Sean Kelly's blog

Related story: Cuppy's Coffee Franchise Allegations Are Disturbingly Familiar

Is the American Association of Franchisees & Dealers (AAFD) the franchisee's watchdog or the questionable franchisor's lapdog?

Will the next edition of The Franchise Fraud be subtitled A How-To Guide?

In recent weeks, we've reported on the many indignities restaurant owners face.  We've seen McDonald's get sued because a lady wanted to pay with her feet.  We've seen drive-thru workers pelted with airborne sodas.  But when they start stealing our grease... it's time to call in the Texas Rangers.

Texas and Oklahoma are the "hotbed of grease thieves."

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports that the rising price of ethanol and increasing popularity of biodiesel fuel have spurred more people to take grease from traps behind restaurants to convert it to biodiesel or sell it on the black market.  (There's a grease black market?) This has led one company to employ a former Texas Ranger and a former Texas cop to track down those slippery characters stealing restaurant grease, which can cost restaurants thousands of dollars per week.

While the circumstances of this case are different than those involving franchise companies, the ruling that Apple must pay the $700,000 legal fees incurred by bloggers in defending themselves from the computer giant's litigation sends a powerful message.

Blogging could transform the way that franchise opportunities are discovered, researched and selected by prospective franchise owners... for the better.  The blogosphere provides the forum, for the first time, for prospective franchise buyers to find timely news, discussion, comments, and the insider insights they need to make what will be, for most of them, the largest and most significant investment of their lives.   Bloggers have the opportunity to provide praise for the best companies, and expose the controversies that surround the worst.  But bloggers will only be able to provide this much-needed information and perspective if they can communicate (at least responsibly) without fear.

 Read this story at Franchise Pick, a site which has not yet been compromised:

The Death of the Blogosphere OR Who's Killing the Cuppy's Java Jo'z Blog Dialogue?

RE:  Story on FranBest.com (Franchisors Extend Goodwill Offers to Java Jo’z Victims)

Know of any other companies willing to waive fees to offer a discount to those who lost money to Java Jo'z?  Have them email me at seankelly [at] ideafarm [dot] net. 

Most of the franchisors I've worked with (and all of those that I continue to work with) are honest businesspeople who want to build a successful chain by creating Win-Win situations with their franchisees. 

This morning it occurred to me that there is an opportunity for franchisors to demonstrate this quality, and untarnish franchising's image (which has been taking a beating lately).  As it's doubtful those who sought to open a Java Jo'z franchise will ever see their money again, would other franchisors be willing to credit them with some or all of their upfront fees if they joined their franchise system?  Wouldn't it be worth the good press they would get, especially another coffee company?