Are you looking for the next step in your career? Is now the time to work for yourself rather than contributing to someone else’s bottom line? Are you looking for a positive work-life balance whilst running your own business?
Our current resales include:
- Signs Express (Exeter)
- Signs Express (Huddersfield)
- Signs Express (Liverpool & Wirral)
- Signs Express (Harlow)
- Signs Express (Macclesfield)
Being your own boss isn’t a career choice, it’s a lifestyle choice… So, turn your career into a lifestyle today with Signs Express:
- Become part of the UK’s largest signs and graphics network
- Creative, high profit industry with 20% EBITDA potential
- Be your own boss and operate in your own territory
- Opportunity to achieve £750,000 turnover and beyond
- Monday – Friday working hours
- Full training and support provided
- Established, respected brand with over 35 years of experience
- Expansion potential
- UK wide network support and UK based Franchise Support Centre
- Innovative industry where no two days are the same
Why Choose Signs Express?
Offering bespoke signage and graphics solutions to customers large and small we offer room for creativity and innovation working with a consultative approach, offering anything from exterior building graphics, illuminated signage, digital signage, vehicle graphics, exhibition and displays, window graphics, bespoke wallpaper, health and safety signage, eco-products and much more.
Established for 35 years, Signs Express is dedicated to delivering our customers' innovative signs and graphics solutions. We interpret our customers visions and advise on the best visual solutions to bring their brands to life. In an ever-growing industry, our forward-thinking strategy combined with our national coverage and local approach allows us to offer our clients the most effective solutions.
Each and every business needs signage or graphics whether it's to attract customers, engage or inspire employees, health and safety notices or to simply inform, we’re here to support our clients bring their brands to life. Due to the variety of industries we service and the huge range we offer, the signage industry can be viewed as recession proof as every situation presents opportunities.
Extensive Training Programme: Setting you up for Success
With a commitment to help you grow your business and achieve your goals, we offer extensive training and support to our franchisees to ensure you are set up for success. Throughout your Signs Express career, we offer:
- Comprehensive onboarding programme for all new franchisees including classroom learning and hands-on training
- Business Coaching and Mentoring
- Ongoing training for existing franchisees and their teams via our custom-built Learning Management Platform
- Live training sessions from our company owned flagship centre in Twickenham
- Business Health Checks ensuring best practice
- Dedicated Franchise Support Centre and centre visits, offering support and training to our network across all disciplines including finance, IT, local and national marketing, operational, recruitment, business planning and sales
- Social media training
- Exit planning and realising your resale value
- Sharing of best practice from fellow franchisees and from our supplier partners
Hear from our Franchisees:
Kris Bell, Signs Express (Aylesbury): Catching up with Kris after 12 months of ownership:
“The last year has been a whirlwind. Being quite a risk averse individual, I usually spend a lot of time weighing things up, however after the busiest 12 months of my career, I’ve definitely had to adapt the way I work, along with my overall business approach and I’ve learnt a lot about myself for sure, along with help and support from the Franchise Support Centre offering guidance and support each step of the way.
I’ve loved every minute of it (despite the challenges) and I’ve met some fantastic individuals in local businesses and built some great relationships with our customers along the way. I’m really pleased with where the business has been heading and the progress we’ve made as a team, so I felt ready for the next step in my Signs Express journey by venturing into the new hub and spoke model.”
Matt Rutlidge, Signs Express (Central Lancashire): Speaking with Matt as he moves into ownership:
“After 14 years with Signs Express and working as Centre Manager for the past four years, I am thrilled to announce that I am now the proud owner of Signs Express (Central Lancashire), serving the local areas of Preston, Blackpool and Blackburn. I’m fortunate enough to have fantastic relationships with the majority of our customers and suppliers already, however I’m excited to spend the coming weeks and months reaching out and speaking with many more local businesses to see how we can work together.
I’m extremely passionate about what I do and with a dedicated, experienced team around me, we’re excited to see where we can take the business and continue to explore and push the boundaries of what we can create for our local communities and beyond.”
Roy Heeley and John McEntee, Signs Express (Liverpool & Wirral): Discuss what they enjoy most about working in the signage industry:
“Having started the business from scratch many years ago, we are still learning 20 years later! We thrive when working in a creative environment offering a varied and diverse approach to our customers means every day is different. We’re both sociable individuals and enjoy getting out and about meeting new customers. Building relationships is key to the success of the business, leading to repeat business, a solid reputation and word of mouth recommendations. Many of our good friends started off as customers and it’s great that they’ve been on the journey with us.
Work life balance is also essential, our Monday-Friday working days have allowed us to spend time with our friends and family whilst enjoying the benefits of running our own business. Undoubtedly the support from our fellow franchisees along with support from the franchise support centre has been integral to our success.”
Who are we looking for?
Full support and training is provided throughout your Signs Express career, therefore no industry experience is required.
We are looking for two types of franchisees:
- Business savvy, hands-on managers with no industry experience but have the desire, drive and ambition to take a business to the next level.
- Career driven sign makers and production managers that are experienced in the industry with ambitions to own and grow their own business with our support.
Our ideal franchisee will be extremely personable with the ability to build relationships, act consultatively to help build solutions, they will be driven, ambitious, a good all-rounder, creative and not afraid of hard work.
‘A Day in the Life of a Franchisee’
As a centre owner no two days will be the same, you’ll be the key relationship manager for your customers, you’ll be the face of the business, the driving force for innovation, you’ll work in a consultative manner and be the voice of authority in your field, offering bespoke solutions to your customers, all delivered with outstanding customer care.
Investment and Funding:
- Franchise Fee of £8,500 for a resale purchase or £25,000 for a start-up opportunity
- Investment levels vary for our resale opportunities depending on the size of the business. Current opportunities range from £99,950 to £250,000.
- A total investment of £215,000 is required for a start-up opportunity.
- At Signs Express we can support you with funding via our 3rd party financial partners such as HSBC.
- Typically, 30% of the asking price is required in liquid capital, however we will work with you to look at different funding approaches if required.
Please get in touch today to find out more!
- Franchise Fee: £25,000
- Minimum Investment: £215,000
- Minimum Liquid Capital: £65,000
Established Franchise Opportunity: Signs Express Liverpool & Wirral
Growing steadily over the years, the centre is currently operating at 16% up vs prior year, offering further room for business growth and development for an individual with a driven and entrepreneurial approach.
Thriving Territory and Untapped Potential
Serving the whole of Liverpool and Wirral and spanning both sides of the Mersey, Signs Express (Liverpool & Wirral) offers a fantastic opportunity for any new business owner, with over 13,500 selected businesses in its territory. Situated on the busy Croft Industrial Park in Bromborough, the centre is only a stone’s throw from Liverpool city centre and the large industrial town of Ellesmere Port, offering a wealth of opportunity on your doorstep and in the immediate surrounding areas.
Working predominantly in the B2B sector, the centre has built a diverse range of customers during its 20 years of trading, working with some of Liverpool and Wirral’s most successful businesses and organisations. With regular repeat business and large contracts with property management companies, housing associations, prestigious schools and colleges, manufacturing firms and more, the centre works across a range of industries.
Covering a multitude of signage and graphics solutions, the centre specialises in complete rebrand projects, vehicle graphics, external signage, internal wall graphics, wayfinding, illuminated signage, totem systems, plaques, internal graphics and more. Along with expertise in vehicle graphics, Signs Express (Liverpool & Wirral) also offer in-house commercial engraving, which is ideal for manufacturing, supplying plaques, labels, industrial process diagrams and also cut out letters/shapes in-house for durable, accurate sign solutions. And for an energized new centre owner, projects can further diversify into neon signage, digital signage and beyond!
Key customers include Regenda Group, Onward Homes, Pilgrim’s Pride, CBRE, John Moores University, Bluecoat School, and the breath-taking Liverpool Anglican Cathedral, Britain's biggest Cathedral. Amongst the extensive customer base, there remains untapped potential within the territory, specifically amongst the construction industry, offering further outreach and development opportunities for a new owner.
Speaking to current business owners Roy Heeley and John McEntee we find out more:
What do you enjoy most about the signage industry?
“Having started the business from scratch many years ago, we are still learning 20 years later! We thrive when working in a creative environment offering a varied and diverse approach to our customers means every day is different. We’re both sociable individuals and enjoy getting out and about meeting new customers. Building relationships is key to the success of the business, leading to repeat business, a solid reputation and word of mouth recommendations. Many of our good friends started off as customers and it’s great that they’ve been on the journey with us.
Work life balance is also essential, our Monday-Friday working days have allowed us to spend time with our friends and family whilst enjoying the benefits of running our own business.”
What have you enjoyed most about being part of a franchise?
“The support. Undoubtedly the support from our follow franchisees along with support from the franchise support centre has been integral to our success.”
What are you most proud of in your 20+ years at Signs Express?
“Getting through difficult times and keeping the business thriving for 20 years are real stand outs for us. Along with growing our customer base from scratch and the loyalty we see time and time again.
Particular projects that spring to mind include, full rebranding projects within housing associations, vehicle wrapping 160 vans for one contract along with local work and seeing the difference you can make in your local area.”
What can a new owner expect from your centre?
“We’re so proud of what we’ve achieved, these are the key highlights for us:
- A fantastic team, with an amazing work ethic and loyalty to the business
- Loyal and extensive customer base
- Thriving territory with lots of untapped potential
- Further opportunities to develop the business
- A busy phone line and lots of enquiries
- Word of mouth referrals and lots more…”
What one piece of advice would you give a new business owner?
“Communicate… Get to know the team, get to know the customers and get yourself out there. Communication is essential in building relationships, both internally and externally, and is key to the success of the business.”
Contact us today…
If this is a business opportunity that appeals to you, please get in touch with our Franchise Recruitment Team and join us on a no obligation Discovery Day to find out more.
I would definitely recommend franchising to those who wish to own a business with large potential. It’s been a fantastic way to grow my opportunities whilst knowing I have all the support, guidance and reassurance just a phone call away.
Signs Express’ dedicated support team ensure I look at the facts and figures giving me advice on the next steps to take. It’s important to keep looking at the bigger picture in order to keep on track with the growth I want for the business. I have a very exciting future ahead of me.
Signs Express Master Franchise Opportunity
