Signworld Franchise

Values & History

Signworld was established as a business opportunity by founder Ken Kindt in 1988, a former financial planner and Ford Motor Company executive. His concept was a light manufacturing model with a state of the art equipment package, a training program, and on-going support for the life of the business. In the first year two locations opened, one of which is still in full operation today. Over the years as the number of individual owners and locations grew, the business model continued to be refined and enriched, but the basic program of no-rules, no-royalties, with on-going support and training has never changed. This inclusive program makes it unique in the franchise market and sign industry.

In 2006, Ken Kindt sold Signworld to Jack Werner, a former individual Signworld owner. This transition saw the Signworld headquarters moved to Southern California with an expanded training facility and additional staff. Ken Kindt remains as the VP Sales.

At Signworld our sign business model and belief system is built on people and the relationships built with those people. We believe that building relationships creates long-term potential in every facet of business and creates more collaborative support models that allows businesses to succeed.

Industry Performance

According to Ibis, the billboard and sign manufacturing industry is valued at $16.5 billion and has seen growth in the five years leading up to 2019. As online media has challenged many traditional alternatives to billboards, such as newspapers and magazines, advertisers have continued to value traditional signage as a way to reach mass audiences in an increasingly fragmented media landscape. Nonresidential construction spending has also risen over the past five years, boosting demand for general signage from commercial, public, and institutional facilities. This trend is not expected to decline anytime soon, and it is into this strong market that your Signworld franchise will be built--and thrive!

Training & Support

At Signworld we take the support of our franchisees very seriously. We offer extensive pre-opening training to ensure that you know exactly how to run your business, right from the start. Pre-opening training includes:

• Technical Training -- 5 days on sign-making, hardware, and software
• Operations Training -- 3 days on sales/marketing, website/internet presence, human resources, finance, legal, products, materials, suppliers, and overall daily operations
• Sign-making and Installation Training -- 1 day on sign-making and finishing as well as how to install signs and manage subcontracted installers
• Supplier Training – 1 day visiting 7 suppliers
• Point-of-Sale Training -- Weekly small group webinars plus one-on-one time and video tutorial library access
• On-The-Job Training -- Up to 7 days at other Signworld locations
• On-site Training -- 3 days. Your equipment will be set up for you. You and your staff will also be given advanced training

• Supply discounts
• Online technical support
• Next day on-site service
• Owners web site
• Our annual convention -- a 3-day event with 30 seminars on how to improve your operation and earn more money.

Ideal Candidate & Qualifications

You won't need any graphics arts education or prior experience with signs to open your own Signworld franchise. Our owners come from all walks of life, from bankers to secretaries to construction workers. No matter what their background, they all share a strong work ethic, a desire to build a business with no limitations, and the realization that working for themselves is their ultimate destiny. They apply their people skills to help their customers with solutions they need to promote their business.

Here are some of the characteristics we find in most Signworld owners:

• Entrepreneurial -- With a model that is more autonomous than most, the owner needs to have a little bit of maverick in themselves that says, “I want to be in control and make the final decision!".
• Ability to translate information and make decisions
• Project or Operation Management Skills -- This type of business comes with a lot of moving parts. From employees to customers to projects, this business requires the owner to have the ability to juggle multiple things at one time.
• The ability to network and build relationships
• Excellent time management
• Ability to delegate and hand off things of lower importance

Purchasing a SIGNWORLD Franchise

Potential Signworld franchisees must be prepared to make an approximately $210,000 investment. This includes the $155,000 Signworld Package, $25,000 Startup Expenses, and $30,000 Cash Reserve. This cash reserve is for emergencies or cash shortfalls in your early months of business. Many Signworld owners never spend this money.