Over 25 years ago, Signs Express opened its flagship centre in Norwich. As a former employee of the centre, Ken Venables decided to return to the industry and take over the franchise in 2014, and the business has been going from strength-to-strength ever since.

Over 25 years ago, Signs Express opened its flagship centre in Norwich. As a former employee of the centre, Ken Venables decided to return to the industry and take over the franchise in 2014, and the business has been going from strength-to-strength ever since.

Now in to his second year, Signs Express (Norwich) has already experienced 30% growth in sales compared to the previous year and this is only the beginning. Ken continues to keep driving the business forward and is proving to be a real success story.

Ken explained: “Year two has definitely been busier than year one because we spent the first year re-engaging the customers that had fallen off the books and building up a database of new names.

Year two has also brought with it larger and more complex projects as well as a higher volume of vehicle graphic orders, which represent a higher profit margin. This is partly because we have steadily proven the ability of our team throughout the past two years and gained not only an excellent reputation, but also a loyal consumer base.”

Ken attributes his success to his focus and determination: “I always have an end goal and this has helped me to maintain my drive to see it through. As a management franchise opportunity, the plan was always for me to take the lead of the team and dedicate a portion of my time to creating strong relationships with customers and networking regularly. As a result, we have seen regular repeat customers as well as referrals from such customers with connections.”

The Signs industry is dynamic, creative and diverse. Ken believes: “The sign trade has certain ‘flair’ about it and offers unrivalled variety in day-to-day activities. For example, I can be talking through a design with a customer at the centre one morning, and then sending work to the printer for production at midday to being onsite whilst the signage is fitted the next. I just love it.”

If you are thinking about a franchise proposition, Ken advised: “Always do your homework and research the area you are looking to occupy, as local knowledge is a useful tool. The franchising industry offers an enormous variety of opportunities and it has been growing year-on-year for the past decade, so you have plenty of choice when deciding where to invest.

I chose Signs Express because the profit potential is almost limitless and when I worked at the centre previously, I really enjoyed the work. The level of support, training and the communal spirit of the entire group was something that I simply have not found anywhere else.”

Ken’s success is inspiring, but has he maximised the potential of his local area?

“I am not sure that you can ever maximise the potential of an area, because there is always a continuing need for signage across the region. We have tapped into a great deal of the local potential, but there’s still much more to be had – the key is to keep your ear to the ground and actively market the business to the B2B market in the locality. Indeed, we are keen social media users and this, along with the marketing activities by head office, helps tremendously – if you do not tell anyone, no one will know about you.”

So what are Ken’s future plans for the business? “Territorial domination! We are growing well and are on-target to pass the most successful point from the previous 15 years. Moving forward, we will add another floor to the premises and expand the team and equipment to give us greater strength and breadth. However, it is always keys to maintain our core values and our focus on our customers, both of which contribute to the success of the business.”

This is a franchise opportunity with a big difference. So if you’re ready to make a life-changing move with excellent income, prospects and lifestyle simply fill in the enquiry form.