Defaulting

No self-respecting franchise would ever run out of money and fail to make its monthly payments. Right? Were that to happen, the amount owed — plus a modest 15 percent penalty — would be due to Head Office the following month. Failing to make payments — and especially defaulting on two or more payments in a row — is likely to trigger campaign consequences. Head Office might send inspectors to a troubled franchise, or assign the franchisees a difficult (and hopefully profitable) mission. Rival groups and entrepreneurs might smell blood and attempt to attack the franchise or take over its markets. Nefarious NPCs will most certainly come calling.
Defaulting on franchise payments can also strain relationships with nobles, merchants, and others who value a franchise more for its assets than for the characters. Such relationships typically turn frosty until the characters are able to prove that the franchise is back on its feet.