Vince DiCecco provides free upgrade training at the Signworld Convention.

One of the true benefits that Signworld offers its group of independent owners is the opportunity to take advantage of free upgrade training that is made available on a regular basis.  While most of the training is taught or moderated by the Signworld corporate staff, many other sessions are taught by the Signworld owners and industry experts.  The free upgrade training consists of the following opportunities:

• Weekly Sales & Marketing Webinars – these sessions, taught by Ken Kindt and Jack Werner, are held once a week.  In these sessions, Ken and Jack utilize their many years of experience in the industry to share real-world sales techniques that work within the sign industry.  They also create an environment where owners share their experiences and learn new ways to improve their sales skills and business revenues.  These webinars are open to all Signworld owners.
• Technical Webinars – these sessions, taught by Paul Wagner, are intended to teach additional technical skill sets to improve the functionality and efficiency of the equipment and the production staff associated with each Signworld location.
• Preferred Provider Webinars – Signworld’s core of Preferred Providers routinely offer opportunities to learn more about product offerings and tips to selling respective product lines to specific customer bases.
• Regional Meetings – These meetings, which are hosted by Signworld, Signworld owners and Preferred Partners, encourage owners to get together in a central regional location regularly to discuss current business practices, revenue opportunities, product offerings, changes in OSHA and HR guidelines as well as many other topics to improve each participants business and encourage a sense of accountability between owners.

Continue reading more about Signworld’s free upgrade and on-going training…

Why should I join Signworld over other “sign franchises”?  That’s a question we here often and one that we enjoy answering.

We have to look at the advantages of joining a franchise and how they don’t apply to the custom sign industry.  One of the biggest advantages of a franchise is the consistent brand identity.  Brand identity is very important in the consumer world.  When you see the name or logo of a company you are familiar with, you get a feeling of comfort.  You know that you will get the same product or service anywhere you might be in the world regardless of the franchise owner.  Signworld, as a business opportunity, selling to the business community where brand identity is not as important, allows you the autonomy to create your own brand identity and hold onto your customer regardless of where they might go in the world because only you have your brand identity.

Another advantage of a franchise is the consistent process and finished product.  This advantage gives you the security to know that if you order a sandwich from your favorite sub shop, you will get that same sandwich, made the same way with the same products in any of their locations regardless of the city you’re in.  Unfortunately, signs are custom made from a number of different raw materials in a number of different ways.  Every customer is different and therefore every sign is different.  So, the consistent process and consistent finished product advantages do not apply to the sign business and the light manufacturing industries.

Most of these advantages are policed by a rule book.  When you are custom manufacturing a product from raw materials, a rule book limits your options and ability to provide the best solution for your customer.

In the consumer world, consistency is key.  There are a lot of great franchise systems out there today but unfortunately, the manufacturing world is not built around the consumer.  It is built around business world and most products being manufactured are sold to other businesses who then utilize the product to make other products or promote their services.  So although there are great franchises available for future business owners, sign franchises, in our opinion, do not make for a good opportunity.  Signworld as a business opportunity offers a great alternative to the franchise setting, providing the proven business model, training and support, as well as the autonomy to build a business without restrictions making truly a custom manufacturing business.

Please contact us if you are interested in learning more about Signworld.

A question we here quite often is, “Why can’t I just do this on my own, why do I need Signworld?”

A proven business model is key to the success of any business, regardless of the industry.  Most people that start a business either purchase the territory rights for a franchise or enter a field that they have previously worked in.  Very few have the courage or idea to start a business from scratch in an entirely new field that they have little to no experience in.

So, one of the biggest reasons why you would utilize Signworld is for the proven business model that has been molded from 25 years of experience in the industry and put into practice by hundreds of successful owners.  Essentially, we have made the mistakes and have found the solution to many start-up issues allowing you a smoother start to your business.

Another reason you would want to avoid entering the sign business on your own would be the time spent putting together an equipment package and understanding how to use that equipment.  Again, we’ve done the legwork in this area and have put together a top of the line package that has been tested to make sure that it fits our needs as a full service sign company.  Best of all, we train you how to use it efficiently and make sure that once you are up and running, that your equipment is always in working order and being used properly by your staff of sign makers.  One of our more recent owners stated that if he had gone into this business on his own which he had initially intended to do, he would have easily spent over three months just selecting the equipment needed and learning how to use it.

On-going support and training are another reason to join an organization like Signworld versus entering the sign business independently.  Having a team of people whose job it is to coordinate training and support for you can be a valuable asset that wouldn’t be available to you as an independent company.  Also, with 270 other “sister companies” that have gone through the process before you, they are there to support you with real-life answers straight from the source, rather than having to find all of the answer on your own.

There are many other features that make it more beneficial for you to join Signworld rather than start your own sign company independently.  Contact us to learn more and how we can help you achieve your business ownership dream with a proven business model.

Deciding to start your own business is one of the biggest decisions when choosing your “path” in life.  Once you have decided to start a business, the next decision is how you are going to start your new venture, will you start it from scratch or will you choose one of the many great franchise or business opportunities.  Should you decide that you want to join an organization that provides assistance, we have to look at the differences between a franchise and a business opportunity.  Looking at some of the biggest differences will help you choose the right “path” for your family.

Both have a start-up package, a proven business model, training and on-going support.  A business opportunity charges an upfront fee that is comparable to an upfront franchise fee.  There are NO on-going fees charged by a business opportunity.  However, a franchise charges an on-going monthly royalty.  Also, a business opportunity does not have the huge expenses of attorney’s fees, accounts receivable people to collect royalties, and regional directors to maintain the core brand identity.  Attorneys, collection people and regional support are one of the biggest ongoing expenses to a franchisor.

More importantly, a business opportunity does not have any rules.  A franchise has all kinds of rules and reporting requirements.  The quality of on-going support will vary widely.  Whereas our on-going support is tremendous and is supported not only from the corporate staff, but also the family of 260 other Signworld owners.  Business opportunities are geared more for experienced business people who want to do things their own way but still have an organization to lean on for support.

Contact us to learn more about Signworld’s business opportunity and how you can start your very own sign manufacturing company!

Why should I join Signworld over other “sign franchises”?  That’s a question we hear often and one that we enjoy answering.

We have to look at the advantages of joining a franchise and how they don’t apply to the custom sign industry.  One of the biggest advantages of a franchise is the consistent brand identity.  Brand identity is very important in the consumer world.  When you see the name or logo of a company you are familiar with, you get a feeling of comfort.  You know that you will get the same product or service anywhere you might be in the world regardless of the franchise owner.  Signworld, as a business opportunity, selling to the business community where brand-identity is not as important, which allows you the autonomy to create your own brand identity and hold onto your customer regardless of where they might go in the world because only you have your brand identity.

Another advantage of a franchise is the consistent process and finished product.  This advantage gives you the security to know that if you order a sandwich from your favorite sub shop, you will get that same sandwich, made the same way, with the same ingredients in any of their locations regardless of the city you’re in.  Unfortunately, signs are custom-made from a number of different raw materials or “ingredients” in a number of different ways.  Every customer is different and therefore every sign is different.  So, the consistent process and consistent finished product advantages do not apply to the sign business and the light manufacturing industries.

Most of these advantages are policed by a rule book.  When you are custom manufacturing a product from raw materials, a rule book limits your options and ability to provide the best solution for your customer.

In the consumer world, consistency is key.  There are a lot of great franchise systems out there today but unfortunately, the manufacturing world is not built around the consumer.  It is built around business world and most products being manufactured are sold to other businesses who then utilize the product to make other products or promote their services.  So although there are great franchises available to future business owners, sign franchises, in our opinion, do not make for a good opportunity.  Signworld as a business opportunity offers a great alternative to the franchise setting, providing the proven business model, training and support, as well as the autonomy to build a business without restrictions making truly a custom manufacturing business.

Our economy has for generations has been fueled by manufacturing, both heavy and light. Light manufacturing is an environment with no loud noises, no noxious odors, no dangerous chemicals, and no dangerous equipment. Much of the light manufacturing over the years has gone overseas due to economics.  Some manufacturing remains here due to different factors including; technology, unique raw materials, the need to be close to the customer, or the custom nature of small run production. Many individuals in our economy come from the world of manufacturing and have the desire to make a product from raw materials.  They like the processes involved in manufacturing. They like the tangible results of what they have made.  They like the single location nature of the industry, the regular hours it operates, the project scheduling, the ability to acquire the property in which they are located, and they understand the resale value of a manufacturing business.

Signworld falls right in the middle of the light manufacturing industry.  Our owners make signs from raw materials and sell to a customer base that they are close to.  They get to see the tangible results of their labor in the form of signage they have produced for their customers when the drive home at the end of the day.  And, most importantly, they like that they are helping other companies promote their products and services through visible means.  With more of a focus to buy “Made in the USA” products, manufacturing of any product here in the states becomes a more enticing selling point with a loyal customer base.  Manufacturing is an industry that will stand the test of time, regardless of how our world evolves.  Signs will continue to be used to display any message or advertisement making it an industry with a long history and a very bright future.

Almost every company in business today is reliant upon a core base of reliable suppliers.  Finding reliable suppliers should be a part of every company’s strategic plan because of their importance on a company’s growth.  Suppliers can impact your company’s growth pattern and there are some characteristics that are important to look at when choosing a supplier.

• Quality of Product – The quality of a raw material can greatly affect the overall outcome of the finished product.  When the quality of the raw material is high, the finished product has a longer life-span and more importantly creates a highly favorable reaction from the customer.  If higher quality output is created by using higher quality products, there is smaller chance of repairs or revisions to the project which results in a better bottom line.
• Ability to stay on time – keeping the timeline of a project in place is key to providing a favorable experience for your customer.  If a supplier can remain on a reliable time schedule for the delivery of raw materials, you are less likely to hold on to a large inventory, thus reducing your risk.  Also, in terms of finished goods, a properly structured turnaround schedule can increase the likelihood of future business from your customer.
• Overall competitiveness – Suppliers that are willing to compete on pricing can help you keep you bottom line at a more favorable level and can also make the finished product more cost effective.

By looking for these three characteristics in your suppliers, you can rest assured that your company will always be serviced properly.

Signworld has worked hard over the years to build a core group of suppliers offering raw materials and wholesale finished goods.  Signworld has also worked hard with its owner group to find reliable and competitive suppliers covering all facets of the sign industry.  These suppliers are a valued part of the Signworld proposition and are essential to the good health and constant growth of our independent businesses.  We are loyal supporters of theirs and they are of our group through continued educational opportunities, preferred pricing and product innovation.

If you’d like to find out more about how Signworld utilizes its core of preferred suppliers to grow each owners business you can contact us.