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Meet FASTSIGNS®Owner Ann Marie Hall
 Growing Up in Franchising
Ann Marie Hall, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
When Ann Marie Hall purchased an underperforming Lancaster, Pennsylvania FASTSIGNS® store in 1998, she had a pretty good idea of what lay ahead. Ann Marie, who hails from a family of entrepreneurs and self-employed individuals, worked as an employee of another franchisor during high school and college. After college, she became a district manager with that franchisor’s corporate office, working with the company’s franchise business consultants.
Ann Marie says she always aspired to own her own business, and given her background, “I knew a good thing when I saw it.” As the Baltimore store manager, she had been impressed with the “relationships, professionalism and happiness of FASTSIGNS franchisees.” She especially liked the hands-on training that franchisees received and the support available to them on the FASTSIGNS Intranet site. “I knew franchising, and I was impressed by what I saw at FASTSIGNS.”
An Opportunity Too Good to Pass Up
In 1998, the store’s previous owner decided to sell the business. When FASTSIGNS suggested that Ann Marie purchase the store, she was unsure at first. When her husband, Al, then a Baltimore police officer and now her business partner, also suggested that she take over the store, she decided it was an opportunity too good to pass up. Under Ann Marie’s leadership, the store turned around quickly and sales quadrupled in the first two years. Over the next two years, Ann Marie invested in the most current sign-making technology available, which involved upgrading all the store’s systems. She implemented an aggressive marketing program, including Yellow Page and print advertising, direct mail and networking with other businesses in Lancaster. In addition, Ann Marie trained and cross-trained her staff, and implemented incentive programs to help motivate them. “I grew the business so fast in the first two years that I couldn’t keep up. We established ourselves with good business accounts, and we found that customer service really pays off,” recalls Ann Marie. “It was just our nature to provide good customer service, but customers thrive on it. I was so busy the first two years that I couldn’t wait for Al to get here and join me.”
A Good Division of Labor
The Halls’ plan was for Al to join the franchise as soon as he retired from his 20 years as a Baltimore police officer. When he retired in June 2000, Al immediately joined Ann Marie, with the initial plan that both would sell and handle customer relations. After a few months, they worked out a new division of labor that proved to make better use of their personal skills. “He works the area from the glass back, and I work the area from the glass to the front of the store,” Ann Marie says with a smile. While she handles sales, marketing, customer service, outside sales and business networking, Al manages the store’s operations, from checking the quality of orders to handling bookkeeping and finances. He also oversees the store’s computer systems.
The Right People — The Biggest Challenge
Because Ann Marie had realistic expectations of what was involved in becoming a FASTSIGNS franchisee, she did not experience major surprises in her first years as a store owner. The biggest challenge, she says, is to find and groom the right people. Including Ann Marie and Al, the store now has eight employees.
“You need to find the right people – people who trust that you will grow the business and people who can grow with you,” she notes. “It’s a big leap of faith on the part of employees.” Today, the Lancaster store continues to grow, regularly ranking among the top 10 FASTSIGNS stores in its region. It has standing business and manufacturing accounts, and works with major Lancaster facilities such as all four local hospitals and the local mall. “We are very busy for a one-store market,” says Ann Marie. In Summer 2003, the store relocated, tripling its size to 3,500 square feet. She also has been nominated for “Small Business Owner of the Year” by the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce.
Don’t Try to Go It Alone
Asked for advice by prospective franchisees, Ann Marie says the key is to utilize the support, resources and expertise that FASTSIGNS International, Inc. offers to its store owners. “As a new franchisee, try to absorb as much information as you can in training. Don’t try to make it without the resources that are available to you. Use the people at the corporate office who are there to help you.” For Ann Marie Hall, one of the best rewards of being a FASTSIGNS franchisee is the independence she and her husband enjoy. “I’m not caught in that corporate structure. My customers dictate what I do, and that’s how we like it.” |
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