IFA kicked of its 2023 Open for Opportunity Roadshow in the Twin Cities. The Minnesota Roadshow stop included back-of-house tours at local franchise businesses and two roundtable discussions with franchisees, local and federal elected officials, and business and community leaders.

Today, the Sacramento Superior Court ruled in favor of the Save Local Restaurants coalition, confirming that no enforcement of AB 257, or the FAST Act, can take place while the signatures from over one million Californians who signed the petition against AB 257 are verified. The lawsuit was in response to state officials declaring that they would unconstitutionally move forward with the law despite over 100-years’ precedent in the California referendum process.

Today, the Save Local Restaurants coalition, led by the International Franchise Association, the National Restaurant Association, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, filed a lawsuit to ensure California’s direct democracy process is respected. The state’s Constitution dictates that, as part of the referendum process, laws cannot go into effect until voters have an opportunity to exercise their voice and vote on the proposed legislation. On December 5, 2022, the coalition announced more than one million California voters have asked for the opportunity to do exactly that with AB 257, or the FAST Act.

Highlights ways SBA loans are essential to providing capital for first-time entrepreneurs, especially underrepresented groups

The International Franchise Association (IFA) this week issued comments to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) on its proposed independent contractor rule. In the comments, IFA highlights the importance of a standard that maintains the independence of franchise owners and urges the Department to further clarify that the proposal will not interfere with the franchise business model.

The International Franchise Association (IFA) today applauded a bipartisan letter sent by 14 U.S. Senators to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in support of preserving the Franchise Rule, which is under is decennial review. The letter is a result of IFA leadership and advocacy on the importance of the Franchise Rule to providing information and clarity to current and prospective franchise owners. The letter comes following a similar letter from a bipartisan group of 67 members of the U.S. House