Speaking to Kris after just four weeks, he was fully immerse in the business, on a steep learning curve and excited to drive the business forwards, saying: “Whilst I’m still new to Signs Express, having previously run my own business I can already say hand on heart that I feel much more secure and supported as being part of a franchise and would definitely recommend this route as the support simply overshadows everything else.”
Four months down the line and after a well-deserved Christmas break, we catch up with Kris to see how things are progressing…
“Four months in, I don’t feel like I’ve seen much sunlight for a while, however I feel very much in control of the business, I’m optimistic for a positive 2023, processes have been reviewed and are running smoothly, the team is energised and wow… I’ve learnt a lot!
December was a challenging month, (which I know is to be expected in our industry), with a short working month and the weather not particularly on our side, we saw jobs being delayed (being unable to dig holes in -5˚C for example), inflation going up, up and up and energy bills going through the roof.
It may have felt like a plate spinning exercise however we’re making profit, we’re working closely with our clients to manage expectations and move jobs into January where needed, we’re testing our new pieces of kit to invest in, and we’ve completed some fantastic projects.
I feel like I’ve come a long way, but I’m still educating myself in the business as I’m sure I will be for years to come, but the support from the Franchise Support Centre has been a fantastic resource and support pillar to call upon. Being able to talk through processes and the best solutions for our clients has been a great help, and the knowledge from the network allows you to work with trusted trades teams when you need to outsource an install for example.
Without the knowledge I’ve gained over the past four months, we wouldn’t have been able to deliver the fantastic project we achieved in December. This saw us working with a high profile client on a complete rebrand along with a number of large internal and external building signs. The project ended up consisting of around 50 elements which were successfully delivered to time and budget over a two-day period, a great achievement personally and for the team.
Despite the bad weather and challenging economic climate, this was a fantastic project to end the year on. Overall, I’m pleased to say I’m still feeling energised and my ambitions for the next five years are only growing. Ask me again in a month and you may get a different answer, but overall I’m feeling positive and optimistic for what 2023 has to bring!”
Looking for a new challenge in 2022 with the support of a franchisor, Kris was looking for something new to get stuck into. After an initial call and attending one of our Discovery Days, we soon saw Kris’ drive and ambition and knew he’d be a great addition to the network. To ensure all of our franchisees are well versed and confident in all aspects of the business and set up to succeed, here at Signs Express we offer an intense three-week training course along with an in-centre handover period with the previous owner, plus support in-centre from the Franchise Support team once handover is complete.
Signs Express is the UK’s largest signs and graphics business with over 60 centres in its award-winning network. With an exciting five-year strategy in place we’re looking for driven, ambitious individuals to join us and start their franchise journey today.
We’ll check in with Kris next month and see what else 2023 has in-store for him!
For more information about our franchise opportunities, get in touch with Signs Express today. Contact [email protected] to arrange a call at a time that suits you, or fill in our online enquiry form: https:/franchise.signsexpress.co.uk/contact-us.
