When you franchise with a brand like FASTSIGNS, age is just a number if you’ve got the right attitude and a desire to succeed!
The average age of someone investing in a franchise for the first time is usually between 40 and 50. This is unsurprising as franchising is a fantastic opportunity for those who’ve built up their skills through their work history. It’s at this stage in their career that they are ready to build something for themselves. However, there’s a new generation rising who are already making quite a splash.
Tom Gilpin, owner of FASTSIGNS Birmingham, is one of several ambitious entrepreneurs who joined a franchise at a young age. At just 26 years old, Tom has recently celebrated 2 years as the franchisee of our Birmingham centre. We decided it was way past time to share his story.
Even when he was at school, Tom had his eyes firmly set on running his own business and wasted no time putting his plans into action. His first business, which he launched in his early teens, was in landscaping and construction. His father was always encouraging him to grow and look at new opportunities to expand. Since he was around 14, Tom had accompanied his dad to franchise exhibitions, which is where he first came across FASTSIGNS.
Both had been impressed with what FASTSIGNS had to offer, but it wasn’t until 2023 that Tom felt it was time to make his move. “My Dad phoned me one day and said, ‘FASTSIGNS Birmingham is up for sale. Why don’t you buy it?” comments Tom. “I decided to go for it! I’d already been looking at other franchise opportunities. The combination of taking on an established business, with everything FASTSIGNS could offer me to build a business with them, meant this was a great opportunity.”
Tom didn’t have any experience in signage, but this isn’t unusual for someone starting a franchise business. Many FASTSIGNS franchisees come from outside of the industry. However, thanks to his experience in landscaping and construction, Tom did have a good practical grounding in how to carry out installations, as well as a wealth of experience in interacting with customers. The manufacturing side, though, was completely new to him, as was the FASTSIGNS way of doing business.
Fortunately, we’ve spent 40 years perfecting how to train franchisees, helping them to play to their strengths. Starting with a comprehensive training programme at our Head Office in Dallas, Texas, franchisees learn everything they need to know. On their return to the UK, they then embark on a specialised mentoring programme, meet their Business Consultant and connect with established supplier partners.
Something Tom has discovered over the last two years, “I’ve always thought of myself as a fast learner. I can hire people with the right experience to oversee the actual manufacturing of the signage we produce for clients. But for me, the most important aspect of my business was the business management side, as I want to build on the centre’s past success. I’ve been mentored by the franchisee team from FASTSIGNS Huddersfield, who have given me the foundation.”
From the moment you join the franchise and throughout the lifetime of your franchise with us, there’s always someone who will have your back. As Tom says, “There’s always been someone there for me when I needed it, at the end of the phone; we also have WhatsApp groups where anyone can ask questions to the wider network and get the answers they need.”
Now with two years as a franchisee under his belt, Tom reflects on how far he’s come: “The business is hands-on. You can build your own team, but I believe it’s important to be right in there myself, every day, making this business work for me. When we’ve reached our growth objectives, I plan to take a step back and operate the business more strategically, but in these early days, I’ve been eager to be involved in every part of the day-to-day operations. Looking back, it’s easy to say I wish I knew then what I know now, but that’s the point – I didn’t. It’s a learning curve, and it can be a steep one! My advice to anyone starting now is don’t try to grow too quickly. Take your time to learn the business first, get your feet under the table and then plan for sustained growth.”
As the franchisor, we’re extremely proud of how far Tom has come in his time with us. We’re expecting some truly incredible things from him over the next few years. Having helped him follow our model, we’re thrilled that he has learnt so much and has grown in confidence as a young business owner. Young blood joining FASTSIGNS doesn’t just add a fresh new perspective; it’s an inspiration for others just like him who could form the next generation of franchise owners.
Whatever your age or background, could there be a place for you at FASTSIGNS, too? There’s only one way to find out – get in touch!
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