FASTSIGNS International Inc.

FASTSIGNS Engages Over 350 Sales Professionals Across 8 Countries.

CARROLLTON, Texas — FASTSIGNS International, Inc., the world’s leading sign and visual graphics franchisor with more than 750 FASTSIGNS^® locations in eight countries worldwide, hosted its 12th annual Outside Sales Summit August 18-20 in Indianapolis, IN. There were over 350 people in attendance.

The Accelerate Your Sales, the 2022 Outside Sales Summit celebrated the FASTSIGNS network’s sales achievements between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022. At the award event on Saturday, 224 Outside Sales Professionals were recognized, including 34 who received the prestigious Platinum Award for achieving over $1 million in individual sales during the 12-month period. Additionally, 28 individuals became Certified FASTSIGNS Sales Executives after completing an extensive certification program during the same period.

2022 marked the fourth year for presenting the Catherine Monson Salesperson of the Year Award. With this award, FASTSIGNS recognizes one Outside Sales Professional who best represents the concept and the spirit of the brand, both in the business community and within the FASTSIGNS network. Rebecca Belgodere from FASTSIGNS® of Caguas, Puerto Rico was recognized as this year’s recipient of the Catherine Monson Salesperson of the Year Award.

“We were thrilled to host our 12th annual Outside Sales Summit, held in Indianapolis this year. This energy-packed event allowed us to provide attendee’s with education and tools to continue honing their selling skills, as well as to recognize and celebrate the impressive work and achievements of FASTSIGNS Outside Sales Professionals from locations around the world,” said Catherine Monson, CEO of FASTSIGNS International, Inc.

One of the featured speakers included Vernice “FlyGirl” Armour, America’s First Black Female Combat Pilot. Additional speakers covered a variety of topics including Proven Prospecting Techniques Speeding Up the Close, Deepening Relationships, Managing a Sales Team, Reactivating Confidence in Sales, Coaching Tools and more.

FASTSIGNS® franchisees and their employees, vendors and FASTSIGNS International, Inc. corporate staff also participated in the FASTSIGNS Community Giveback “Breakfast with a Purpose” event to assemble 300 care packages for local teachers and students through the organization, Teachers’ Treasures. This giveback event was also made possible by the generous support of the FASTSIGNS Community Giveback sponsors including Click2Sell, Easelly, Grimco Inc., GSG, Sign Source USA and Steel Art Company.

88 vendors participated at this year’s Outside Sales Summit Event, including Grimco Inc who was a Diamond Sponsor. The Opening Night Networking Party was sponsored by HubSpot. FASTSIGNS also hosted 6 Vendor Training Workshops from 4over, 3M Commercial Solutions, Orbus Exhibit & Display Group, The Sign Pack, Wayfindit, and Jessup Manufacturing Company.

The Leading Sign, Graphics and Visual Communications Franchise Was Named a Top 100 Recession-Proof Franchise for 2022. 

CARROLLTON, Texas — FASTSIGNS International, Inc., franchisor of FASTSIGNS®, the leading sign, graphics and visual communications franchise in the nation, was recently identified by Franchise Business Review as being one of only 100 franchises to qualify as a 2022 Recession-Proof Franchise.

“FASTSIGNS® is proud to be recognized by Franchise Business Review as one of the most recession-proof franchises globally,” said Mark Jameson, chief support and development officer at Propelled Brands. “This award is a recognition of FASTSIGNS® providing our franchisees the tools and systems to run a successful small business even during turbulent times, while also delivering a service that almost every business or organization will need, even during times of crisis.”

Franchise Business Review (FBR), a franchise research firm that performs independent surveys of franchisee satisfaction, provides the only rankings of franchises based solely on actual franchisee satisfaction and performance. Franchise Business Review publishes its rankings of top franchises in its annual Guide to Today’s Top Franchises and quarterly reports that rank the top franchises in specific sectors throughout the year.

“FASTSIGNS has a broad range of products and services that are needed in all kinds of economic environments by a large variety of businesses and organizations,” said Al Cothern, FASTSIGNS franchisee of West Palm Beach, Florida, who opened his first franchise during the previous recession in 2009. “While a recession is generally bad for business, it creates opportunities as well. Having the drive to work hard and seize every good opportunity is the key. FASTSIGNS helped me just by standing behind all the things they promised. The business model does work as they said it would, the marketing support is excellent, and the operational support provided by the business consultants is always there.”

FASTSIGNS® was among thousands of franchises that participated in Franchise Business Review’s research on the Best Recession-Proof Businesses to start. FASTSIGNS® franchisees were surveyed on many benchmark questions about their experience and satisfaction regarding critical areas of their franchise systems, including leadership, training & support, financial opportunity and work/life balance. To be considered for this award, companies have outstanding satisfaction among their owners and hold a strong advantage to outperform their competitors in the years ahead.

To view FASTSIGNS’s® recognition, visit FranchiseBusinessReview.com and see the complete list of the 2022 Top Franchises.

For more information about owning a FASTSIGNS® franchise, visit https://www.fastsigns.com.

Grimco and ND Graphics Recognized for Incredible Supplier Relationship. 

CARROLLTON, Texas — FASTSIGNS International, Inc., franchisor of FASTSIGNS®, the leading sign, graphics, and visual communications franchise with more than 750 locations in nine countries worldwide, presented the U.S. Vendor of the Year Award to Grimco, Inc. and the Canadian Vendor of the Year Award to ND Graphics at the 2022 FASTSIGNS International Convention in Grapevine, Texas.

The FASTSIGNS Vendor of the Year is selected by FASTSIGNS franchisees and is based on the integrity of business practices, product quality, and having a long-term commitment to the FASTSIGNS network. Since 2015, Grimco has received this recognition. This also marks the second year for recognizing the Canadian Vendor of the Year.

“The FASTSIGNS Vendor of the Year Award for the US and Canada recognizes a supplier that delivers outstanding service and consistently provides excellent support to our franchisees,” said Mark Jameson, Chief Support and Development Officer. “We’re happy to recognize Grimco and ND Graphics, and we appreciate all that they do for our franchise network.”

For the past 16 years, Grimco has been working with FASTSIGNS centers, supplying sign and visual graphic materials and products equipment and everything from Signs and Blanks to Digital Media and LED’s.

“To be named Vendor of the Year in 2021 is truly an honor. We hoped that 2021 would move us forward from the pandemic and provide a more stable supply chain. Unfortunately that did not happen and everyone dealt with challenges that we had never expected or experienced in our industry,” said Julie McClain, Director of National Accounts at Grimco. “Through all of this, we appreciate our partnership with FASTSIGNS and the patience that everyone has shown throughout the year. We look forward to continuing the partnership with our goal of providing everyday products in a timely manner and to bring new products forward as the supply chain allows.”

Since 2017, ND Graphics has been working with FASTSIGNS centers, supplying sign and visual graphic materials and products. This includes equipment and everything from sign supplies to digital media and electrical solutions.

“It is an honor for ND Graphics to be awarded the Canadian Vendor of the Year from FASTSIGNS,” said Amber Mundy with ND Graphics. “After an unprecedented year, we appreciate working with such an incredible group of people. It has always been a pleasure to support FASTSIGNS and their growing success. At ND Graphics, we are fortunate to have 10 locations across Canada dedicated to serving Canadian businesses. As an industry leader, we pride ourselves on our exceptional team, extensive experience, and specialized knowledge to assist on every project. We look forward to continuing our valued relationship with the FASTSIGNS network for years to come.”

The Leading Sign, Graphics and Visual Communications Franchise Wins its Fourth Consecutive Global Franchise Award.

CARROLLTON, Texas — FASTSIGNS, the leading sign, graphics and visual communications franchise, ranked first in “Signage & Communication” for the annual Global Franchise Awards. This marks the fourth consecutive year FASTSIGNS has won this award, highlighting the brand’s superb ethics, dedication and excellence as an international franchisor.

CARROLLTON, Texas — FASTSIGNS International, Inc., the leading sign, graphics, and visual communications franchise with more than 750 locations in nine countries worldwide, recently held its 2022 FASTSIGNS^® International Convention in Grapevine, Texas. Themed Building Your Future, the multiple-day event taught best practices as well as celebrated franchisee achievements and the continued growth of the franchise network in both sales volume and number of locations.

Over 900 people attended which included FASTSIGNS franchisees, center team members, 220 first-time attendees, exhibitors, and corporate staff members.  Attendees represented 400 center locations in the US and International locations.

Attendees had the opportunity to participate in general sessions, educational sessions, peer panels and roundtable discussions. Highlights from the event included hearing from Emmitt Smith, the NFL’s all-time leading rusher of the Dallas Cowboys, Dancing with the Stars champion, and successful real estate investor.

Additional speakers included Trent Shelton, Former NFL wide receiver and now one of the most authentic and powerful voices in the area of personal development as an inspiring motivational speaker and author; Scott Greenberg, author of The Wealthy Franchisee; and Scott Bornstein, a memory expert and business author who is world-renowned for his brain-changing memory systems that unleash the brain’s ability to learn deep and fast, and achieve exceptional and enduring recall.

In addition, corporate team members educated franchisees in various breakout sessions, and attendees also had the opportunity to gain insight from a panel of high-profile vertical industry sign and visual graphic buyers at the Secrets of Success Customer Experience Panel.

Highlights from the 2022 convention include:

• 2021 System-wide Sales for FASTSIGNS was $638M
• 170 FASTSIGNS/SIGNWAVE centers exceeded $1 million in annual sales, including 37 centers achieving over $2 million, 13 centers achieving over $3 million, 8 centers achieving over $4 million, 4 centers achieving over $5 million, 3 centers achieving over $6 million, 2 centers achieving over $17 million and one center achieving over $18 million.
• The FASTSIGNS Award, which recognizes the franchisee who best represents the FASTSIGNS name in both the business community and within the FASTSIGNS network, was awarded to Stan Gray with FASTSIGNS of Long Beach and FASTSIGNS of Torrance.
• The WhatTheyThink | Printing News |Wide Format & Signage FASTSIGNS Project of the Year was presented to Jon Toy from York, PA for their team’s work with Shippensburg University.
• FASTSIGNS held their Vendor Show Training Events that included 7 different sessions from Bodaq Finishes (Nelcos), Zund America, Unibind/Peleman, GSG, Avery Dennison, Ricoh and ASI.
• Grimco was presented the FASTSIGNS Vendor of Year Award for the US, and ND Graphics was presented the FASTSIGNS Vendor of the Year Award for Canada
• Franchisees and their center teams were recognized for outstanding sign and graphic projects in the 2021 FASTSIGNS Customer Solutions Awards, which included grand prize winner Jon Toy, FASTSIGNS of York, for their work with Shippensburg University.

During each convention, FASTSIGNS hosts Breakfast with a Purpose, a Community Giveback project to make a difference in the community where the event is held. This year, FASTSIGNS worked with the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base in Fort Worth with a focus on addressing food insecurity. The Fleet and Family Services department at the base was in need of perishable items as well as hygiene products and baby care items, so the outreach from FASTSIGNS was perfectly timed. Together, FASTSIGNS franchisees and employees as well as the corporate staff at FASTSIGNS International Inc., along with vendor partners, helped support over 6,000 military and family members in the Ft. Worth area. Vendor partners included Avery Dennison, Click2Sell, Colex, Grimco, GSG, Ornamental Post & Panel, Plasticade, PromoMatting,  Ricoh, Sinalite.

“2021 was a record year for FASTSIGNS. Same center sales exceeded 16% in the US, 17% in the UK and 24% in Canada. The number of FASTSIGNS locations grew to a record 761 locations in nine countries” said Catherine Monson, CEO of FASTSIGNS International, Inc. “Our annual convention brings our franchise network together to recognize, honor and celebrate their many achievements, as well as to engage in educational and networking opportunities to kick off the year. This one-of-a-kind event enabled us to celebrate our connections through FASTSIGNS, and it set the stage for an even more successful 2022.”

The Franchise Puts New Software In Place to Reach Goals and Exceed Expectations for Franchisees.

CARROLLTON, Texas — FASTSIGNS International, Inc. Is putting their money where their mouth is when it comes to promising to help Franchisees generate more revenue and profits in 2022.

FASTSIGNS International, Inc announced that they have joined forces with the leader in financial data consolidation and analysis, ProfitKeeper. “Our most important Key Strategic Objective is to help each of our franchisees further increase profitability by 25%, after already achieving the prior goal–set in 2009–to increase franchisee profitability by 50%. We are committed to providing our franchisees excellent support and service, focused on increasing profitability and driving high-margin revenue. We have been researching tools to help our franchisees further improve profitability and selected ProfitKeeper,” said Catherine Monson, CEO of FASTSIGNS International, Inc. at the FASTSIGNS International Convention recently; over 485 franchisees attended the convention.

“We looked at several software solutions and chose ProfitKeeper, who has been helping franchisors help their franchisees improve profitability for over 14 years,” added Monson.

FASTSIGNS Franchisees are beginning to use ProfitKeeper, an integrated software solution connecting payroll and financial measurement services. “Financial health of franchisees is paramount for franchisors to grow their brand.  ProfitKeeper is truly excited about working with such an iconic brand as FASTSIGNS who believes in helping their franchisees maximize profits. We look forward to this partnership and delivering our turn-key benchmarking, trends, and analytics which helps franchisees pinpoint areas for improving their profitability,” said Kyle McEuen, President and COO at ProfitKeeper.

“We love that users can drill down and get financial data by region, metro area, sales volume, or board group. We know this detailed information and benchmarking will be invaluable to our franchisees as they work to improve profitability and implement best practices,” said Monson. Franchisees can now sync their accounting software to upload financials each month and receive instant feedback on how their center is performing in relation to other centers within the network.

The ProfitKeeper software program is complementary and offered to all franchisees as part of the FASTSIGNS support.