John Davies, managing director of FASTSIGNS UK (left), pictured with various team members from FASTSIGNS UK and Propelled Brands (FASTSIGNS parent company)
FASTSIGNS UK celebrated 30 years of rolling out its franchise model at the beginning of the summer. Managing editor, Melanie Attlesey, caught up with UK managing director John Davies to find out more about franchising in the signage world.
You’ve got the skills. You’ve got the knowledge. But you’ve got the fear of going it alone and opening up your own sign making business.
That’s where purchasing a franchise comes into its own. You are able to tap into all the support, advice and expertise from a wider network of business owners, all while owning and running your own business.
It’s franchising where FASTSIGNS excels. FASTSIGNS was founded in the US in 1985 by Gary Salomon and Bob Schanbaum as a way to bring high-quality, fast signage solutions to market. After experiencing a surge in demand, FASTSIGNS began to franchise the concept a year later in the US. Expansion to the UK followed in 1995, with FASTSIGNS becoming one of the first companies to bring the franchise model to UK shores. It was the explosion of digital printing technology in the late 80s and early 90s that enabled FASTSIGNS to grow and expand as rapidly as it did.
Now FASTSIGNS has extended its reach across the globe and operates from more than 790 locations in nine countries, with 23 of those locations here in the UK.
The opening of FASTSIGNS Leeds in 1995
A franchise success
John’s background lies in franchising and making a success of it. Prior to becoming the MD at FASTSIGNS UK in 2015, he headed up a retail franchise business model. 12-and-half years later, he had grown the network to 175 outlets, 47 of which were franchise businesses and he personally owned two of them.
Owning a franchise business isn’t for everyone, but it certainly has its perks, as John explains: “In the UK, we get support from the US – it’s not really seen as a separate business. The US market is about five years ahead of the UK in terms of products, services and new technology, this gives business owners a competitive advantage.”
Each year, a delegation of UK franchisees are flown over to the States to attend the International FASTSIGNS Convention, where they can attend educational sessions and network with their American and global counterparts. This presents a fantastic opportunity for those involved to see the latest trends taking place over the pond. FASTSIGNS UK holds its own conference, which is due to take place in November – again a fantastic opportunity for franchisees.
Support is offered in areas such as accounting, legal, marketing, human resources, showroom layout and everything in between. UK franchisees are encouraged to join various WhatsApp groups or post on monitored forums, to share ideas and product innovations with fellow business owners, to help spread knowledge among the network. FASTSIGNS UK also hosts a monthly ‘Power Hour’ video conference call, where franchisees can all get together and chat.
“These sessions are entirely optional for franchisees to attend,” explains John. “But we find that 75% of the network regularly do. They set the agenda and discuss what they want to discuss. It’s definitely a two-way relationship – we find that some of our best ideas come from our network.”
It’s this high level of support and community that has seen the FASTSIGNS UK network grow during the last three decades, and even flourish under John’s leadership. The first branch opened in New Malden in June 1995, which was quickly followed by Leeds, Guildford and Sheffield all opening their doors later the same year. During John’s 10 years at the helm, the network has grown from 12 outlets to 23.
“During the last 10 years at least half of those 23 businesses have been sold on to new owners, due to the previous owner retiring. This is really exciting as you get to bring new blood into the network,” explains John.
Individual and unique
You might think that a franchise owner would be tethered to following a strict business model laid down by FASTSIGNS, but that simply is not the case. Each branch is individual in their offering and this is down to the business owners, as John says: “Business owners are trained and encouraged to follow a framework when they first open, but the beauty of franchising is that they come and utilise your system, but it’s their own personal flair that makes their business unique. We can guide and influence them, but ultimately, they’ve got latitude to make their own decisions.”
FASTSIGNS Crawley celebrating its 30th anniversary
When a new franchisee signs on the dotted line, they are offered a very comprehensive training programme and are flown out to the FASTSIGNS HQ in Dallas, Texas, for two weeks. On their return they can then work alongside a mentor centre, or one of FASTSIGNS UK’s support team will come to their centre to continue the training process.
“If you open your own business, you don’t know on day one what you don’t know,” explains John. “The benefits of joining a franchise model is that we give you absolutely everything, so at the point you need something, you can get it. But it doesn’t stop you doing your own thing.”
Franchisees are not restricted on where they can buy their products or supplies, and can offer any kind of signage service they like. Some specialise in vehicle graphics or custom banners, others focus on niche market areas like servicing hotels or offices for their signage needs.
On a personal level, John’s ambition is to grow the network to 50 locations and then he will see it as a job well done. “I believe it is achievable to open four locations a year for the next five years.”
That sentiment is already ringing true for 2025, as four locations – Bristol, Cambridge, Edinburgh and Liverpool – are planned to open by the end of the year.
John explains that COVID-19 set back FASTSIGNS UK’s growth plans, but they are seeing a bounce back. Ultimately, the economic environment has to be right, along with a slightly volatile labour market, for someone to consider investing in a franchise business.
The inside track
Not a week goes by where John isn’t in touch with the franchisees. He makes it his mission to visit at least two locations a week and receive their inside track on how business is going.
Franchisees can produce any kind of exterior or interior signage they like
“What I enjoy the most is that myself and the franchisees don’t have traditional business relationships in the stale sense. I find it lovely to see that how through being successful in business I can see peoples’ lives develop and flourish,” says John.
Although the franchise business model that FASTSIGNS UK operates in the UK is not unique, having a parent company in the US – a country that has mastered the art of franchising – and such an extensive network, certainly has its advantages. As FASTSIGNS UK celebrates turning 30, it looks as if the next three decades are set to be as fruitful as the first as John and the team look to double its network reach and embrace any changes and developments the sign making world throws their way.
