Signs Express Franchise Opportunities For Sale In The UK

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At a Glance

Franchisee Case Studies

Resales

Video

News

Read about a day in the life of one of our franchisees

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Resales

Buckinghamshire: c £150,000

Lancaster: £285,000

Liverpool: £185,000

Harrogate: £120,000

At a Glance

Established:
1989

Typical start up cost:
£120000

Minimum personal contribution:
£45000

BFA status:
Full

UK presence:
Over 65 centres

Development type:
single-unit franchises; multi-unit franchises

Franchisee Case Studies

Exclusive Interview: "Signs Express has a dedicated Franchise Support Centre"

Thomas Somers

Established in 2002, Signs Express (Lancaster) has a diverse selection of customers and highly-skilled team in place. The wide-ranging territory this centre covers means there is access to thousands of businesses and is perfectly placed to service the needs of organisations large and small.

Read all franchisee case studies

Video

News

Signs Express Opens New Centre in Macclesfield

Signs Express is the largest provider of signs and graphics in the country, with a network of 65 centres around the UK and Ireland and have recently expanded with the newest addition in Macclesfield, Cheshire.

More news from Signs Express

A Day In The Life

Signs Express franchise business opportunity inside perspective exclusive day experience signs graphics profitable lucrative schedule

A Day in the life of Jane Wiles, a Signs Express Franchisee

In January 2015, Jane Wiles and Ray Allenby took over the Signs Express (Portsmouth) franchise and immediately hit the ground running. The couple have worked tirelessly to grow their customer base, more than doubling their turnover in their first year. All of their hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed, with the pair being recognised as finalists for the 2016 British Franchise Association (Bfa) Customer Service Awards.

Jane tells us what a typical day involves for her:

8am

Every day starts the same way…with a production meeting and a cuppa! We always begin the day this way so that the team can discuss current jobs and we can work out a schedule for production. After the meeting we then mark on the production board all the jobs for the day and allocate them to the relevant staff.

Our production supervisor Shane oversees the team, so we make sure he’s fully aware of the tasks in hand and can delegate them to the relevant areas such as the application department or to artwork etc.

9am – Midday

Following on from the meeting I catch up on calls and emails and speak to anyone that may visit the centre to make an enquiry. Usually I get involved in processing new orders and quoting for any new enquires. We are very lucky to have a large supplier database that the procurement team at HQ monitor. This not only means we’re getting the best prices around but it also allows us to obtain the most competitive prices for our customers.

Building strong relationships is the favourite part of my role and something that is critical in developing the business.

I also have a lot of communication with the marketing team at HQ who are always on hand to help, whether that’s updating our website with images or writing news stories.

Midday

Half way through the day we have a production meeting in order to check how production is coming along and look to re-plan if needed. It also ensures that we stay on top of orders whilst sticking to our schedules.

Afternoon

Customer visits and paperwork usually take up most of my afternoon. There’s a fantastic technical support team at HQ who are always there to help with file formats, advice on fitting and product choices ensuring we have any information we may need.

We are a busy centre and that makes for a busy diary, so I am often seeing existing clients at their businesses to assess their requirements as well as meeting potential clients and advising them on the wide range of services and products we offer.

We also always seem to have a steady flow of customers that pop in, particularly when it’s anything to do with vehicle graphics. I really enjoy them coming to see us and it’s a great opportunity to show them around the centre, in particular our specialist vehicle bay. It’s also means we can talk through design ideas over a cuppa together too.

Close

Usually our day wraps up about 5 - 5.30pm at which point we will always check we are on schedule and then make sure that the centre is all good to go for work to begin again the following day.

This is what I would say is a typical day, but no two days are the same. I love the diverse nature of the signs industry, it keeps you on toes and encourages me to keep driving our business forward. We recently invested in further staff training and new equipment to ensure we can take on any kind of project and keep growing the business.

Why not meet the Signs Express team and franchise network in person - to ask about Discovery Days, complete the short form here.

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About a Signs Express Franchise

At a Glance

Franchisee Case Studies

Resales

Franchisor Interview

Signs Express signs and graphics franchise business opportunity

Need a sign that now is the time to be in business for yourself, but not by yourself…?

Look no further than Signs Express

If you are looking for a business opportunity with regular repeat business, high value orders, a stable marketplace and an established brand then Signs Express offers you all that and more...

With 25 years’ experience in the signs and graphics market, Signs Express boasts multiple industry awards and a national reputation for excellence, making us the leading signs and graphics franchise business in the UK and Ireland.

There is no better time to join the Signs Express network as 2014/2015 saw the highest income it has ever experienced with some franchisees making over £1m. Following this impressive development, 2015 has witnessed Signs Express winning numerous awards across the network.

Lee Eaton, Owner of Signs Express (Manchester) - pictured below - not only won B2B Franchisee of the Year award, but also received the top award at the British Franchise Association (BFA) Franchisee of the Year awards 2015, winning against such well-known brands as McDonalds, Snap-on and Dyno.

We are immensely proud to have one of our own recognised as the very best franchisee in the country and for all that represents about Lee, his team and the support that we provide to him.

In addition to this accolade our centres in Sheffield and Northampton have also been recognised in the National Sign Industry Awards for specific projects that have set a new calibre of signage work across the industry.

Signs Express signs and graphics franchise business opportunity BFA franchisee b2b 2015 award winner

Strong franchise network

Encompassing our network, we have over 65 franchisees who are uniquely positioned to provide national clients, SME and public sector businesses with a wide range of top quality signs and graphics.

Due to continued and consistent demand for our products and services we are actively searching for new franchise owners who are interested in starting a new business, buying an existing franchise business or re-branding a sign company. Sound like you, get our FREE franchise prospectus here.

The profit potential

A number of our franchisees have invoiced over £5m since inception, with well-established franchisees turning over £1m a year.

Over the years we have found many of our franchisees expanding their business and some opting to buy their own premises as part of long term financial planning.

The franchise package

We have recently adjusted our offering, meaning we will not only invest our franchise fee of £20k into your business, we will also invest an extra £10k! A massive £30k saving on our previous offering.

This along with savings on equipment means that the start-up costs for establishing your own Signs Express are significantly more affordable.

Instead of £80k + working capital, you now require just £40k + working capital*.

*Major banks can fund up to 50-70% of the cost, dependent upon your financial history.

What do I get for my investment?

A challenging career with a management franchise
A comprehensive start-up package
3 week training programme
£30k invested in start-ups
Ongoing support from a team of experts at head office
Buying power as the leading signs and graphics company
Excellent relationship with all leading banks to help you secure finance
Access to national account customers
No industry experience required

Monthly benefits

Access to your share of over 1000 sign enquiries monthly
Dedicated UK Support team of 20
Access to national account clients such as McDonald’s and Mercedes
Dedicated national promotional fund
Specially negotiated rates with suppliers

We’re great but don’t just take our word for it

"Starting in business from scratch really gave us a sense of achievement. When we started looking there wasn’t much scope for buying an already established franchiseso we were lucky that our local area was still available. It was ideal and fitted well with our requirements” – Nick Baxter-Sibley, Franchisee, Exeter.

“Financial security is the main reward along with the freedom of being my own boss and the pleasure of seeing my business grow” – Nick Dawes, Franchisee, Ipswich.

“The business has allowed me to spend more time with my family and gives me the freedom to choose my working hours” – Jayesh Patel, Franchisee, Twickenham.

“We’ve doubled our turnover from £240k to £500k and we’re still seeing steady growth” – Malcolm Lant, Franchisee, Gateshead.

Ready for a change?

Nothing beats the feeling of running your own business. However, it’s also good to know there’s support and guidance available when you need it.

As part of a Signs Express franchise you’ll enjoy both. This is a franchise opportunity with a big difference. So if you’re ready to receive some more information about how you can make an excellent income, create new prospects and have the lifestyle you want, we want to hear from you.

Download franchise prospectus

By filling in the form below you will be able to download a copy of the Signs Express prospectus.

This will provide you with more detailed information on the franchise opportunity and allow you to contact them direct with any questions you may have.

This is FREE and non-obligatory; we never share or sell your personal information.

At a Glance

Established:1989

Min total investment:
£120000

Min contribution:
£45000

Development type:
Full

UK presence:
Over 65 centres

Development type:

Resales

Buckinghamshire: c £150,000

Lancaster: £285,000

Liverpool: £185,000

Harrogate: £120,000

Franchisee Case Studies

Exclusive Interview: "Signs Express has a dedicated Franchise Support Centre"

Thomas Somers

Franchisor Interview

Exclusive interview: "Franchising; Building upon a solid foundation"

Tony Marsh is the sales director of signs and graphics franchise Signs Express and looks after franchise recruitment for the business. Tony became a director and shareholder of the company in 2007 and has recently been voted on to the BFA’s board of directors.

Signs Express is the UK and Ireland’s largest signs and graphics franchise with 70 centres nationwide and is therefore uniquely positioned to provide a wide range of products and services, including design, vehicle graphics and wrapping and more traditional signage such as way finding and building signage, to businesses both large and small. The company recently celebrated their 25th year in business.

Tell us about how/when the business was started and the motivation behind establishing the company.

The business was originally started back in 1989 by Frank Eliel and David Corbett who are both now retired. Spotting a gap on the market, the signage company was born and it soon became clear that the strong business model was transferable to other locations.

The first franchised centre was based in Ipswich, and the network has grown ever since, despite some challenging economic climates. With 70 centres now open, Signs Express, led by five directors headed up by managing director Craig Brown, is the UK and Ireland’s largest signs and graphics franchise.

When and why did you decide to go down the franchise route?

As mentioned, it was spotted that the business model in place could easily be transferred to other businesses. Franchising seemed the logical way to go, building on the strong foundations of the successful Norwich centre. Over time, the business model has become even more solid, with ever improving support offered to franchisees.

"The network of course also benefits from a strong and recognised brand name, meaning that by purchasing a franchise, franchisees already have a well-known company name to work with, as well as benefiting from the custom of national as well as local clients."

What have been the company’s biggest achievements/successes to date so far?

I think the fact that we’ve managed continual growth year on year is great, seeing our network grow has been fantastic and it’s so rewarding seeing other people benefit from Signs Express.

We’re also really proud of the support network we offer, we’re certainly not in the business of helping our franchisees to set up then leaving them to get on with it, sink or swim. We ensure that we’re on hand to offer as much (or as little) support as required.

We’re also pleased to have a strong reputation which has been built on years of dedication to our customers and our network and ensuring that we offer quality and value for money to both.

What challenges have you had to overcome?

The climate has been tough over the past few years and yes we have lost some centres, but others have joined the network, and some have even taken on larger territories.

In fact, around the time of the recession, it became clear that actually, quality, value and a trusted supplier is more important to most of our customers that getting the job done at the cheapest price. That’s something we’ve always prided ourselves on and I think really helped us through some economically challenging years.

What marketing/promotional tools do you use to grow the Signs Express franchise?

To mention a few ways we promote ourselves, we’ve put a lot of work into our website and have a great web presence, as well as often sharing information on social media platforms such as Twitter and LinkedIn.

We also attend a couple of franchise shows a year as well which is a fantastic way of meeting potential franchisees, and we’re constantly looking at new ways to find people who will be a good fit for our business.

"In terms of growing our business, we’re very lucky that our good reputation means we receive a lot of repeat business and recommendations via word of mouth. We’ve also embarked on a new initiative around central marketing, where we can send out communication and promotional material from Head Office on behalf of our franchisees, giving them more time to focus on their customers and on managing their businesses."

What differentiates Signs Express from the competition?

We pride ourselves on the support that we offer to our network and have a strong training programme, as well as ongoing support.

Our head office, based in Norwich, has staff dedicated to all support areas including marketing, accounts, IT, national accounts, HR, business development and procurement.

We want our franchisees to feel that they have the best possible support to run a successful franchise.

In your opinion, what makes a successful Signs Express franchisee?

A franchisee doesn’t necessarily need sign making experience, all we really ask is that they have dedication and business acumen, as well as great communication skills, we can teach the more technical stuff!

Our most successful franchisees are the ones who get out there and make a positive name for themselves in the local community, a lot of our work comes from repeat business and so a strong reputation is absolutely vital.

What changes have you seen in your industry over recent year? And how have you adapted to them?

Product and equipment changes are undoubtedly the largest changes within our industry. When the business first started, we were still manual sign writers, working with templates and painting directly to surfaces.

The techniques, as well as the technology we use have evolved dramatically over time and new advances are always exciting to see. Of course these things happened and are still happening gradually and are therefore natural progression which all of our centres adapt well to.

What does the future hold for Signs Express?

We hope to see our network grow into new territories in the UK and Ireland over the coming years with an initial aim of reaching 100 centres. With this growth, we will also inevitably see more changes to our industry and advances in sign writing.

As a director on the BFA board I’m also excited to see the advances in franchising as a whole. We are dedicated to staying at the forefront of our industry and keeping abreast of developments. I think the future is going to be exciting for Signs Express!

What expansion plans have you got nationally and internationally?

At the moment we’re just focussing on Ireland and the UK. It would be great to fill some of our less densely covered areas such London, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Bristol. We’re also focussing on growing our existing businesses with marketing and business development initiatives.

What advice would you give to someone considering franchising their business?

I would say to make sure that as much as possible, you have a strong model in place. Franchising can be great when it’s done correctly but it’s no easy ride. Also make sure you’re well informed in all areas: everything from legal, to accounts, to marketing, it all needs to be considered.

"We all have to start somewhere but speak to as many people as possible to make sure you have as much information as you can to get you off on the right footing. But as long as you’ve got a great business, the world is your franchising oyster! Oh, and there’s nothing wrong with being picky about your franchisees, they will be representing your brand after all!"

If you had to do it all again, what would you do differently?

Would it be too bold to say nothing? I think what’s important is that we have made mistakes, but we’ve learnt so much from them along the way! I prefer to look at what we can do differently, and better, moving forward.

To receive our free and non-obligatory franchise prospectus, please complete the short form here.

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