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Do not even consider a FASTSIGNS franchise!!!!

FireSprint.com

Trade Only Screen & Digital Sign Printing
This is quite the discussion that's happening here considering, db doesn't even seem to be in it.

I say this jokingly, but THROW IN A PIECE OF MEAT AND WATCH THEM FIGHT TO THE DEATH!!!

:toasting:
 

Gino

Premium Subscriber
I could have swore you was trying to call him a dirtbag in a nice way with this post (dirtb) until I realized his username, haha. :Oops:

Nope. Sorry, not me, but you just did. :ROFLMAO: Did you mean it in a nice way with this (dirtbag) ??
 

Pat Whatley

New Member
Hmmmmm..then where did the 18% number come from? (in the original post)

Typo?
Could be a typo, could be that he financed the franchise fee or startup costs through them and everything combined is taking 18% off the top.

Could just be somebody who invested his life savings into his dream of running his own business, read the FastSign franchise sales info and bought in, and is now frustrated because things aren't working out the way he feels FastSigns told him they would and he's not getting the support he thought he would have and he's on the verge of losing those life savings and his dream.
 

Gino

Premium Subscriber
Could be a typo, could be that he financed the franchise fee or startup costs through them and everything combined is taking 18% off the top.

Could just be somebody who invested his life savings into his dream of running his own business, read the FastSign franchise sales info and bought in, and is now frustrated because things aren't working out the way he feels FastSigns told him they would and he's not getting the support he thought he would have and he's on the verge of losing those life savings and his dream.


Whew-wee..... that's close to making this thread become a political discussion, without using the names of the innocent or guilty to protect yourself. :Big Laugh
 

Pat Whatley

New Member
Hey, I'm just speculating. Just one of those things I think of whenever I see a business closing (which this one may or may not be)....you're seeing somebody who went out on a limb, took a chance on a better life and in the end they crashed and burned. That can be devastating for most people.
 

threeputt

New Member
Could be a typo, could be that he financed the franchise fee or startup costs through them and everything combined is taking 18% off the top.

Could just be somebody who invested his life savings into his dream of running his own business, read the FastSign franchise sales info and bought in, and is now frustrated because things aren't working out the way he feels FastSigns told him they would and he's not getting the support he thought he would have and he's on the verge of losing those life savings and his dream.

You know Pat, that was a very well reasoned and well stated post. Thank you. Seriously.
 

Dentafrice

New Member
Nope. Sorry, not me, but you just did. :ROFLMAO: Did you mean it in a nice way with this (dirtbag) ??
Haha! I'm not sure.. he's kinda being a dirtbag for disappearing! I'll give him the benefit and say he's working to pay that franchise fee!
 

Gino

Premium Subscriber
Yeah Pat.... I know. It's called life and in this country.... we take a gamble everyday just by waking up and going outside. Twice lately, Sputnik... or it's close cousin almost killed people when spiraling to earth. There are all kinds of nuts out there ready to take you out for no reason at all. Now we have to face these kid mob gangs and their warring ways. Then if you make it into work, you have to deal with customers..... ya know those little things called customers. Wish we could get by without those little pesky rascals. Ya work all day putting up with nonsense and then risk your life all over again to go home and have to dodge all the crazy road rage idiots who are all now just up to their eyeballs in caffeine and other good stuff. Get home and listen to your other half's problem and try not to blow a frickin' gasket and then go to bed all riled up just to listen to the news and hear about all the problems in the world just to finally doze off, catch a few winks, just to get up the next morning and do it all over.

Come the weekend and you have a million more things to do around the house. Makes ya just wanna just.......................... quit.



Nah............ it's a great life, if you learn to stop and smell the roses and eat well.
 

SignManiac

New Member
Hey, I'm just speculating. Just one of those things I think of whenever I see a business closing (which this one may or may not be)....you're seeing somebody who went out on a limb, took a chance on a better life and in the end they crashed and burned. That can be devastating for most people.


Pat is dead on correct in many instances. I've seen it happen countless time over the past eight years. It's a case of expectations versus the reality of owning the American dream. Some are born to succeed, others are born to fail.
 

OldPaint

New Member
# 1..........FRANCHISES ARE CREATED TO MAKE MONEY!!!!! so you have to know this going in no matter how dumb you are.
#2. jump in costs are somewhat ridiculous, for a business that is reaching its max on shops doing the same thing.
#3 ZERO KNOWLEDGE OF SIGNAGE........is the norm for most who have "stash money" to start a business. while living in sarasota, late 80's early 90's, i witnessed the jump in numbers of sign shops increasing. when i started painting in 1986, there was maybe 10 sign shops in the yellow pages. when i left there in 1998, was over 100!!!! most of those additional/new shops ..were FRANCHISES!!!
SIGNS BY TOMARROW
SIGNS IN ONE DAY
SIGNARAMA
FAST SIGNS and my favorite SIGN SNOW!!!!HAHAHAHAHA. most of you know them as SIGNS NOW, but their sign on the business looks like SIGN SNOW!!!! they started in bradenton, fl, just north of where i lived.
i had the pleasure of meeting one of these "businessmen" who needed some paint work which i did for him. come to find out he cant even operate his sign program!!!!!! seems he needed some thing to occupie his time....since he hadmore money then brains.
seems these are the people who do franchises.
 

Pat Whatley

New Member
Hey OP, according to both FastSigns and SignsNow their most successful owners had no experience in signs when they started.
 

dirtbomb

New Member
I'm not slamming the franchisee's!!! I'm sure they are great business owners.
+ some fastsigns benefit greatly with their system.
This is a heartfelt warning, good luck.
Good thread - The only thing about the interweb I hate is that spineless, faceless
*%$hole's always scream the loudest.
 

threeputt

New Member
DirtBomb, straight up question for you.

Are you currently a Fast Signs franchisee?

Because if you are, and I'm sure you're aware this is a very public place, you're not doing the FS name any good with your comments.

Spiders crawl this forum (like any other) and you may see your comments connected to a FastSigns Google search one day. I know I did once.
 

cdiesel

New Member
There's a point at which running a sign shop is more about running a business (no matter what you're actually selling or servicing) that it is about making signs. I'd venture to say that Fastsigns and every other franchise out there is the same. The more successful a business is, the more the correct people and equipment can be afforded to complete the jobs as efficiently as possible.

We have a very busy (read successful <knock knock>) company. Ask me when the last time I pressed vinyl was.
 
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