small business opportunities magazine

Sign, Graphics and Visual Communications Franchisor Adds Virtual Sales Assistant Software System-wide to Support Franchisees

CARROLLTON, Texas — FASTSIGNS International, Inc., franchisor of FASTSIGNS^®, the leading sign, graphics and visual communications franchise, announced today its partnership with Click2Sell, an online platform created to simplify, automate, and personalize the process for sales professionals performing business-to-business sales.

“Click2Sell’s software was designed with the small business owner in mind, and its capabilities have been proven to not only allow employees the time to focus on more important tasks, but also to generate quality leads that convert into tangible sales,” said Mark Jameson, EVP of Franchise Support and Development, FASTSIGNS International, Inc. “Individual franchisee success is how we determine our overall brand success at FASTSIGNS, and by implementing this new program we strive to uphold our commitment to deliver the most quality resources for the franchisees throughout our FASTSIGNS system.”

Click2Sell is a web-based application created for B2B sales professionals by B2B sales professionals. Its proprietary reply actions and email send algorithms were designed to help sales professionals drive sales by serving as a virtual assistant.

“The initial results for FASTSIGNS have been some of the best we’ve seen yet,” said Amy Barcus, founding partner of Click2Sell. “Our purpose is to help FASTSIGNS re-engage with repeat customers and find new customers daily, keeping the brand top-of-mind with thousands of prospects in each market. We’re very excited about this partnership and look forward to all we can accomplish as our relationship continues to evolve.”

FASTSIGNS is known in the industry for equipping its franchisees with tools vital to securing the ongoing success of each individual location. In 2018, FASTSIGNS announced the launch of its partnership with 1HUDDLE, a workforce-training platform that converts unique training content into science-backed, quick-burst training games that are proven to accelerate workforce productivity. Additionally, FASTSIGNS announced the launch of a special incentive for first responders, including paramedics, emergency medical technicians, police officers, sheriffs, and firefighters, which includes a 50-percent reduction on the franchise fee — a savings of $23,750. As part of the International Franchise Association’s (IFA) VetFran program, FASTSIGNS also offers veterans this special incentive. FASTSIGNS is proud to be the only franchisor in its segment to offer a development incentive specifically to first responders and veterans.

FASTSIGNS International, Inc. was ranked the #1 franchise opportunity in its category and 95 overall on Entrepreneur magazine’s 2019 Franchise 500^®, the world’s first, best and most comprehensive franchise ranking. Acknowledged by entrepreneurs and franchisors as a top competitive tool of measurement, the Franchise 500^® recognizes FASTSIGNS, the only sign, graphics, and visual communications franchise to be recognized in the top 100, for its exceptional performance in areas including financial strength and stability, growth rate and brand power. FASTSIGNS also has been recognized for its franchisee satisfaction by being named a World Class Franchise by the Franchise Research Institute for five consecutive years and has been ranked by Franchise Business Review as one of the “Best of the Best” for franchisee satisfaction for the last 10 years. Additionally, FASTSIGNS also was named to Franchise Business Review’s “Innovative Franchises” list in 2017 and a “Best-in-Category” franchise by Franchise Business Review in 2018. The Canadian Franchise Association (CFA) recently recognized FASTSIGNS International, Inc. with a special six-year Franchisees’ Choice designation for its strong relationship with Canadian franchisees, as well as extensive franchisee training and support.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Jose Corujo, Juan A. Rivera, and Teresa Caballero, Master franchise owners of FASTSIGNS® Puerto Rico, which includes three locations, received national recognition as the recipients of The FASTSIGNS® Award at the 2019 FASTSIGNS International Convention recently held in Orlando, Florida.

This award, which is the most prestigious recognition in the franchise network of over 700 locations in nine countries worldwide, is presented to the franchisees who best represent the FASTSIGNS brand in their community and in the network, and provide exceptional customer service, mentoring, company culture and employee development. FASTSIGNS Puerto Rico also received an award for their involvement in the Franchise Advisory Council.

“It is a huge honor for us. We feel it is such a high recognition to receive this award, because we know the quality of our peers within the franchise network. It’s impossible to describe how we felt, and it was very emotional,” said Caballero.

Having a strong client base on the island through a company that specialized in POP (point-of-purchase) marketing, Corujo, Rivera and Caballero converted their existing business in 2012 into FASTSIGNS. The team signed a Master Franchise Agreement to expand the FASTSIGNS brand into Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands and the Dominican Republic.

During 2012, FASTSIGNS opened its first Puerto Rican center in Guaynabo, followed by the Caguas center in 2014 and Carolina in 2015. FASTSIGNS Puerto Rico also has a production workshop, located in the Lucchetti Industrial Park, and its more than 19 employees are proud to contribute to the local economy with their sales talent and production capacity.

“With conversions, franchise owners have the tools but it is up to each of us to take those tools out into the market and to the next level. Knowing that FASTSIGNS didn’t yet have a presence in Puerto Rico, we worked to raise awareness on a local and national level,” said Corujo. “It took courage, requiring us to leave what we were currently doing and take the next step. Our story shows that if franchisees embrace the model, it really pays off. We are extremely proud of all of the hours we invested as we made every effort to embody and share the FASTSIGNS brand.”

When the island was devastated by Hurricane Maria, in 2017, all three locations were without power for a period of time with only their production center powered by a generator. They provided support financially and emotionally to their employees.

“The Hurricane Maria situation changed not only us but the whole island’s psyche. The way that we approach problems is quite different now,” said Rivera, franchise owner with FASTSIGNS Puerto Rico. “We were forced to keep moving. This made us and the team stronger. We learned no matter how tough things may look, there’s a light on the other side.”

“This team excels in solving visual communications, helping customers achieve their objectives, and represents the FASTSIGNS brand with passion, excellence and enthusiasm,” said FASTSIGNS International, Inc. CEO, Catherine Monson. “Not only are they committed to FASTSIGNS, they are also committed to helping their local community while consistently having a positive impact. They’ve also been amazing in helping us grow the FASTSIGNS network both domestically and internationally. We are thankful to have them as members of the FASTSIGNS family.”

No. 1-ranked Sign, Graphics and Visual Communications Franchisor Will Meet with Qualified Entrepreneurs at the National Business Media Show in Phoenix Feb. 1-2

CARROLLTON, Texas — FASTSIGNS International, Inc., franchisor of FASTSIGNS^®, the leading sign, graphics and visual communications franchise, is actively recruiting franchise candidates to grow its co-brand and conversion program throughout the West Coast, including Phoenix, Tucson, Las Vegas, Southern California, and New Mexico. As part of its growth strategy, FASTSIGNS will exhibit at The NBM Show (booth #112) at the Phoenix Convention Center from Feb. 1-2, 2019.

The brand is seeking entrepreneurs with an established business that are interested in diversifying their product lines and services to meet the growing demand for state-of-the-art 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 franchisees that have converted or co-branded their business continue to tell us how the brand recognition, training and support, and the latest technology have driven strong sales and helped them grow their business beyond what they could have done as an independent shop,” said Mark Jameson, EVP of Franchise Support and Development, FASTSIGNS International, Inc. “We’re excited to grow our co-brand and conversion program and look forward to meeting qualified candidates at The NBM Show.”

“After establishing a thriving business within my local community over the past two decades, I was looking for a new way to expand and bring my signage and awnings shop to the next level,” said Nikki Taheri, who converted her existing business to a FASTSIGNS center in Bayonne, New Jersey, with her husband, Brendan Duane. “FASTSIGNS has proven to be an invaluable partner as they’ve provided us with a deeper connection to the signage industry. Beyond the national brand name recognition, FASTSIGNS gives us access to new resources, immeasurable support and vendor relationships which allow our business to provide additional services to our customers.”    

FASTSIGNS is known in the industry for equipping its franchisees with tools vital to securing the ongoing success of each individual location. In 2018, FASTSIGNS announced the launch of its partnership with 1HUDDLE, a workforce-training platform that converts unique training content into science-backed, quick-burst training games that are proven to accelerate workforce productivity. Additionally, FASTSIGNS announced the launch of a special incentive for first responders, including paramedics, emergency medical technicians, police officers, sheriffs, and firefighters, which includes a 50-percent reduction on the franchise fee — a savings of $23,750. As part of the International Franchise Association’s (IFA) VetFran program, FASTSIGNS also offers veterans this special incentive. FASTSIGNS is proud to be the only franchisor in its segment to offer a development incentive specifically to first responders and veterans.

FASTSIGNS International, Inc. was ranked the #1 franchise opportunity in its category and 95 overall on Entrepreneur magazine’s 2019 Franchise 500^®, the world’s first, best and most comprehensive franchise ranking. Acknowledged by entrepreneurs and franchisors as a top competitive tool of measurement, the Franchise 500^® recognizes FASTSIGNS, the only sign, graphics, and visual communications franchise to be recognized in the top 100, for its exceptional performance in areas including financial strength and stability, growth rate, and brand power. FASTSIGNS also has been recognized for its franchisee satisfaction by being named a World Class Franchise by the Franchise Research Institute for five consecutive years and has been ranked by Franchise Business Review as one of the “Best of the Best” for franchisee satisfaction for the last 10 years. Additionally, FASTSIGNS also was named to Franchise Business Review’s “Innovative Franchises” list in 2017 and a “Best-in-Category” franchise by Franchise Business Review in 2018. Last year, the Canadian Franchise Association (CFA) recognized FASTSIGNS International, Inc. with a special six-year Franchisees’ Choice designation for its strong relationship with Canadian franchisees, as well as extensive franchisee training and support.