Skip to content
MAPLE HILLS · E-2 FIELD GUIDE

Which franchise records separate the first unit from later expansion?

Sources checked:

THE DIRECT ANSWER

Provide the development schedule, unit-specific agreements and actual payment and premises evidence.

Reconcile the obligations by location

Identify amounts committed now and future conditional costs. A single territory price should not obscure which operating rights and resources it actually provides.

Formation and ownership records, several years of financial statements and tax returns, payroll registers with a current employee list, the liquor and food-service licences, booking and occupancy data, supplier and service agreements, and an inspection of the building. Use primary records: insurer proposals and binders, certificates of coverage, premium invoices and payment confirmations, licence and permit applications with fee receipts, inspection correspondence, and vendor quotes for items not yet purchased. Formation documents for each entity in the chain, share registers and certificates, executed transfer agreements, the shareholders' agreement, board minutes recording appointments, and citizenship evidence for the individuals at the top. Collect the draft lease with the guarantee text, the deposit and escrow instructions, proof of amounts already transferred, and records tracing lawful original source and the full path of the funds to the enterprise. Test the plan against the records an officer can inspect today: executed purchase agreements, a lease, invoices, bank transfers, payroll forecasts, licensing steps, and a business plan whose assumptions can be checked. Evidence includes executed client contracts or statements of work, a commercial lease or documented workspace arrangement, business insurance, licences or registrations required in the state, tooling and software subscriptions, and a payment history.