Just Another Sign Guy
New Member
where to start?
i have been the guy brought in to train new franchisees for a few franchises. i am trying to word this 'correctly'...there are franchises that are better at setting up the new owner for success than others. either direction you go (or no direction at all) there is a lot of questions you need to ask and those questions will depend on your knowledge in a variety of areas...for example business, facility, equipment, target market, marketing, growth, etc...in short a very good place to start would be to do a business plan.
even though it may seem like a whole lot of work (and it is and should be) you need to seriously visit some of the existing franchises and get feedback from those who have gone that path (with ppl from that franchise not a competing one) and then i would identify independent sign companies that appear to be what you would like to be and try to get them to communicate with you....for example if you want to be a wrap and banner shop it doesnt make sense to go to a monument company or an electrical shop.
i have seen MANY ppl with the resources to go the franchise route open their own independent shop on a large scale with no plan at all and they struggle until they have a plan...and most of the time at that point they do not have the resources to implement that plan. it takes time to establish yourself and become known, the decisions you make in the beginning are going to effect your outcome for many years. for example if you have no real life artistic experience and you choose not to hire a designer or establish a relationship with one on an on call basis chances are you are not going to be known for top notch design services...not that every project that goes out your door needs to be a work of art; it does however need to follow the basic principles of good design...which many if not most noobs have no idea where to even start.
you need to make equipment purchases that will support the type of work that you want to do. we can tell you what machines and brands we all love but they may or may not be what you need because you don't know what you need yet because you don't know what you are going to be doing yet...a franchise that is a do it all advertising company or a sign company doing wraps and banners and window signs is what you identify above..but i dont even think you are clear on that yet.
then you are going to need to address your facility. if you are going to be doing vehicles you are going to want a roll up door that will allow you to get a vehicle in doors...and then you need to think about how big that space needs to be...if you plan on doing semis you need a bigger space than if you are doing small cars.
you need to identify who you are going to sell to and how you are going to do so. having no plan is planning to fail.
the list of details involved for a startup either direction you go is going to be extensive you need to put pen to paper and start answering those questions before you start spending money or you will spend money foolishly.
as a sidenote in my experience i have seen ppl that fit great into the franchise model i would look honestly at yourself and see if you and whoever is going to be involved with you are those ppl or not the decision is much more than financial. i am not one of those ppl that would fit well into that model.
you will need to do much more research to be successful than asking a bunch of questions that you should be able to answer on your own on a forum. identify those questions which you can answer yourself and answer them and then come back with those you can not is my advice.
i have been the guy brought in to train new franchisees for a few franchises. i am trying to word this 'correctly'...there are franchises that are better at setting up the new owner for success than others. either direction you go (or no direction at all) there is a lot of questions you need to ask and those questions will depend on your knowledge in a variety of areas...for example business, facility, equipment, target market, marketing, growth, etc...in short a very good place to start would be to do a business plan.
even though it may seem like a whole lot of work (and it is and should be) you need to seriously visit some of the existing franchises and get feedback from those who have gone that path (with ppl from that franchise not a competing one) and then i would identify independent sign companies that appear to be what you would like to be and try to get them to communicate with you....for example if you want to be a wrap and banner shop it doesnt make sense to go to a monument company or an electrical shop.
i have seen MANY ppl with the resources to go the franchise route open their own independent shop on a large scale with no plan at all and they struggle until they have a plan...and most of the time at that point they do not have the resources to implement that plan. it takes time to establish yourself and become known, the decisions you make in the beginning are going to effect your outcome for many years. for example if you have no real life artistic experience and you choose not to hire a designer or establish a relationship with one on an on call basis chances are you are not going to be known for top notch design services...not that every project that goes out your door needs to be a work of art; it does however need to follow the basic principles of good design...which many if not most noobs have no idea where to even start.
you need to make equipment purchases that will support the type of work that you want to do. we can tell you what machines and brands we all love but they may or may not be what you need because you don't know what you need yet because you don't know what you are going to be doing yet...a franchise that is a do it all advertising company or a sign company doing wraps and banners and window signs is what you identify above..but i dont even think you are clear on that yet.
then you are going to need to address your facility. if you are going to be doing vehicles you are going to want a roll up door that will allow you to get a vehicle in doors...and then you need to think about how big that space needs to be...if you plan on doing semis you need a bigger space than if you are doing small cars.
you need to identify who you are going to sell to and how you are going to do so. having no plan is planning to fail.
the list of details involved for a startup either direction you go is going to be extensive you need to put pen to paper and start answering those questions before you start spending money or you will spend money foolishly.
as a sidenote in my experience i have seen ppl that fit great into the franchise model i would look honestly at yourself and see if you and whoever is going to be involved with you are those ppl or not the decision is much more than financial. i am not one of those ppl that would fit well into that model.
you will need to do much more research to be successful than asking a bunch of questions that you should be able to answer on your own on a forum. identify those questions which you can answer yourself and answer them and then come back with those you can not is my advice.
WOW... great story... and if you are still following this thread I'd like to know how you define success...?