Currently boasting 19 franchises, sign and graphic business SIGNWAVE is looking to expand further. While the business already holds a strong presence in Victoria, NSW, Queensland and Western Australia, general manager Andrew McKay wants to see steady growth of franchises on an annual basis. “What we want is a consistent growth every year and weÕre looking to have four to five new franchisees per year, over a sustained period, and then weÕll decide when we cap it.”

Despite being part of the larger international network FASTSIGNS, with franchises in the UK, Canada, Mexico and Brazil, it was AustraliaÕs SIGNWAVE franchises that performed the best across the globe, generating $12m revenue for the 2007/2008 financial year.

“The Australian stores had a very healthy increase of sales this year and have out-performed all other countries,” commented McKay.

He puts this success down to the custom-made service. “SIGNWAVE is a high margin business and thatÕs simply because we sell customised products. Therefore, itÕs not something that people are buying off the rack; itÕs something theyÕve got to order and provide specifications for.”

Speaking on the profitability of owning a franchise McKay said, “The margins involved are always very good for us. WeÕve also found that traditionally, weÕve got a very low cost of goods. From a profit and loss point of view, that gives us an incredibly good base to build profit.”

However, despite this aim to increase the number of franchises across Australia, it is not at the sacrifice of good quality. Each prospective franchisee first has to pass a strict criteria.

“WeÕre not about putting numbers in for numbers sake. We focus on having the right people. ItÕs a reasonably long process to get involved, but we feel as if weÕre doing justice to our existing franchisees and to the brand.”