Signs Express

Walking away from the annual Signs Express Convention on 16 January at the Alton Towers Resort with the highly coveted Franchisee of the Year Award, alongside multiple award wins in 2025, upcoming nominations at The Sign Industry Awards in February 2026, and a milestone celebration marking 30 years of trading in the same month, is a true testament to their incredible work ethic, determination, kindness, depth of knowledge, outstanding customer service and overall excellence, all of which are thoroughly deserved.

While there is an impressive list of accolades and much to celebrate, the past 30 years have not always been plain sailing. Their success has been built on immense hard work, an ability to adapt and move with the times, a willingness to be among the first to embrace new industry technologies, and an unwavering ethos of never giving up. And while working with your partner is not for everyone, Sharon and Phil are genuinely an exceptional couple, whose strong foundations have made all of this possible.

Catching up with Sharon and Phil, they reflected on their journey with Signs Express and the experiences that have shaped their business over the past three decades.

After six years of living overseas, the decision to return to the UK was driven by an ambition to build a business from the ground up. In early 1995, they began researching their options, considering what type of business they wanted to run, and quickly identified that the support of a national brand would be key, leading them towards franchising.

They explored opportunities with McDonald’s, The Body Shop and Fast Signs before turning their attention to Signs Express. While the Signs Express Franchise Support Centre is now based in its own premises in Norwich, back in 1995, as some of the network’s earliest franchisees, Sharon and Phil visited the team at the Signs Express Norwich unit to see what it was all about - a centre that remains in the Signs Express network and same location 30 years later.

After meeting then-owners Frank Eliel and David Corbett for a business overview and spending time in the centre shadowing the team, they quickly recognised the strength of the model, its longevity, the genuine and ongoing demand for signage across all sectors, and the impact the brand was beginning to make.

They returned home to consider their future, and just a few weeks later, on their next trip back to the UK, they paid their deposit and signed up! Following training in September 1995, and with minimal delay, they opened the doors in February 1996 to a fully kitted-out and ready-to-go Signs Express Swansea.

There was just one problem… where was the queue of customers?

While Signs Express is now an established brand with more than 60 locations across the UK and Ireland, that wasn’t the case in 1995. There was no internet, no social media and no PPC campaigns to help build the brand as there is today. Building awareness and demonstrating capability relied on traditional, face-to-face selling and a highly personal approach. With a strong focus on sales, Sharon was out in the community leaflet dropping, knocking on doors and picking up the phone in true telesales style to generate new business, while Phil worked tirelessly behind the scenes in production.

Through sheer hard work and determination, Sharon and Phil built a healthy customer database within their first year and began flying the Signs Express flag in Wales. Their efforts were quickly recognised, with the pair winning Newcomer of the Year within their first year of trading - an outstanding achievement.

As the workload increased, Matthew Warlow and Stuart Mallet joined the business and have been integral to the success of the company and remain part of the team today, having experienced all the highs and lows alongside Sharon and Phil. While team members have naturally come and gone over the years, Matthew and Stuart have remained true pillars of support and talent, becoming part of their family.

Within just a few years, Sharon and Phil had built the business from scratch, built their own home, and welcomed their first child into the world - none of these small tasks in isolation.

Industry Innovation

Prior to 1995, much of the signage industry relied heavily on traditional signwriting and also much of the cutting was still done by hand. While pre-coloured vinyl had been introduced to the industry decades earlier, its practical, day-to-day use was still gaining momentum by the mid-1990s, as advances in materials and cutting technology began to transform how signage was produced. Upon joining Signs Express, and as one of the first women in the network, Sharon championed innovation and embraced this change.

As part of the starter investment kit, Sharon and Phil began life with a 380-wide plotter which meant that pre-coloured vinyl still had to be layered to create multiple colours. Leading the way once again however, the couple became the first in the network to invest in a digital Roland Camjet which removed the need for labour-intensive layering of colours and also opened up new printing effects such as shading.

Anticipating further industry change, Sharon and Phil were also the first in the network to employ a graphic designer, recognising the shift away from standard fonts and colours towards more bespoke, design-led signage.

Fast forward to February 2014, when the business and the wider brand underwent a significant shift behind the scenes with the introduction of the Clarity CRM system. This marked the first major move towards automation and online customer management. While training was delivered over the phone and there was a great deal to learn, it was the first time in nearly 20 years that the business had experienced such a fundamental operational change, one which Sharon and Phil fully embraced as they moved away from manual data entry.

Today, they operate with the latest equipment alongside a few trusted favourites, supported by slicker workflows and the ability to produce an impressive and diverse range of signage solutions.

Signs Express Franchise Support Developments

Technology is not the only area that has evolved. Over time, the support provided by Signs Express has grown significantly alongside the network and brand reach. As the network expanded, previous owner Craig Brown identified the need for greater head office support and began building the Franchise Support Centre team who also then moved into their own premises in the late nineties.

Under current owners Jonathan Bean and Aaron Davis, the Franchise Support Centre today has grown into a 20-strong team of specialists. Covering franchise recruitment, marketing, finance, IT, business coaching, sales support and much more, Signs Express offers franchisees support across all core functions acting as an extension of their team.

While Sharon and Phil have worked tirelessly to build their business, they credit their most recent growth to the business coaching and sales support provided by the Franchise Support Centre. Structured goal-setting, detailed financial analysis and focused business development support have helped shift the business from steady progression to sustained growth.

Highs and Lows

Reflecting on the most challenging periods, apart from those early years in business, the COVID-19 pandemic stands out as one of the most challenging times. Like many business owners, Sharon and Phil were unsure how they would cope or whether the business would survive. The business however remained resilient, with demand for COVID related signage increasing dramatically, and gradually the signage industry bounced back, pulling them through a rocky year.

Whilst there are many proud moments throughout the years, there are three in particular that stood out. The first simply (or not so simply!), is building the business from the ground up and seeing it still going strong 30 years later, alongside working with their incredible team. Their recent successes demonstrate that their passion has not diminished, each day remains different, and the drive, enthusiasm and passion remains.

Secondly, their ongoing work for the NHS is something they take great pride in supporting. Understanding the importance of money going directly to patient care, Sharon and Phil have produced thousands of signs for the NHS over the years and are always mindful of the need for cost-effective, high-quality solutions. The last to mention is their more recent relationship with Swansea University, a customer they worked tirelessly with to secure a number of projects and hope to do so for many more years to come.

Hard Work Pays Off

Ultimately, Sharon and Phil have built an exceptional business. They have worked hard, embraced innovation and led with integrity. At Signs Express, we feel incredibly fortunate to have them as franchisees and friends, and we hope their story inspires the next generation of franchisees to join the Signs Express network and follow in their footsteps.

If Sharon and Phil’s journey has inspired you and you’d like to find out more about our franchising opportunities, we’d love to hear from you.