A fragmented retail market and competition from e-commerce stores are creating the perfect conditions for the sign industry. As retail store owners compete to get messages across to consumers, companies producing those signs are profiting, including Signworld, the leading business opportunity provider in the sign industry. By Sarah Lindauer
A fragmented retail market and competition from e-commerce stores are creating the perfect conditions for the sign industry. As retail store owners compete to get messages across to consumers, companies producing those signs are profiting, including Signworld, the leading business opportunity provider in the sign industry.
Fortunately, business owners don’t need a graphic arts background to join the industry. In fact, no prior experience with signs is needed to thrive in the franchise. Here’s the key: Signworld has built a proven business strategy and training program over its past 34 years of business.
Sasha Khachiyan, the owner of Lighthouse Sign Co., a Signworld business, is a perfect case in point. After working for a financial software company for seven years, he was looking to take the leap into business ownership alongside his father. Khachiyan selected Signworld, and, in part thanks to the comprehensive support provided by the franchise, landed himself a spot with the $1M Club achievers.
“The biggest support I received was the every-Monday sales training class. I took it very seriously because I come from a finance background and didn’t really have a sales background,” said Khachiyan. He quickly pivoted his focus to handing out business cards and attending any networking event he could fit into his schedule.
Additionally, Khachiyan attributes part of his success to Signworld’s responsiveness, including receiving answers within a couple of hours. “They’re always there. In three years, I’ve never had a bad experience with them. It’s nice to see that whatever they said they’d do to support, they’ve delivered on everything,” he said.
Mallory Smith, the owner of SignSmiths of Texas, has a similar success story.
An entrepreneur at heart, Smith decided to open her own business alongside her husband shortly after receiving her Master of Business Administration. “We thought: ‘What if we just go ahead and start our own business? Most people wait until they are several years older than us. Let’s just get ahead on this. If we fall flat on our faces, then we have time to make up for it’,” she said.
Thankfully, there was no falling. Smith also recently achieved the $1M Club achiever status.
Smith’s mastermind group has been pivotal to that growth. “They organize these weekly meetings for other Signworld owners that are in similar stages of their business or started around a similar time, and we’re able to bring our problems to each other, help each other troubleshoot and share successes,” Smith said.
Smith also benefited from Signworld’s annual four-day conference where business owners and preferred suppliers come together to network, learn and train. “Sadly, opening right before the COVID-19 shutdown, I had to wait a little bit before I could go to my first in-person convention,” Smith said. Even with the delay, she was able to implement the resources and advice back home in Texas, pushing her one step closer to the $1M Club achiever status.
With no monthly royalties, strict rules or lack of support, Signworld makes it easy to succeed, no matter your background.
Sarah Lindauer