Trading tips for you as franchise owner to help you achieve success

When opening a Signarama franchise, you can rest assured that our franchise team will be offering you the necessary support to establish and run your store as effectively as possible. Besides the training, guidance and resources offered by our team, however, there are certain efforts you as store owner can make to help ensure the success of your franchise. Here are some top trading tips:

• Know your strengths and ask for help if required

As franchise owner, you will have many responsibilities, including marketing, finance, administration, customer services, managing staff, etc. If you want to achieve success, it is better to acquire suitable help to take some of the responsibilities off your hands. Therefore, know your strengths and decide which functions you can take care of yourself – and hire staff to do the rest, or outsource your needs.

Not only will this ensure that all business tasks are completed accurately, but it will also allow you more time to focus on other aspects of your franchise.

• Plan in advance

With a well thought out and implemented business strategy, your franchise is more likely to succeed. Plan all business aspects to the finest detail to ensure that you are prepared for anything that may come your way – this includes marketing strategies, target markets, customer service methods, employee motivation, acquiring of materials, installation methods, etc.

• Make sure you know the industry

By knowing your industry, you can gain a competitive advantage. Learn as much as you can about the signage industry. You can do this by, staying in touch with other franchise owners, who can provide valuable tips. Make use of all networking opportunities to gain useful insights and develop valuable connections with influential individuals in the signage industry.

• Get to know your customers

Personalised customer service goes a long way. Take the time to get to know your customers to ensure that you fully understand their requirements. One happy customer could mean return business for your store, as well as new business if the customer spreads the word on your professional service delivery.

• Keep finances & accounts up to date

Keeping your finances and accounts up to date is not only crucial for compliance matters, but it will also ensure that you are aware of where very cent in your business is going. Being aware of your store’s financial status will allow you to better manage business affairs and to make necessary adjustments to improve sales, etc.

• Manage your cash flow

Healthy cash flow is every business’ lifeline, and it is the same for a signage franchise store. When budgeting, make sure that you have sufficient funds to maintain a healthy cash flow – which could come in handy during emergencies, when machinery breaks, or when sudden business opportunities arise.

• Implement sound management practices

Implementing sound management practices will not only keep your store functioning, it will also keep your employees happy, and happy employees are more likely to help you make a success of your business. Conduct research on effective management practices and see what works best for your store in terms of customer service, managing staff, operations and procedures, etc.

• Develop & establish a brand presence

For any store to succeed, including a signage franchise, you need to develop and establish a brand presence. This is done through effective marketing efforts such as building an online presence, being active on social media, being involved in the community, hosting events and competitions, making sure that your store signage is striking and attractive, and other forms of marketing.

If you would like to find out more about the training and support provided by our team when joining our franchise network, please visit our website or feel free to contact us directly.