FASTSIGNS International: Getting the message out there

I have been a FASTSIGNS partner for 6 years and have enjoyed every year. People often ask why would I want to pay royalties. It is an easy response. The level of support that I get from our corporate office is phenominal. No matter what issue I am having, someone is always there to assist me. The training, marketing, technology research that Catherines staff does really makes the difference in a tough economy. FASTSIGNS International doesn't see thier franchisees as just that, they see them as partners and that makes a huge difference. I am more involved now than I have ever been and that is due to Catherines and her staffs drive to see all of us succeed.

I have owned my FASTSIGNS franchise along with my friend and business partner, Jackie Raymond, north of the border in Windsor, Ontario, Canada for almost eleven years now. It has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life to date. Catherine spoke of the many reasons that we are proud to be part of this international Franchise family. Although we are part of a franchise community, we are all very LOCAL. We are independant owner/operators who are highly involved in our local business communities, schools, churches, organizations, clubs and sporting events. We operate with the strength of all of the experts at our Corporate offices along with the 500+ owners behind us. We really do work together in a family atmosphere to help mentor and support each other. Each and every day a member of my team is in communication with someone from our Corporate team, tech support, owner or employee of another franchise for information, guidance, to give support or to work together on a common project or a cross country job. We are able to service our clients both locally and across the continent with the help of each other. Our initial focus was to increase brand awareness in our community and grow sales of course, however, the focus over the past few years has been to increase profitability of those sales which in turn definitely increases our satisfaction. Every day we meet someone new and learn something new. With all of the new technology, this is an exciting business to be in and being in it with FASTSIGNS is the winning combination.

I have been a Franchise Partner in FASTSIGNS for 12 years. What a fantastic organization from top to bottom. The training and ongoing support are second to none. It is a great relief knowing that I have such a great organization behind me every step on the way.

I have been in the FASTSIGNS system for over 15 years and yet I get excited every day I come to my center. This is one of the most dynamic businesses I've ever seen. It's not easy but it's extremely rewarding. FASTSIGNS has done an excellent job of supporting me in marketing, operations and training. This business has supported me and my family and provides an excellent place for employment and an even greater source community involvement. Where else can I be a creative influence on other businesses in town by helping designing their signage needs or where I can be a recognized figure in town with his fingers on the pulse of the community? Every business in good times and bad is a potential customer and we typically buy from people we like. Combine those two thoughts and there is lots of potential to be successful.

I am a FASTSIGNS Franchisee Partner and I always enjoy listening to Catherine's comments and direction. She does an amazing job keeping her team on track and motivating Franchisee Partners to stay fresh with technology and services that help our customers visually communicate their products and services. I opened a new FASTSIGNS Center in a small town during the middle of this recession. My business has experienced 50% growth YOY for the base2 years. This is an exciting time at FASTSIGNS - Thank you Catherine and your staff!

Great interview. I echo Catherine's comments and can testify from a FASTSIGNS owner's point of view that FASTSIGNS is a tremendous franchise organization to be a part of. We have been in the family for just over four years now and have experienced double digit growth each of those years - all during a recession - and are poised to climb over the $1 million mark this year. With out a doubt, we could not achieve these results without a strong organization behind us every step of the way. Whether we need advice on purchasing new technology or assistance with key personnel decisions, help managing our financials and lease negotiations or help landing a large client, the folks at FASTSIGNS International have the experience and know how to help us achieve our goals and objectives.