Join the UK's Leading Signs & Graphics Franchise
Whether you're an experienced sign maker ready to scale, an independent signage business looking to rebrand and grow, or a business-savvy individual with no industry experience seeking your next opportunity — Signs Express offers the perfect platform to build a successful, sustainable business. Benefit from Monday to Friday working hours, strong earning potential, and full head office support from the Franchise Support Centre.
Why Join Signs Express?
- UK’s #1 signs and graphics franchise
- Earn up to £750,000+ turnover with 20% EBITDA potential
- Monday–Friday working – enjoy work-life balance
- Operate in your own exclusive territory
- Start from scratch, purchase a resale, try our conversion model (by buying an existing signage business and converting to Signs Express), or rebrand your existing signage business under the Signs Express name
- Full training, mentoring and operational support throughout
- Access to national accounts and collective buying power
- Winner of the BFA & HSBC 2024 Business Transformation Award
Choose the Business Model That Suits You
At Signs Express, we now offer four flexible routes to ownership so you can join us in a way that fits your background, goals and investment level:
- Resales: Purchase an established Signs Express centre with an existing customer base, local brand presence, experienced staff and recurring revenue.
- Start-ups: Launch a brand-new Signs Express centre in a prime, available territory. Perfect for ambitious individuals looking to build something from the ground up, with full training and support.
- Rebrands: Already running an independent signage business? Seamlessly rebrand as a Signs Express centre and gain access to our national marketing, operational support, group buying power and scalable growth model.
- Conversions: A hybrid of all three models, a Signs Express conversion sees us work with you to find an independent signage business for sale (in one of our vacant territories) and then help you to purchase it and convert it to a Signs Express in the process.
Creative, Consultative, Commercial
Our franchisees deliver bespoke signage and visual communication solutions to a wide variety of industries, from retail and construction to education, healthcare and manufacturing. Services include:
- Exterior building signage
- Illuminated and digital signs
- Vehicle graphics and wraps
- Exhibitions and displays
- Window graphics and bespoke wallpaper
- Health and safety signage
- Eco-friendly products and more
Setting You Up for Success
From your very first day, you’ll receive extensive training and hands-on support, including:
- Comprehensive onboarding and technical training
- Access to our custom-built Learning Management System (LMS)
- Business coaching, sales mentoring & operational guidance
- Dedicated Franchise Support Centre assistance in marketing, HR, IT, finance and more
- Local marketing campaigns run on your behalf
- Peer-to-peer best practice sharing across the network
- Growth options via our Hub & Spoke model for territory expansion
What Our Franchisees Say
“Nearly 25 years in, and I still love the industry and business. For a creative person who loves building relationships and meeting new people, being able to combine the two is ideal for me. Understanding our customers visions and bringing them to life gives me a huge buzz and seeing the work our team has produced in and around the city, gives me an enormous sense of pride.”
— Richard Howes, Signs Express (Lincoln)
“We’re excited to continue exploring what’s possible with the backing of such a strong and supportive network.”
— Matt Rutlidge, Signs Express (Central Lancashire)
“The business has been heading in a great direction, and joining the Hub & Spoke model was the perfect next step.”
— Kris Bell, Signs Express (Aylesbury)
“Rarely any two days are the same making each day interesting! As cheesy as it sounds, it’s the job satisfaction and being able to make a difference which motivates me still after 20 years ownership.”
— Ian Charles, Signs Express (Grantham)
Who We’re Looking For
You might be:
- A business savvy, hands-on manager with no industry experience but have the desire, drive and ambition to take a business to the next level
- An experienced sign maker or production lead with ambitions to run your own centre
- An independent signage business owner ready to rebrand and grow with the backing of a national network
- Strong relationship-building & sales skills
- Drive, ambition and creativity
- A consultative approach and customer-first mindset
Investment Information
- Franchise Fee: £8,500 (resale or rebrand) or £25,000 (start-up)
- Total Investment: Varies – we work with third-party funders including HSBC
- Liquid Capital Required: Typically, 30% of total investment
Start Your Signs Express Journey Today
Ready to take your business to the next level — or launch something brand new — with the UK’s leading signage franchise?
Click ‘Enquire Now’ to receive our full Franchise Prospectus and learn how we’ll support you every step of the way.
Current Resale Opportunities include:
- Signs Express (South Central England)
- Signs Express (Dartford)
- Signs Express (Harlow)
Current Locations Available for Start-Ups, Rebrands and Conversions include
- Ashford
- Bournemouth
- Brighton
- Canterbury
- Chester
- Crawley
- Croydon
- Dorking
- Eastbourne
- Edinburgh
- Harrogate
- Stoke
- Tunbridge
- Warrington
- Watford
- Worthing
- Franchise Fee: £8,500
- Minimum Investment: £215,000
- Minimum Liquid Capital: £65,000
- Potential Turnover: £750,000+
- Projected EBITDA: 20%
Newly Listed Established Business for Sale: Signs Express (Exeter)
Set in a beautiful part of the world, this centre presents a fantastic business development opportunity with room for territory expansion, an experienced team, extensive customer database and the opportunity to see a return from day one.
Speaking with current owners, Nick and Marion Baxter-Sibley, we hear what the centre has to offer: “This is a great centre to have within the Signs Express network, with growing sales and a steady bottom line, we’re immensely proud of the business we’ve built over the years. With easy access to both coast and moors, Exeter is an excellent place geographically to be living and working. Having owned the centre for the past 28 years, we’re looking to retire which is why our centre is now on the market. We’ve worked hard to establish ourselves as an extremely reliable and reputable business in our local and surrounding areas with a comprehensive client portfolio of loyal customers and exceptional customer service, leading to 80% of business being from repeat customers.
Our wide-ranging territory offers a new owner the potential to unlock future business growth and along with support from the Franchise Support Centre, there is also opportunity to expand into neighbouring territories which presents an exciting next step in expansion for a new owner.”
Why Signs Express (Exeter)?
- Operating for nearly 30 years with a loyal customer base
- Territory expansion potential
- Ideally situated on the busy Marsh Barton Trading Estate
- EBITDA & turnover in an upward trajectory
- Financing support from key lenders such as HSBC
- No industry experience required, full training and onboarding is provided
- Full support from the UK based Franchise Support Centre and wider network
Demonstrating significant sales and profit growth over the past year (post covid), along with a solid team and process efficiencies, the centre presents a significant business opportunity. Operating from a 2,000sqft modern industrial unit in Marsh Barton, Signs Express (Exeter) services areas including Exeter, Axminster, Seaton, Honiton, Cullompton, Cranbrook, Sidmouth, Okehampton, Exmouth, Crediton and Tiverton, presenting plenty of room for business growth and expansion.
Currently operating at gold level within the Signs Express network, the centre offers a new owner a solid business with sales and EBITDA in an upward trajectory.
Whilst this is an established business, the expansion potential allows you to put your stamp on the business to take it to the next level. With a forward-thinking strategy in place, there is also opportunity to expand the business further by taking on available neighbouring territories.
Find out More...
If this is a business opportunity that appeals to you, why not get in touch for a no obligation introductory call and Interactive Discovery Day?
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.
