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I didn’t come to Roeselare for the cobblestones or the historic town hall. I came because the franchise agreement looked “affordable.”

I’m 22. From Meixian, Guangdong. Graduated from Liaoning University with a business degree. I sell kitchen gloves — mostly to UK and German e-commerce sellers. My ROI has been all over the map. Some months I break even. Others, I lose money on shipping and returns. I’m not rich. I’m not desperate. But I’m tired of guessing.

When I found a Belgian franchise offering kitchen glove distribution under a local brand — “GlovoSafe” — I thought: This could stabilize things. No more dealing with 12 different Amazon sellers. No more customs delays. Just one contract, one supplier, one warehouse in West Flanders.

The price? €18,500 upfront. Plus 6% royalty. No territory exclusivity. No minimum sales quota. The contract was 22 pages. In Dutch. And English. I printed it. Read it. Then I cried — not from joy.

The Problem Isn’t the Price. It’s the Silence.

I asked the franchisor: “Is this price reasonable?”

They replied: “It’s standard for our network.”

Standard? For whom?

I didn’t know if “standard” meant €12,000 in Antwerp or €35,000 in Brussels. I didn’t know if the €18,500 included training, logistics setup, or legal review. I didn’t know if the 6% royalty was negotiable. I didn’t even know if the contract had a termination clause.

That’s the information gap. Not the price. The silence.

I spent three weeks calling three local lawyers in Roeselare. Two didn’t respond. One charged €120/hour and said: “Franchise contracts here are governed by the Belgian Commercial Code, but the terms are often negotiated privately. There’s no public database. You’ll need to compare with existing franchisees — if they’ll talk to you.”

I found two former franchisees on LinkedIn. One left after eight months. Said the “support” was just a monthly email. The other stayed — but admitted he’d been pressured into signing without reading the fine print. “I thought the brand name would do the selling,” he told me. “It didn’t.”

I realized: I was trying to solve a financial question with a legal document — and I didn’t speak the language of the law.

What I Learned About “Reasonable” in Roeselare

I stopped asking “Is this price fair?” and started asking:

  1. What am I buying?
    Is it a brand? A system? A warehouse? A customer base? Or just a logo on a box?
    The contract said “brand licensing and operational support.” But the support manual was 12 PDFs with outdated templates. No video training. No dedicated account manager.

  2. What’s the hidden cost?
    The €18,500 didn’t include:

    • Notary fees (€800–€1,500)
    • VAT registration (B2B requires a Belgian VAT number)
    • Local business insurance (minimum €1,200/year)
    • Translation of documents for my Chinese bank (I paid €450 for certified translation)

  3. What happens if I fail?
    The contract had a 5-year term. Early termination? “Subject to mutual agreement.” That’s not a clause. That’s a trapdoor.

I spent 47 hours on this decision. I lost sleep. I argued with my parents. I nearly signed it — until I realized: I was paying for the illusion of security, not actual structure.

Three Actions I Took (That Changed Everything)

  1. I asked the franchisor for three signed reference letters from current franchisees.
    They sent two. Both were from people who’d signed less than 3 months ago. I called one anyway. He said: “I’m still waiting for my first delivery. The warehouse address they gave me doesn’t exist.”

  2. I asked JingJing — yes, the editor at Lvga.com — if she knew anyone in Belgium who’d reviewed a franchise contract.
    She didn’t sell me anything. She just said: “I know a lawyer in Ghent who’s helped two Chinese sellers. He doesn’t charge for a 30-minute intro call.”
    I called him. He looked at the contract for 10 minutes and said: “This is a standard franchise — but the clause about intellectual property assignment is unusually broad. You’re giving them rights to your customer data, your marketing materials, even your social media posts. That’s not normal.”
    That’s the kind of detail no website tells you.

  3. I walked away.
    Not because the price was too high.
    Because the contract didn’t protect me.
    And that’s more dangerous than any fee.

FAQ: What Should You Do If You’re Facing the Same Situation?

Q1: How do I know if a franchise price is reasonable in Belgium?
→ Step 1: Compare similar franchises in the same sector on the Belgian Franchise Association website (www.franchise.be).
→ Step 2: Ask for the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) — though it’s not legally required here like in the U.S., many serious franchisors provide it voluntarily.
→ Step 3: Calculate total cost: upfront fee + legal fees + insurance + VAT + translation + inventory buffer. Don’t just look at the headline number.

Q2: Can I negotiate the terms of a Belgian franchise agreement?
→ Step 1: Assume nothing is fixed.
→ Step 2: Request a redlined version with your proposed changes.
→ Step 3: Focus on: termination rights, territory, IP ownership, and dispute resolution (preferably in Belgium, not abroad).
→ Step 4: If they refuse to negotiate, walk away. This is not a “take it or leave it” situation — it’s a long-term relationship.

Q3: Where can I get legal help without spending €5,000?
→ Path: Contact the local Chamber of Commerce in Roeselare (KVK Roeselare) — they offer free 1-hour consultation sessions for new entrepreneurs.
→ Alternative: Reach out to the European SME Envoy network (https://ec.europa.eu/growth/smes/sme-entourage_en).
→ Key point: Always ask if the lawyer has handled Chinese clients before. Language and cultural gaps matter.

My Reflection

I used to think speed = success. I’d sign anything if it meant “getting started.”
Now I know: the fastest way to fail is to rush into a contract that doesn’t speak your language — literally or legally.

I didn’t need a better deal. I needed better questions.

Final Advice: If You’re Considering a Franchise in Roeselare

  1. Don’t trust the brochure.
    Read the contract. Even if it’s in Dutch. Use DeepL. Print it. Highlight every “shall,” “may,” and “subject to.”

  2. Talk to someone who’s already failed.
    They’ll tell you what the franchisor won’t.

  3. Budget for legal advice.
    €300 for a 2-hour review is cheaper than €18,500 wasted.

  4. Ask yourself: If this fails, will I still own my business — or just owe money to a brand?

If you’re also navigating franchise contracts in Belgium — whether in Roeselare, Ghent, or Brussels — I’ve been there.
I reached out to JingJing at Lvga.com because I needed someone who understood both the legal complexity and the human pressure.
She didn’t fix it for me. But she connected me to someone who did.
If you’re stuck, consider reaching out to her on WeChat: lvga2015.
No promises. No sales pitch. Just someone who’s heard this story before — and might have a name, a document, or a question you haven’t thought of yet.

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