Signarama is celebrating the opening of its 100th Australian store in Sydney’s Mosman as it expands across the country, with regional areas and some remaining metro pockets a target for growth. Colin Sharp and Sharyn Eaton are the proud new owners of Signarama Mosman. Sharp says this is his second foray into running his own business. He has no previous experience in printing or signs, but wanted to join a franchise for the support. He tells AP, “I decided that I needed to do something with my life. I was in the coal industry; I have a background in engineering and projects. The price of coal fell, so a lot of people had to leave. It was difficult to find another role, so someone suggested I have a look at a franchise and work for myself.
Evan Foster, national director of the United Franchise Group in Australia (l), with Signarama Mosman owner Colin Sharp
“Signarama’s support is fantastic, you can ring them at any time and they respond quickly. I have run a consulting business in the past, so I know what it is like to be a small business owner, and what it’s like to do it without backup and support. So I chose to join a franchise group this time round.” Scott Mast, vice president of global performance with Signarama’s US parent company United Franchise Group, says Australia is one of the fastest growing and most successful areas for the Signarama brand, and the 100th store was an inevitable milestone. Mast says, “This is because we have some really hard-working, admirable business owners here, who work on behalf of their customers and build really good relationships. “It has always been a pleasure to work here. The first time we came here 15 years ago we knew this was going to happen; it was inevitable, because Australia is a great place to do business.” Australia appears to be a franchise-happy nation; Sean O’Donnell, president of the Franchise Council of Australia’s NSW and ACT chapter, says they currently attract a collective turnover of around $140bn. “We are the most franchised nation per capita,” he says. “While there are a lot of iconic brands in Australia that are franchised, not many have more than 100 stores, so it is big to reach that.” Evan Foster, national director of the United Franchise Group in Australia, says growth is central to the company’s culture, and Signarama still has some expanding to do in regional areas before reaching capacity here.
Scott Mast, vice president of global performance with Signarama’s US parent company United Franchise Group (l), with Signarama Burwood owner Andrew Williams
He says, “It is satisfying to get to the 100th store, and we are still growing. Store 101 in North Sydney is just around the corner. We have only a handful of metropolitan regions available and then we will be full in those areas. The focus will now switch back to regional areas like Canberra, Townsville, Shepparton and Mildura. “The growth phase is never over with us. That is one of our core values as a company, we want to keep growing, we are never going to stand still. We have a number of brands, not just Signarama – there’s EmbroidMe and Plan Ahead Events, and some others in America that we haven’t yet brought here. “Our CEO, Ray Titus, is all about growth. He is probably the most entrepreneurial guy I know. He is always looking for an opportunity, whether with another brand or expanding into a different market.” Foster adds that United is looking to grow its footprint around the world, with new empires opening up in the Asia Pacific and further afield; Mast says there are now 1000 stores across the United stable in 52 countries, and counting. Foster says, “We currently have a push in taking our existing brands out into different countries this year. We are just about to open in the Philippines with Signarama. We are seeing great growth out of Singapore for the brand, as well as in France, Spain and Indonesia. We are continuing to expand our footprint. “Our guys in Singapore are going gangbusters at the moment. They have only been going for about three years, but they now have six stores in Singapore and have just opened their first in Malaysia. They are growing rapidly and are doing really well; they are going to be the next superstars of the Signarama family.”
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