Tatyana

Monson became Chair during the IFA Annual Convention in Orlando, Florida.

CARROLLTON, Texas — Catherine Monson, CEO at FASTSIGNS International, Inc. was named IFA Chair on February 11 at the IFA Annual Convention held in Orlando, February 8 – 11, at the Orlando World Center Marriott.

During the Closing General Session, Monson accepted the chair’s gavel and stepped into her new role that current IFA Chair, David Barr, held for the past year.

A strong advocate for small business enterprise and franchising, Monson has spent time serving on the Board of Directors for the International Franchise Association (IFA). Through her service with the IFA, Monson works to help further the IFA’s mission of protecting and promoting franchising through government relations, public relations and educational programs.

Past committees she has worked on include the Women’s Franchise Committee, the Educational Foundation Research Committee, the Franchise Relations Committee, the Benchmarking Task Force and the Franchise Relations Best Practices Task Force.

In 2009, Monson was honored by the International Franchise Association (IFA) as the Bonny LeVine Award recipient. This prestigious award is bestowed upon a female franchisor or franchisee who has demonstrated ability in franchising through contribution to the growth of the business, contributions to her community through board positions, volunteer work and activities that promote the professional advancement of women, and contributions as a mentor to women in franchising.

Monson was involved with the second annual IFA’s fall “fly-in” event in Washington DC (originally called Franchise Appreciation Day and now called the Franchise Action Network (FAN) Annual Meeting) in 2000 and has attended all but one ever since.

“In my opinion, the FAN Annual Meeting and fly-in is the most valuable IFA meeting for franchisees, along with their franchisors, to attend each year,” said Monson. “At this meeting, the IFA educates attendees on critical issues that could affect the franchise business model and how to effectively speak with House Members and Senators, making it a positive experience, even for first-time attendees, as the IFA sets up all meetings on Capitol Hill, making advocacy simple and effective. The 2020 fly-in meeting will be held September 15 and 16.”

In 2014, she testified before the US House of Representatives Workforce Subcommittee on the potential negative consequences of the NLRB’s then-expected expansion of the definition of “Joint Employer.” In 2018, she testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Workforce Subcommittee on Association Health Plans.

In 2015, she received the IFA’s first ever “FAN (Franchise Action Network) of the Year Award” for her commitment, dedication and efforts to champion franchise and small businesses locally and nationally through her work with the Franchise Action Network. Monson has also been a panelist or facilitator in breakout sessions at every IFA Convention since 2006. She served as a keynote speaker for the 2016 IFA Convention, the Australian Franchise Convention in 2016, the Brazilian Franchise Association in 2016, the Canadian Franchise Association Convention in 2017 and the New Zealand Franchise Association in 2018. She will keynote the Philippine Franchise Association Convention in March.

Monson’s work with the IFA in 2020 will center around protecting and enhancing the franchise business model through teaching and promoting franchising best practices to franchisors, continuing with the IFA’s strong Government Relations (GR) outreach and increasing the membership of the IFA.

“It is an incredible honor to be elected to the position of IFA Chair,” said Monson. “I love franchising; franchising enables people to own their own business and benefit from the power of a brand along with the brand’s marketing, advertising, training and support. I look forward to serving the franchising community through my appointment and doing my part to protect, promote and enhance franchising.”

About the International Franchise Association

Celebrating 58 years of excellence, education and advocacy, the International Franchise Association is the world’s oldest and largest organization representing franchising worldwide. IFA works through its government relations and public policy, media relations and educational programs to protect, enhance and promote franchising and the more than 733,000 franchise establishments that support nearly 7.6 million direct jobs, $674.3 billion of economic output for the U.S. economy and 2.5 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). IFA members include franchise companies in over 300 different business format categories, individual franchisees and companies that support the industry in marketing, law, technology and business development.

FASTSIGNS Was Recognized for the Second Consecutive Year for Its Strong International Franchise Program across Nine Countries.

CARROLLTON, Texas, Feb. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — FASTSIGNS International, Inc., franchisor of FASTSIGNS^®, the leading sign, graphics, and visual communications franchise, has been named the Best Communications & Signage Franchise in Global Franchise magazine’s Global Franchise Awards 2020. This is the second consecutive year that FASTSIGNS has received this recognition. FASTSIGNS CEO Catherine Monson accepted the prestigious award on Friday, Feb. 7, during the International Franchise Association (IFA) Annual Convention in Orlando, Florida.

“We are honored to be recognized once again by Global Franchise for our renowned international franchise program that now includes over 700 locations spanning nine countries,” said Monson. “Over the last 35 years, FASTSIGNS has always aimed not only to stay ahead of the competition, but also to raise the bar within our industry and the franchising community. We’ve grown to be one of the most trusted names in franchising, which is a testament to the strength of our franchise opportunity.”

FASTSIGNS reported exceptional results in 2019, including the signing of over 35 franchise agreements in the U.S and Canada to develop new, co-branded, and conversion centers and the opening of more than 30 locations. Internationally, FASTSIGNS opened its first locations in Chile, Malta, and France, and signed an additional master franchise agreement to develop centers in the Dominican Republic.

This year, FASTSIGNS is aiming to sign over 45 franchise agreements and enter several new countries. In the U.S., the brand is targeting growth in markets like Michigan, Southern California, Florida, New York City, Boston, and throughout the Northeast Corridor. FASTSIGNS also is continuing to seek qualified candidates to grow its international footprint in target markets throughout the world, including Québec, New Zealand, and Brazil, as well as countries throughout North Africa, Southwest Asia, Latin America, and Europe.

For any existing business looking to expand into this fast-paced market, FASTSIGNS offers co-brand and conversion programs to help owners diversify their product lines and services to meet the growing demand for comprehensive signage and visual communications solutions. FASTSIGNS has helped countless owners of print shops, photography studios, camera stores, embroidery shops, and more, add a FASTSIGNS to their existing business or fully convert their store to a FASTSIGNS franchise. FASTSIGNS franchisees receive ongoing training and support to stay ahead of the competition and exceed the needs of their local business community. Both the co-brand franchise opportunity and conversion can be started with only $15,000 down on the initial franchise fee.

FASTSIGNS also offers a special incentive for first responders, including paramedics, emergency medical technicians, police officers, sheriffs, and firefighters, which includes a 50% reduction on the franchise fee — a savings of $24,875.

FASTSIGNS is consistently ranked as a top franchise opportunity. In 2020, Entrepreneur magazine named FASTSIGNS the #1 franchise opportunity in its category and #55 overall on its annual Franchise 500^® list, making it the only sign, graphics, and visual communications franchise to be recognized in the top 100. Additionally, Franchise Gator named FASTSIGNS to its Top 100 Franchises of 2020 list. In 2019, Entrepreneur named FASTSIGNS one of the Top Franchises for Veterans and the brand also was recognized in Franchise Business Review’s Top Franchises for Veterans report, was named to the America’s Best Franchises to Buy list by Forbes magazine, and made Franchise Direct’s list of the Top 100 Franchises. Franchise Business Review also has recognized FASTSIGNS as one of the “Best of the Best” for franchisee satisfaction for the last 10 years and its Top 50 Franchises for Women and Top Service Franchises lists in 2019. The Canadian Franchise Association (CFA) awarded FASTSIGNS International, Inc. the Franchisees’ Choice Designation for the seventh consecutive year for its strong relationship with Canadian franchisees, as well as extensive franchisee training and support.

CARROLLTON, Texas — The Executive team and members of the management team from FASTSIGNS International, Inc., franchisor of FASTSIGNS, the leading sign, graphics and visual communications franchise, will attend and share their expertise during the 2020 International Franchise Association (IFA) Convention being held in Orlando, Fla. from February 8 through February 11.

“The IFA Convention is always a very important event for the franchising community, and my team and I make it a priority to attend and serve in a leadership capacity whenever possible,” said Catherine Monson, CEO of FASTSIGNS International, Inc., incoming Chair of the IFA, Chair of the FranPAC Task Force and a Certified Franchise Executive (CFE). “I am making the investment in our team and their continued development by having 13 of our corporate staff members attend the convention this year. I know all 13 will come back with greater knowledge and new ideas; I am also proud of the impact we will make.”

Monson will moderate the “C-Suite Think Tank and Forum Exchange” session that provides an interactive environment for franchisors and their C-Suite leaders, to address and brainstorm solutions for the many challenges often faced.

As a member of the IFA’s International committee which will meet at this conference, Mark Jameson, Executive Vice President of Franchise Support and Development for FASTSIGNS International, CFE, will share his expertise as a speaker at the “Best Practices in Global Franchise Development” panel for the International track session. Jim Howe, Vice President of Franchise Support will facilitate a Business Solution Roundtable. Jameson and Howe will also each serve as mentors and subject matter experts during the IFA’s four-hour Emerging Franchisor Bootcamp.

Ron Herbert, Chief Financial Officer for FASTSIGNS International, will be a panelist in the session on ASC 606, which will offer information on the new revenue recognition rules for franchisors in regards to initial franchise fees.

During the IFA Convention, Steve Ritley, Sr. Franchise Development Director for FASTSIGNS International, will be recognized among the 2020 CFE recipients. His certification makes him the eighth CFE on the FASTSIGNS International team, and now all Development Directors at the company hold the title of CFE.

Upon the close of this year’s convention, Monson will officially assume the role of the IFA’s Chair for 2020.

About the International Franchise Association
Celebrating 58 years of excellence, education and advocacy, the International Franchise Association is the world’s oldest and largest organization representing franchising worldwide. IFA works through its government relations and public policy, media relations and educational programs to protect, enhance and promote franchising and the more than 733,000 franchise establishments that support nearly 7.6 million direct jobs, $674.3 billion of economic output for the U.S. economy and 2.5 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). IFA members include franchise companies in over 300 different business format categories, individual franchisees and companies that support the industry in marketing, law, technology and business development.