How is the print industry staying relevant in today’s digital world? Here Signarama’s Evan Foster explains how the national brand is keeping ahead.

Q: Tell us what differentiates your business from the competition – at a client level, and for franchisees

A: At a client level, no sign franchise has the reach and scope of Signarama – from Cairns to Hobart and Sydney to Perth and many places in-between, we can cover the needs of customers almost wherever they are across Australia.

For franchisees, this means we have the support network, both from our operational staff and their peers, unmatched in the signage industry. Signage isn’t a ‘cookie cutter’ industry, there is always something new to learn, and the expertise of almost 100 other franchisees that have been there before you is even more invaluable here than in other environments.

Q: Where is the growth going to come from over the next five years for your franchisees?

A: There will be more focus on LED and digital signage, and new technologies like Near Field Communications. We’ll also see more and more franchisees expanding into additional equipment like flat-bed digital printers as the entry-level for these machines becomes more affordable than present.

Q: What are you doing differently today from two years ago?

A: Well, a re-brand for a start! We’re almost completely through our first re-brandin for about eight years and the reception from franchisees and customers has been amazing. We’re putting in place a conscious strategy to build the brand into a marketing resource rather than ‘just’ a sign supplier.

We’ve also adopted new in-store technology such as our cloud-based POS program that has given greater flexibility for franchisees to view what’s going on in the business from wherever they are, as well as greater transparency for all team members of the work that is in the system. It’s been probably the best innovation that we’ve implemented in the past 10 years.

Q: How easy is it for franchisees to get finance from the banks today?

A: It’s still the greatest challenge, no different from any other era. The right candidate can still get financing though, and a franchisor with a proven track record of developing successful franchisees will also see the lenders be a little more open to finding a solution.

Q: Is there any assistance for potential franchisees without the requisite finances?

A: Yes, we have programs that we can introduce to potential candidates.

COMPANY SNAPSHOT

• Franchising for 28 years in the US 28 years, in Australia, 16 years
• In Australia there are 97 locations
• A franchise term is 35 years
• Expect to invest about $200,000