The Franchise Council of Australia is committed to developing excellence in franchising throughout the entire industry sector. It is also committed to ensuring professional development for your organisation and employees.

Your whole company benefits from an FCA Corporate Membership. Strong foundations are made with the four pillars of membership commitment the FCA has to all its Corporate Membership. This commitment includes strong representation, leading edge education, a firm belief in B2B opportunities and membership services to help your business grow.

As Australia’s franchise peak industry body, the FCA offers you years of effective franchise practice and education experience to help you join the leaders.

Franchise management resources including, research, training and education, the opportunity to network with peers in other prominent organisations, attend professional development activities to keep abreast of current trends in franchising and participate in highly specialised training seminars - these are just
some of the benefits available to employees of partner organisations.

By joining the FCA you will belong to an association where your peers work together for the betterment of the sector. Your membership will provide ongoing support for you and the FCA.

The FCA is looking forward to welcoming you as a Member, and together we will represent the franchising industry in Australia.

The Franchise Council of Australia represents an industry sector building a nation. The franchise sector provides economic benefit to the nation through over 50,000 workplaces and allows Australians to enter small business with the confidence of a well established and growing local industry. Our Board of Directors represent all States of Australia and comprises some of the leading franchise system CEOs. These Directors are dedicated to ensuring the franchise sector is well represented, is provided with quality education, has exclusive membership benefits and allows network opportunities.

Franchising in Australia is well regulated, well educated and highly developed to enable those entering the sector to do so with confidence. Making decisions about the future can be very difficult. This is why the FCA works hard to ensure members have adequate access to support information, education and links to services that will help build their business opportunities.

Membership benefits with the FCA are both tangible and intangible. The strong foundation set by the four main pillars of the FCA stem from our commitment to our members. They include Education (Franchise Academy), Service (Membership Services), Representation (Government Lobbying) and Events (Full Events Calendar).

Members of the Franchise Council of Australia are part of a unique association where business information and the lessons of experience are exchanged freely. This is because FCA members share a common method of doing business, not a common business itself. For this reason, service franchisors in say the lawnmowing sector, can freely exchange ideas about the operation of Franchise Advisory Councils with retail food franchisors (or indeed, most other franchisors), without fear of losing a competitive edge. Furthermore, well-established franchisor members of the FCA acknowledge that it is in their best interests to maintain the good name of the franchising business model, and are often happy to provide "mentoring" advice to newer systems.

Franchisees are able to access education and information to help them develop their business adding to their opportuntnities to prosper. Franchisees are able to involve themselves in policy directly affecting their business while service providers, such as accountants, bankers, lawyers, consultants, etc, join to maintain and develop their professional skills in franchising (as well as for the obvious networking benefits). The FCA is committed to providing high standards in membership services and provides a 24/7 Help Desk, high quality web information, electronic based communication links and world standard franchise education and training.

FCA Corporate Membership provides:

• Monthly copies of Visions, the FCA’s e-newsletter, for your key people
• Quarterly Franchise Review for your key people
• Access to local events for you and your colleagues to make new contacts and share experiences with other local business people
• Subscription to Franchising Magazine
• Regular updates on the latest franchise news
• Multi-state membership
• Access to government

FCA Corporate Membership offers you preferential rates on:

• FCA’s extensive range of training courses, seminars, franchise breakfasts and Round Tables
• Franchise Directory
• Franchise Exhibitions
• Franchise Academy programs
• Franchise Magazine
• Access to corporate advice line
• Access to corporate buyer advantage program
• Personal membership for all staff

Government Lobbying
The Franchise Council co-ordinates member feedback for the compilation and representation of submissions to governments on relevant franchising issues, providing a strong voice for the sector to promote legislation and policy favourable to a strong and growing franchise sector. Members save time, energy and money making representations to government by channeling their feedback through the FCA.

Regular Breakfast Seminars
FCA has a breakfast or lunch seminar on a monthly, bi-monthly or quarterly basis. These events feature speakers discussing the latest breaking issues in franchising, as well as case studies presented by the franchisors themselves on the development of a part, or all, of their system. Members save 30% on the cost of attending these events.

Networking Functions
In addition to the breakfast seminars, the FCA frequently conducts golf days, drinks functions and dinners, which provide ideal networking opportunities to develop important personal and professional contacts in the franchise sector. Members save 30% on the cost of attending these events.

Franchise Communications
The FCA is dedicated to delivering up-to-date franchise information. As a member, you will be receiving our online National newsletter,
Visions, and our Regional newsletter, State Insider. Members are constantly updated with notices pertaining to franchising. The Franchise Review is a quarterly publication available and delivered to all FCA Members. The content consists of franchise news and topics contributed by industry professionals.

Franchise Education
The FCA Franchise Academy (FCA FA) has been established to provide the franchise industry with access to all its Training and Development needs. It offers a comprehensive range of programs in various formats including traditional learning, distance education and on-line education.

The aim of the FCA Franchise Academy is to provide a structured education program for all people, either interested in or, currently involved in franchising. The FCA Franchise Academy will do this by offering specific accredited and non-accredited programs presented by specialist partners.

Members receive a discount on education programs.

Website Directory Advertising
The FCA website is the internet gateway to franchising in Australia. This high-profile site attracts a large number of visitors with specific interests in franchising from within Australia and around the world. Only FCA members are permitted to advertise on this site.

National Franchising Awards
The FCA National Franchising Awards, proudly sponsored by PricewaterhouseCoopers, recognise outstanding successes in 4 different categories each year. Nationally, they consist of Franchisor of the Year, Franchisee of the Year, Woman in Franchising and Media Campaign of the Year. Regionally, the FCA hosts State-based Award events acknowledging the Regional Franchisee of the Year and Woman in Franchising.

Conferences
The Franchise Council holds annual state and national conferences, which are a focus of tremendous information-sharing and networking. These events are the largest of their kind in the Southern Hemisphere and an annual "must attend" on the calendar of virtually all members.

FCA members save 30% on their conference registration fees.

Franchise Exhibitions
The Franchise Council has endorsed a series of Franchising Exhibitions in each Australian mainland capital city, and these are coordinated by outsourced exhibition organisers. These exhibitions provide franchisors with perfect opportunities to come face to face with many thousands of potential franchisees around Australia.

5% discount on exhibition space to FCA members.

Franchising Public Relations
The FCA undertakes public relations activities to continually reiterate the positive aspects of franchising, and to create a public image of franchising conducive to its continued growth in Australia.

A Voice in your Association
All members have equal voting rights, and all members are eligible to become committee members or office bearers of state chapters, as well as direct election to the national board.

Only FCA members have an effective say in the future of franchising in Australia.

Are You Eligible?
Membership of the FCA is open to individuals and organisations who are involved in franchising, and who are considered by the Board of the FCA in their absolute discretion to be operating in a manner consistent with the aims and objectives of the Council. Each membership category, other than Franchisee (No voting rights) is entitled to one vote at the AGM and national election of the Board. If an election for office bearers is required at a regional level eligible members will be issued one vote in the region where their Corporate Headquarters is based.

One-Off Joining Fee
Your FCA provides a number of services to assist the set-up of your new membership. To facilitate our costs of providing your personalised access to our members’ area, franchise directory, franchising information and 2 complimentary invitations to breakfast, your small investment of 20% of the subscription fee offsets our comprehensive value-added set-up service.

The Joining Fee is only applicable on new applications. The subsequent renewal of membership will only be based on subscription fees.