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Frequently Asked Questions
Regarding the
GarageScapes Seminar & Operations Manual
1. Is use of the GarageScapes logo and
trademark included in the manual purchase or is it your intent that I create a
unique brand name for my business?
Use of the GarageScapes logo is not
included as part of the Operations Manual. We have trademarked the GarageScapes
name, logo, and slogan. Previous customers have agreed NOT to use these but to
instead create their own company name, logo, etc. The fees for attending the
seminar or purchasing the Operations Manual do not include use of the company
name, logo, or slogan.
However, we think it would be beneficial to
everyone involved to heighten brand awareness by getting the GarageScapes name
seen by more people. We have decided to do this by creating authorized dealers.
For example, a company could be "GarageScapes of Greater Chicago". We'd add that
geographical qualifier to the logo and then they'd be free to use the modified
logo, the differentiated company name, and the slogan as they see fit. In
addition to the use of the name and logo, all sales leads received by the
corporate headquarters will be passed on to the authorized dealer in the defined
territory. The dealership fee varies depending upon the size of the territory
the dealer selects. Smaller rural territories start out at $1000 per year and
the very largest metro territories are $5000 per year. The dealership agreement
gives the dealer complete exclusivity in the defined territory; not only do you
get all sales leads in that territory, we agree not to sell any Operations
Manuals or establish any other dealers in that area. The dealership agreement
covers a defined period of time, either 5 or 10 years. There are options for
renewing that licensing after the initial term.
Now here are our concerns on this point: we don't
want someone using the GarageScapes name doing a slapdash job of installing this
system. Obviously, that could only hurt the brand and everyone associated with
the GarageScapes name. When we license the GarageScapes name, we have the dealer
agree to certain standards that we establish and to provide us with ongoing
proof that those standards are being met, such as digital photos of completed
jobs, customer reviews, etc. Our intent here isn't to get into the business of
auditing everything you do, but we do want to protect the investment we've made
in GarageScapes, as well as the investments others would make who decided to
become GarageScapes dealers.
2. Do I have to become a dealer to buy the Operations Manual or attend the
seminar?
No. You can purchase just the
Operations Manual
and start your own business. You won’t be able to use the GarageScapes name,
logo, and slogan and you won’t have the guarantee of exclusivity in your area.
3. Does the operations manual include pricing and gross margin information?
Yes. You'll have our price list so you can easily
see what our selling prices are and you'll have a complete list of all our
materials costs and the various price breaks. Our overall gross margin is around
50%.
4. You imply that there are no additional royalty or franchise fees. Is this
correct?
Yes. We're definitely not a franchiser and we
don't want to be, so there are no such fees. Attending the seminar is a one-time
flat fee of $10,000 and buying the
Operations Manual
is a one-time flat fee of $449. The only additional fee would be if you wanted
to license the use of our company name, logo, and slogan by becoming an
authorized GarageScapes dealer (see answer #1 above).
5. The information you provide gives us a connection to your suppliers,
rather than your company acting as a distributor?
Correct. You'll be buying from the same companies
we're buying from and I expect you'll be paying the same prices we're paying
those suppliers. We do not act as a distributor. We are considering, though,
forming a consortium of companies involved in this business which would let us
leverage greater buying power to get greater volume discounts from the
manufacturers and thus lower the material costs of everyone involved in the
consortium. Once again, you'd be on a level playing field here; your costs would
be the same as ours.
6. Does the manual include all of the information I need to modify stock
cabinets and fixtures for use with slatwall?
Yes, in GREAT detail. We learned many things the
hard way when we started this business. If you buy and read the
Operations Manual,
you won't have to go through all those surprises, so you'll probably save well
over $10,000 just by avoiding those mistakes.
7. Do you place any geographical or other constraints on my use of this
information?
Yes. First, we don't allow you to resell the
Operations Manual (see the
Operations
Manual Terms & Conditions of Sale). Second, as discussed above, if you do
want to license the use of the GarageScapes name, we'll require a geographical
identifier to differentiate your company from us (GarageScapes, Inc.) and from
others who want to license the GarageScapes name. Finally, if we have already
established an authorized GarageScapes dealer in your area, we cannot sell you
the Operations Manual, let you attend the seminar, or set you up as a dealer.
Other than that, there are no geographical limitations on where you can do
business.
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