What are your alternatives to joining the Better Sign Shop community?
We think we've got a great thing going here for sign and print shop owners, but there's no one single way to success. Here's some other options...
😅 Building your systems, resources, processes, and training all by yourself
We've been there. Scouring the internet, sign industry forums, and Facebook groups for the knowledge you need. Getting zero responses or snarky comments like 'Go get a real job!'
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It takes a really freaking long time
- You can ask Peter, Michael, or any of the other sign shop owners within the community – it takes years to dial in processes and systems on your own.
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It's lonely out there
- Maybe it's just you. Maybe you've got a great team of employees. But it's still easy to feel like you're working ON the business by yourself.
So building everything yourself might not be a good fit, but what about other opportunities?
💰 Buying a franchise
We're not knocking franchises here at all – documented systems and processes are important for taming the chaos within your shop.
But the sign industry isn't exactly fast-food. Every order is custom-made to the customer's needs AND one sign could take an hour to make or it could take 3 weeks.
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You’ll have to pay a large upfront investment and ongoing royalties.
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Average franchise fee: $49,750
Average royalties: 6% of ALL your SALES, not profits
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You’ll have to live by their rules and you’ll have to adopt their brand.
- Branding and messaging are an important part of success, but you're mostly selling to local or regional businesses. The power of a national brand doesn't carry as much weight as in the consumer space.
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At the end of the day, you’re still on your own.
- Even with all their support and resources, if you need someone to jump in and help out, legally they cannot.
So the question is – are you prepared to take the risks involved in buying a sign industry franchise?
