the research is a nudge to organisations to implement sustainability initiatives because customers will shop with this in mind.

“The research suggests that consumers are increasingly expecting organisations to promote sustainable initiatives. Australian businesses must take action to reflect these expectations if they hope to continue to engage with these consumers,” Mastercard’s Australasian division president, Richard Wormald, said.

The reality is that nearly one third (26 per cent) of young Australians plan to stop buying products from retailers that fail to step up and take sustainability actions.

The research also reiterates the reliance we all have on digital tools for connection and communication, with 66 per cent of those surveyed observing climate change issues being discussed across social media.

So, is a sustainability plan an integral part of the franchise businessyou are considering?

If you’re not quizzing franchisors on this yet, add it to your list of essential questions to ask in your due diligence process, it’s going to become increasingly important to consumers.

On the food front, McDonald’s unveiled its sustainability flagship store in Victoria at the beginning of 2021 – a store that operates entirely on renewable energy generated on site.

There are myriad innovations included in this, the 1000th Aussie Macca’s outlet, as the fast food chain looks to extend sustainability improvements in its new-build restaurants.

Convenience chain 7-Eleven and cafe chain Muffin Break have both been adopting sustainability practices in a variety of ways for a number of years, including recycling coffee cups.

This story first appeared on our sister publication Inside Franchise Business

The post Young Aussies want retailers to have a sustainability plan appeared first on Inside Small Business.

Two reports suggest what’s important for retail post-COVID.

In a 2020 industry report Where next for retail and consumer? professional services network PwC sets the pre-COVID scene, citing key Australian retail industry figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2019. Consumers spend about $300 billion (2019) and the retail sector contributes about $75 billion gross value added (GVA).

According to its own analysis, PwC estimates the sector accounts for about 15 to 17 per cent (2019) of Australian jobs.

But everything is changing through COVID. PwC’s report highlights three crucial areas that under lockdown faced intense pressure and revealed weaknesses and strengths in each system:

• physical stores
• digital infrastructures
• supply chains.

In an industry outlook video alongside retail webinar Retail 2021: Home, but not alone! global professional services and accounting firm KPMG points to the swift disruption to traditional stores.

“Rigor mortis store formats were already being challenged,” Paul Martin, global retail lead and UK head of retail, KPMG UK, said. “Consumers were already becoming digital natives and online commerce was growing, he points out. “In effect we are seeing five years of disruption within three months at the same time for everyone.”

Purchasing patterns – the what, how and where we buy – have changed from the beginning of 2020, with speed and safety a crucial element of a good shopping experience.

In the video Matt Darby, head of retail, KPMG Australia, comments “The consumer now shops in a parallel universe. A local village where we buy groceries and other products just down the street and a global village which is a deep online pool of the best in class retail experience.”

And those retailers who had invested in data and digital pre-COVID, were best placed to take advantage of the accelerated shift.

So, of course, strong digital strategy and implementation remain fundamental elements of forward-looking retail. There are other elements to identify in a retail franchise too.

The top five influences on retail are:

• digitisation
• safe physical environment
• product and pricing
• resilient supply chains
• organisation.

These five elements PWC believes will see retailers emerge stronger for future success.

This story first appeared on our sister publication Inside Franchise Business

The post What to look for in a retail franchise appeared first on Inside Small Business.

Atul Sakhiya will open the very first franchised outlet at Jindalee, south-west of the Brisbane CBD and with The University  of Queensland, Pinjarra Hills Campus a neighbour.

The Yiros Shop’s first franchisee said he is excited to be part of the network and is looking forward to growing his business.

“It’s been a while since we started discussions so I am looking forward to getting the new location up and running and providing the best Greek takeaway and casual dining food to the people of Jindalee and surrounding suburbs such as Mount Ommaney, Middle Park and Westlake,” Atul said.

Atul’s new business will join the existing seven company-owned outlets in the Greek street-food chain.

It’s a Brisbane brand that will soon unveil a brand new store in Burleigh Heads.

When the Gold Coast site opens its doors at the beginning of November it will also offer customers a more diverse menu. Customers will be able to enjoy Greek-style breakfast choices, coffee and local beers on tap with lunch and dinner.

Nick Mitrossilis launched the business in 2015, and since then has remained focus on expanding his mini-empire in the Brisbane and east coast region. In time opportunities will be available interstate.

James Young, head of franchise sales and development at consultancy firm DC Strategy, is helping The Yiros Shop recruit franchisees.

“It’s been awesome to see this new franchise brand grow and expand, even during a global pandemic,” Young said. “They’ve proven that their business model is resilient and that they are able to adapt and innovate during the most trying times.”

This story first appeared on our sister publication Internet Retailing

The post The Yiros Shop’s first franchisee welcomed into the fast food business appeared first on Inside Small Business.