SHOWING ALL THE SIGNS OF SUCCESS 

SIGNS EXPRESS FRANCHISEES BASED IN SLIGO AND DERRY WERE DELIGHTED AFTER RECEIVING RECOGNITION IN THE FRANCHISEE AWARDS AT THE SIGNS EXPRESS BI ANNUAL CONVENTION, HELD IN SEPTEMBER.

The awards were the culmination of a weekend of events where all Signs Express centre owners came together for their biannual convention. With over 80 centres across the UK & Ireland, the leading sign franchise gave all franchisees the opportunity to be fully recognised for their individual achievements, showcasing their best projects from the past two years. Michael O'Hara at Signs Express (Sligo) was nominated for the finals of the Greenfield Franchisee of the Year award at the glitzy black tie awards' ceremony. Richard McGonigle, franchisee for Signs Express (Derry) was also named as one of 3 finalists for the Greenfield category. Detailing his career path, Michael comments ‘I spent a long time with Statoil, working in both their Finance and Marketing departments - experience which has stood me in great stead for running my own business.' "After researching a lot of companies, Signs Express were the most professional.' Comments Michael. ‘On making the trip to the Norwich head quarters, I was absolutely delighted with the set up as it re-enforced my initial thoughts. I contacted several existing franchisees during my research and they all were very positive. The more I dug up about Signs Express, the more they smelt of roses. Noone had a bad word to say about them!" "The Signs Express management

Sligo Franchisee Michael O'Hara

franchise puts you in the lucrative b2b environment with excellent sales potential from companies of all sizes and industries, so I knew there would be good opportunities to really grow the business." Commenting on the nomination Michael said: "I am delighted to be recognised for this prestigious award. Here at Sligo, we pride ourselves on being customer focused, reliable and willing to go the extra mile to ensure the satisfaction of all our customers. Being nominated for Greenfield Franchisee of the Year is a real achievement for us, especially as we have only been up and running since March this year." Signs Express franchisee Richard McGonigle opened his production centre in Derry after previously working as a Software Developer. Richard wanted a change and had always aspired to start his own business so looked at franchising as a way to achieve this. He said, "After looking into a few businesses that were for sale in the local area, the costs involved made it unviable. I then decided that a franchise was the best option to suit my needs as it was a tried and tested idea and could provide me with the vital start I needed in business. The signs business interested me and I contacted Signs Express to find out more." On the award win Richard said, "We have had a tremendous start to the business and I am very proud of our success - we have a dedicated team of sign makers and with the help of head office, we have far excelled our expectations since starting

Derry Franchisee Richard McGonigle

up in 2005. The award follows our investment of a full colour digital print machine. I am delighted with my achievement and am looking forward to the opportunities 2008 will bring." Signs Express Managing Director David Corbett commented on the award's events: "Our bi-annual convention is always eagerly anticipated and once again this year was a complete success. It has always proven a difficult decision to choose from such an array of franchising talent, and with so many success stories this year the decision has not been any easier. All of this year's winners have proved worthy of their titles and are true examples of the theme of this year's convention - Proud to Franchise." This year's Convention at the De Vere Dunston Hall hotel Norwich saw franchisees travel from all over the UK and Ireland. The two day learning experience gave guests the opportunity to increase their knowledge of latest market trends and developments, discuss corporate branding issues and have the opportunity to meet with key suppliers at the Supplier Forum. Other winners in the franchisee awards were Leeds franchisees Dave and Kim Nurse, who were crowned overall Franchisee of the Year winners, Steve Read from Aylesbury who won the Greenfield of the year category and Malcolm Lant franchisee for the Gateshead area who was presented with the Resale Franchisee of the Year award. Signs Express is a B2B management franchise opportunity operating within the lucrative signs and graphics industry. A dedicated support team of over 25 industry professionals is available to provide training, advice and expertise to franchisees. With no industry experience required, franchisees come from all industry backgrounds - good management skills, sales ability and the drive and determination to achieve are all that's required.