F. Procurement of Services

During the often hectic time between lease signing for a store location and the eventual opening of your store for business, the franchisee must make suitable arrangements for the procurement of services necessary to open and operate a Street Corner franchise. Outlined below are some of the principal  service provisions, which must be obtained by the franchisee at the local level without the likely involvement of the franchisor.  

1. Bank Services. Establish a banking relationship with a local banking institution that is convenient and service oriented. A bank located within the same area as you may prove convenient. You must rely upon your bank to make change for you when needed and there will often be the need to make mid-day or day-end deposits of your sales money. It is important to note that you will be required to give the franchisor authorization to make electronic sweeps or manual withdrawals from your general operating bank account on a weekly basis to pay any fees or obligations  owed to the franchisor. 

2. Telephone. Plan for a business telephone line to be installed in a timely  fashion for your opening of business. If you are considering lottery,  arrangements must be made with the lottery office to have an additional  dedicated phone line installed in your store for lottery purposes as well. To  minimize your basic phone service cost we have found that a single store  line, which can be used for both voice and fax calling, is sufficient at most Street Corner locations. However, there must be a separate lottery line  installed.  

3. Supplies and Vendors. Franchisees will generally be allowed to select and deal with vendors of their choice. However, the franchisor has mandated that all franchisees purchase certain supplies or product from specified vendors or the franchisor itself in some limited cases. Attached to this Operations Manual as Appendix “O” is a list of the supplies required by the franchisor to be bought from specified vendors or the franchisor itself.  

4. Pest Control. Arrange for a reliable and regular pest control service because of the consumable products that are sold at all Street Corner locations, and in particular Street Corner Urban Markets. Find out who other comparable businesses in your location use.

5. Insurance. The full scope of business insurance and coverage required of the franchisee by the franchise agreement and as part of the franchisee’s lease obligations as well as a matter of good business practice should be carefully  reviewed with a reputable insurance agent of your choice. You are strongly encouraged to protect and buttress your business endeavors with adequate and broad insurance coverage.