First, why a sign business?
The sign business NEVER goes away whether the economy is good or bad.  When the economy is strong more new businesses open and a sign is first thing the need.  When the economy slows and businesses close the new tenant needs a new sign.  Businesses always need banners to advertise sales and special offers, businesses always need business cards.  As a good, professional sign maker you should never have a shortage of work!

Why buy an einSigns rather than doing it myself?
With no-one to lean on, the sign business is very complicated, and you are constantly barraged with new technology, software and materials.  We can guarantee with 100% certainty that with no-one guiding you, 50 cents of every dollar you spend on equipment and new materials will be completely wasted.  We know this as even with our decades of sign business experience we still have to go through the pitfalls of finding out which equipment really does what it says, which suppliers actually support their products, and which new materials are worth the investment.  Doesn't it make more sense to let ustake the bumps and knocks on new equipment rather than an individual small sign shop owner?  When you actually figure out the numbers, its even more obvious.  Assuming You buy the equipment and materials we are recommending for your startup package, it comes to around $50,000.  Again, we can guarantee that if you just jump in and do it yourself, to get the same functionality you get with our equipment package you will spend closer to $100,000.  We know which machines are the least expensive but the most reliable and which materials will sell and which materials will sit on your shelf for a year.  Ok, now figure you just wasted $50,000 on your startup.  Deduct around $20k for an Initial License Fee and you are still $30k better off with our system.  Now, assuming you burn up 150 hours of support (including your 40 free hours) before you really have the hang of the business, you are still $27,000 better off with us than you would be!

When you account for the initial training that will cut 5 years off a do-it-yourself learning curve, our industry leading support system, in-house designers, all there to help you make 3 times as much money as an independent sign store, you will ALWAYS come out ahead with einSigns and Goin' Postal Franchise Corporation.

The difference between independents, franchises, and einSigns
There were always two types of sign businesses. Those independently owned like Joey's Signs in Big Bend Wisconsin, and those that are part of a large franchise chain such as Signarama, Fast Signs, or Signs Now.

Both systems had their advantages, and disadvantages. The advantage of being an independent shipping store is the opportunity to run your business exactly as you please. On the opposite side of this is the fact that no one will help when you have a problem. You won’t have the benefit of an easily recognizable and trusted name. While the big chains are very strict about how the business looks and runs, they benefit from the increased buying power of a large company for things like supplies and even health insurance. Being part of a large chain usually comes with a hefty price tag, usually in the hundreds of thousands of dollars just to get into business.

Now einSigns offers the benefits of being part of a large company without that whopping great price tag, and with total flexibility as to how you will run your own business.

We are building our own chain to bring the American Dream within the of reach of everyday Americans, and to make it simple, quick, profitable, and fun.

In a nutshell, you can have the best of both worlds with an einSigns sign business.
We can adapt quickly to changes in the marketplace while using the growing number of stores to build awareness and name recognition for our brand. By opening an einSigns store, for a relatively small investment, you can get the help you need to get started, and you can own and operate your own store as your own business without a franchisor breathing down your neck, but assistance is never more that a phone call away...

We support our stores, offer free training (included in the price of the license fee), free continuing education, free telephone and email support, free networking assistance, free advertising and PR assistance, and much, much more. Unlike those of our competitors who are primarily interested in selling franchises (for a whopping great price tag...some as big as 3 times the cost of an einSigns!) to make their money and then leave you "on your own" for problem solving and continuing education, we at GPFC are more interested in assuring the success of our individual stores, and in building a strong chain of very, very happy einSigns store owners and customers.

What are einSigns' greatest assets?
The name. When combined with our tagline "Creative Genius", it creates an overall image of our business which is superior to any of our competition

Our management, drive, ambition, creative ability, and franchising experience. We are a dynamic team dedicated to the success of EVERY MEMBER of our business family. Our drive is apparent just from looking at the phenomenal growth of our chains compared to everyone else.

Our approach to customer care. We actually care about our customers, their families, and their projects that they entrust us with. We strive to approach each customer as a cherished friend and we provide all of our customers with friendly service combined with professional skills and the fairest rates, all in a polished corporate atmosphere. Our customer care is superior to all others and we’re very, very proud of that.

Our flexibility. We will give you a lot of flexibility in how you run your store. Being in business is meant to be fun, and it’s no fun to have a massive faceless corporation breathing down your neck every moment of every day. GPFC isn't like that, and never will be, no matter how large we become.

The opportunity to offer a variety of  graphics and sign services. Our einSigns store offer a massive array of sign and graphic services to their customers.  Some of those services include:

• Image Consultancy

• Conceptual Logo Creation

• Website Design

• Business Cards

• Exterior and Interior Signs

• Temporary Signs

• Carved Signs

• Printed Signs

• Banners

• Illuminated Signs

• Neon

• Promotional Merchandise

• T-shirts

• Stand-ups

• Point of Purchase Displays

You will not be just be a 'sign-maker'.  we will teach you using our decades of experience how to provide your clients with everything they need to promote their businesses.

We are one of the  the fastest growing franchisors!  Due to our customer service and low set-up costs, we have the fastest growing shipping store chain. Look at the other successful franchise chains. Most of them have been in business for more than 20 years and they only have a couple of hundred stores each. At the end of 2004 after less than a year of franchising we had 21 operating. Less than half way into 2005 we had 70 stores open or in the process of opening, and as 2009 we are approaching 300 stores open or in the process of opening. Every day we receive inquiries from potential franchisees who have been dealing with the other large franchise chains and these callers have realized that we can give them great training, set-up assistance and general assistance, and continuing education and support... for a FRACTION of the average cost that the other chains offer.

Why is GPFC one of the fastest growing franchisors?
We have business models that are more successful than our competitors, yet we help our franchisees establish their stores for a small fraction of the cost. If you take the investment required to open one of the other franchises and compare it with ours, there is no competition (and that is what is scaring our competitors....). While there is no way to take one of our competitors into a small market because of the vastly higher investment, our stores can open in those smaller markets and still be highly profitable due to the low overhead. With our business model we are able to open successful stores in ten times as many markets as our competitors, and still leave our franchisees with more profit in their pocket at the end of the year.  After royalties and debt payments, it is necessary to do approximately THREE times the annual sales of one of our stores just to break even with our competitors yet our stores tend to rapidly outsell our competitors stores due to our wider product offering.

We also strive to make our franchisees happy and productive members of our chain. While other large chains have major morale problems, we try to turn around any issues very quickly to maintain a positive direction for the company. A testament to our success is how our franchisees get their families and friends involved in opening stores so they can share their success. It is very important to us that our franchisees are satisfied and so we work hard to avoid the problems the other chains experience.
Also, unlike other chains, we don't have an endless line of committees for you to go through to get something done. Every franchisee has our direct contact info and the cell phone of at least one of our management to have a direct line to a solution.

What makes einSigns different from all the other sign franchise chains?

• Amazing customer service (see above).

• Attention to detail.

• A family business attitude.

• Super name, logo and product recognition.

• As a small organization, we can adapt quickly to changes in the marketplace.

• As part of our business building practices, we are constantly developing new products and services that are only available through our direct retailing in our stores and on our websites.

• Currently the initial investment required to open an einSIgns is a fraction of our competitors' sign stores. Our business model is designed to allow you to open a store with the minimum out of pocket investment and to let the business pay for its own expansion.

• Massively discounted additional location program.  If you open additional einSigns locations your Initial Franchise Fee for those locations is only $4,995.  You also don't need to purchase most of the equipment as we recommend you make use of your first store as a production facility and just rent approximately 500 square feet for your second store for a showroom.

• Unlike the other large franchise operations, we are in the sign business, not just in the business of selling franchises. Our goal is to own and run a chain of sign stores to retail the products we already manufacture, not just sell the logo on the front of the building and take a step back.

• Superb continuing education materials, support, guidance, access to our creative promotions staff, and assistance from the entire caring, professional GPFC staff. You are NEVER "released into the wild" and left to fend for yourself with Goin' Postal. We are here for you, as your behind-the-scenes team to cheer you on and to help you to succeed every step of the way for the duration of your term as a Goin' Postal franchisee. Your success is our success, and we take that success very seriously.

• But most important of all is the flexibility that you will enjoy with einSigns. Your store will be your store and you get to run it in your own way, with a few common sense rules and guidelines from us.

Our corporate growth rate is only accelerating. In our first 12 months of franchising we had over 60 franchises open and lined up to open. With our low franchise fees and low start-up costs there is no way any other franchisor industry can compete with us on any level. We anticipated that our growth rate would explode when we reached 100 stores, and we were right. As of the start of 2008, we have 300+ stores, and are still growing FAST.  Now we intend to repeat this success with our einSigns brand.

Now we are achieving major name recognition, why would anyone pay around a quarter of a million dollars or more for exactly the same thing they can achieve that with less than $100,000 dollars?  einSigns is an exception to the rule of "you get what you pay for," as we give you a top-notch education, exceptional set-up and general assistance, and a plethora of FREE continuing support and education. You get far more than you pay for when you go with einSigns

How much will I make?
Just like every other franchisor, we can’t project what your store will do as every store is going to be different based on the location, the initial investment, the economic conditions of the surrounding area, the overhead, your management style, parking availability, square footage and layout of your shop, your customer service skills, and a wealth of other variables but we can assure you we have developed a very profitable system.

What kind of salary should I pay myself?
At the beginning, none. It is more realistic to focus on making your business successful than on taking money away from your brand new business to pay yourself. This is why we like to see 6 months worth of expenses in the bank before you start. If you are on a shoestring budget and you need an $8,000 a month income to survive from day one, maybe a start-up business isn't for you.

How do I make money from sign making?
Good question!  As an einSigns franchisee you will offer a wide array of sign and graphics services.  Some of these services you will do in-house, some GPFC will do for you, and other will be performed by third parties and you will receive a discount of their regular prices due to your affiliation with GPFC.

Do I need a contractors license to be a sign maker?
No, but it doesn't hurt to get one as it will expand your earning potential.  We have a network of sign contractors lined up across the country to handle installs and permitting for you once you are a franchisee.  If you do choose to get a contractors license you will make more money from installs and permitting but that is up to you.

How much work is involved?
Running your own business is the most rewarding career anyone can ever have, but the 9-5 of a regular employee’s life will be a thing of your past. For the first few years you will eat, sleep and dream your business. You will work harder and for longer hours than you could ever imagine, but you also enjoy the great pride that comes with owning a successful business that you have cultivated. The more employees you have, the less you will have to do, but obviously the less profit you will make at the end of the year.

What about setting up my store?
GPFC has a different approach to actually setting up your store. While with the other chains you can easily spend over $100k just constructing your store (not including anything else like copiers, franchise fees or rent!), GPFC will show you how to do EXACTLY the same build out for around $5k! It's not magic.... When the other large chains send in their own contractors to set up your store and charge you $100k for it, the chain may be getting a large "kickback" from the work and supplies.

We'll tell you what to do, you can paint the walls, build the counters, put up shelves and set up your showroom, all with our advice (and even with our help if it's not done when we get to your store), and thus we can save you small fortune. Everyone has someone who can help them, whether it's a brother in law who's a contractor, or a friend who knows how to swing a hammer. 

Take painting for example.  To paint 1,200 square feet of store, most painters will charge up to $5,000, while you can buy a commercial sprayer and paint and do it yourself in a day for $600.00, and still have a $400 sprayer that you own when you are done!  If you buy a couple of rollers and spend 3 days doing it you could be finished for a couple of hundred dollars!

Even if you do decide to hire a contractor, shopping around locally can save you tens of thousands of dollars and we will always help with consulting with your contractor of choice and supplying plans.

We can also supply a store-in-a-box setup that can be installed in as little as a week by our employees. Even with this new service it is still far less expensive than any of our competitors.

What does it take to run a business?
It takes more commitment, energy, and passion to run your own business than it does to work for someone else. There is no taking a day off because you have a headache, or because you want to go to the beach. It also takes a more adventurous personality and a quick-thinking brand of intellect, as no matter how much you plan, you never really know what is going to happen tomorrow with your business.

Starting a business takes a lot of sacrifice that most people aren't willing to make. If running a business were easy, everyone would have one. Everyone will say, "I'd love to start my own business," but in reality, only 10% of people ever take the plunge and do it. Out of that 10%, only 10% will be successful. The numbers alone demonstrate that only 1% of people really have what it takes. With dedication, drive and realistic expectations, anybody can be part of that exclusive 1%, but if you go into business with the notion that you'll be driving big fancy cars in 6 months, moving into a palatial estate home soon, and relaxing on an island while your staff does all the work, you'll be sadly disappointed. It takes years of hard work to make it, and you have to be willing to struggle to make your life better. If you can't take the stress of juggling bills every now and then, you won't make it. If you think, "I'll never have to juggle bills because I already have lots of money," you may not have the hunger to succeed, or realistic plans, and you still might not make it. And if you don't like to take responsibility for things when they go wrong, then you definitely won't make it. Running a business, and every problem that needs to be dealt with in that business, is ultimately the responsibility of the owner. If you want an easy life, the only answer is to work for someone else.

Most franchisors will NEVER tell you that you could fail using their system, it's just buried somewhere in their FDD to remove liability, but they ALL want you to think that their system is the only guaranteed way to make money. The fact is, there is no guaranteed system. It doesn't matter whose logo is on the front of your store, the business ultimately succeeds or fails because of you. You have to stick to the system. You have to put in the hours. You have to do the work. Franchisors hide their failures and problems from potential franchisees in a myriad of ways. We don't. We've had a few stores fail. However, the failures were not a result of the system. The few folks in our chain who didn't make it went into business looking forward to the private island and big cars, and were disappointed within 3 months and simply gave up, or had irresolvable partnership problems, or didn't stick to our program in any way...and quite frankly, simply just didn't have what it takes to be a business owner.

Before you start a business, what you have to ask yourself is: "Am I willing to give my business 100% of my effort for as long as it takes in order to make it a success?"

One of our first tests for who we will approve as a franchisee is a person's attitude toward this information and the FDD. If we have a potential franchisee complain that there is too much information to read on the website, there's no way that he/she is ready to commit 100% to running a business. The same thing goes for the FDD / Franchise Agreement.

We supply FDD's on our website instead of printing and mailing them which saves us well over one hundred thousand dollars a year, which in turn means that we can keep our franchise fee and royalties low because we don't need to charge our existing franchisees to help us cover what would be an entirely unnecessary expense. If a potential franchisee doesn't want to print out an FDD because of the $3.00 worth of ink and paper, there's no chance that he/she will invest the time and money to open a store.

We have already been there and understand what you will go through.
We understand what it takes and we know firsthand about the sacrifices you will make, as we already made them ourselves years ago. Our chain is a bit different then some of the others since the founders of the chain (now the CEO and President of GPFC) aren't typical executive-types.

They both worked behind the counter in the first Goin' Postal store, and built the chain from scratch on a shoestring. When we started the first Goin' Postal store, we traded our nice car for a delivery van, cooked meals at home instead of eating out all the time, and had internet access at work only instead of at both our office and at home. We worked nights and weekends, and we managed both time and money very, very carefully because that is what it was going to take to become successful in our endeavor.

Even now, Marcus, the CEO of Goin' Postal Franchise Corporation is actually working the counters at the first einSigns store for the first few months to make sure that we have by far the most efficient and profitable system for our franchisees.

Priorities
The business HAS to take precedence over fun (expensive) activities until it is successful. We worked hard to make the first store a profitable, self-sufficient enterprise, and we still oversee its operation to this day. Everything we teach franchisees to do for their stores, we do for the main company store and that is why it continues to grow, every day, into its place among the most successful shipping stores in the country. That's another reason why you should consider Goin' Postal over the other chains. We have a company-owned store that we run every day, just as if it were a franchise. We test products, services, and marketing programs to make sure they work BEFORE we recommend them to our franchisees for use in their stores. Other chains don't have company stores, so you have to wonder how, in good conscience, they can recommend that their franchisees use products, services and marketing plans that haven't been tested in a company store. We test everything first in the company store. If it doesn't work, our franchisees never hear about it (unless we actively warn against a service) . If it's a money-maker, we roll it out to the chain.

Your personality vs. your business
One of the most important personality traits is to be friendly. Running a small business is all about making your customers feel special. Customer service is why a person will visit your store, and will be happy about it. If you provide your customers with a friendly, professional atmosphere, they will come to you, their caring neighbor, and will prefer to pay you for services rather than giving their hard-earned dollars to a competing business.

Do I need to know how to type or be good with computers?
The entire sign making industry is run by computers, so understanding what "right click", "tab", "minimize", and other computer terms mean are pretty much a must (or you should at least be willing to learn!), as is typing ability. If you are not computer savvy, you are going to struggle with this business.

Do I need good credit?
No, but it obviously helps. Borrowing money for equipment is obviously easier if you have good credit. As part of our commitment to your success, we will help in any way we can. If you are looking to finance your business through a loan you will definitely need good credit.

Can I get funding?
As it's a fairly small cash investment most franchisees never seek traditional funding, but it can be arranged if necessary.

We have several lenders willing to loan money to our new franchisees. One of the more beneficial lenders will loan you the required startup capital as a five year lease arrangement which makes your repayments completely tax deductible!

We are one of the major franchises approved for expedited loan processing by the SBA (you can find our listing on www.franchiseregistry.com/Registry/). Our main financing partner can get you competitive rates with a quick turnaround. We also work with another company that can help you to access your own 401k or IRA for investing in your new business.

Do you have a business plan that I can use?
Yes. Our business plan is available to franchisees that have already signed a franchise agreement and submitted a franchise fee. We cannot provide it before you are franchisee as it contains sales figures and will influence your decision to join our chain. We want you to make that decision yourself and then be happily surprised.

Accessing my IRA or 401k? How does that work?
Our affiliate will set up your new corporation, and a new retirement account within the new corporation, and then roll over your old retirement account into the new account. Then your retirement account purchases stock in the new company as an investment, just as it would purchase stock in GE or Wal-Mart as an investment. The money paid to purchase the stock from the new company is then available to the new company for everything from your franchise fee to buying equipment and paying rent. We aren't in the business of helping people to access their 401Ks or IRAs, but if you have specific questions about the necessary steps and the process, we can direct you to financial professionals who can answer those questions for you.

Credit Cards, etc.
Most people have several credit cards available to them which can also be used for just about everything involved in opening your store. Goin' Postal is the only franchise that has arranged to be able to accept your franchise fee via credit card, and we can also charge your Point of Sale System to your credit card. The only thing we don't recommend using your credit card for is cash advances, as these carry a much higher interest rate.

Loan vs. partners
We have seen a lot of very promising businesses have problems due to partnerships of necessity.  Sometimes the worst investors are family members as they tend to interfere constantly.  A good partner can make you 10 times as successful but a bad partner can be a nightmare.  A better option is sometimes to borrow the same amount of money that they would have invested with the same terms you would get from a bank.  By borrowing the money no-one has a say in your business, you just owe them the money.

Home loans and equity lines are also an excellent source of funds.  We have found that having a real commitment makes a franchisee far more likely to succeed as a secured loan will make someone work much harder to make the business a success.  However, you obviously need to consider how much risk you are willing to take on.

How much money should I have set aside?
We recommend setting aside approximately 6 - 12 months worth of BOTH living expenses (this will vary according to your particular lifestyle, family, region, etc. so we cannot offer a ballpark figure) AND operating expenses (again, this will vary due to your particular area and your specific needs) combined. If you set aside 6 - 12 month's worth of total expenses, then you can relax a bit and can enjoy owning your own business rather than worrying about those expenses.

How long does it take to open my store?
About six weeks to eight weeks. From day one of obtaining permits and licenses, to you being in business with your doors open, the entire process should take about 2 months. Your initial groundwork will be to find a location. As it takes approximately 8 weeks to open your store, training will be booked on a first come, first served basis as the deposits and contracts are received at our headquarters.

Where should my store be?
We will help with this based on your initial scouting of your chosen business area. The benefit of a high traffic and high visibility location must be traded off against high rent payments, unless you have a large amount of back-up cash available at the time of opening to carry you through until the business becomes established.

Obviously, a fantastic location is a marvelous way to start off, but the strain of $5000 or more per month in rent could finish your business off before it has a chance to become self-supporting. We want every franchisee whom we help to be a success and we want your business to cause you as few sleepless nights as possible!

We have several location services available. You are free to find and choose your own location, you can have us visit the location, or we can find the location for you.

What size and type of building should I be looking for?
While you can open your store in approximately 1,000 square feet if that’s all that is available, we have determined that 1200 square feet is optimal.

Through not completely necessary, rear access (and in a perfect world a garage door) is a positive aspect of any building as you will be doing some basic dirty work (cutting and painting) in the back.

Will you negotiate my lease for me?
Definitely once you become a franchisee, and we have brokers that can do all the negotiations based on the information we have deemed as necessary for a protective lease.

Even though a broker will negotiate you lease our advice is to always consult a qualified real estate attorney in your particular jurisdiction if you have questions or concerns about the lease agreement that the landlord or property management company has provided for you as ultimately you will be signing it and be on the hook for it. Real estate law can be tricky and lease agreements can vary greatly from a single page written between you and the landlord, to 150 page legal documents, thus it is always a good idea to consult a qualified legal professional who is familiar with the standards and practices in regard to such matters in your particular region.

How much should I anticipate spending to open my store?
Our current franchise fee is $19,500 and the cost of the additional equipment, expenses and build out will be around $50,000* (although a lot of this can be leased) making your entire investment a little less than $70,000. (*Amounts for rent and other expenses will vary from region to region and may be higher or lower in YOUR particular area of the country.) These numbers are based on actual results from opening stores by doing the work ourselves. By hiring a contractor it is possible to add another $40,000 to the expenses, and that's why we recommend you do it yourself.....

The majority of your investment can be financed either through loans, leases, and or credit cards, as most of it will go toward construction and equipment. Bear in mind, however, when deciding whether to invest cash or to put expenses on a credit card, that $20,000 on your credit cards will give you a hefty bill to pay at the end of each month.

Can my royalty structure change once I'm a franchisee?
No, when you become a franchisee, you are signing for your royalties for the term that you own your store and the royalties that are current in the Franchise Agreement you sign are what you will pay.

Do you tell me where to put my store?
No, we let you decide, as it's your business. You know your town better than we do, but we are happy to help you choose between several locations if you are in a quandary. Important details are: location, square footage, rent, number of parking spaces, traffic access to store and parking (from both sides of the street versus one side of a divided highway, etc.), presence or absence of a loading dock, is there both rear and front entry to the store, nearby businesses, building condition, etc.

When looking at traffic patterns don't just evaluate how many cars go through a particular intersection. Sit in the parking lot with a good book for several hours at different times of the day on different days of the week and WATCH where the customers are going. You want to select a spot where customers patronize a number of shops prior to departing from the area.

We can assist you in finding a location if you like, just like the other chains do, but we will do it the same way they will. Our brokers will call a local broker and see what they have and then we will help select a location based on various factors.

How is the investment to have my Goin' Postal store broken down?
$19,500 is the amount that you pay to Goin' Postal Franchise Corporation for training, support and the license to use the einSigns name and corporate identity. In addition to that amount, you would also have to pay for our representative's flights to and from your location (the rep. assigned to you will always try to fly on days and at times that will save you money, and will always fly coach class for the same reason) and lodging during the week when the rep. trains you and helps you to prepare your store for serving the public.

The remainder of your investment is paid to Goin' Postal Franchise Corporation and other vendors and will vary depending upon your needs.  This investment will vary from store to store depending upon your needs, your budget and if you decide to lease, already own, borrow, or purchase used or new equipment. For example: One of our potential franchisees already owns his building and has a lot of the basic equipment such as fax machines and a copier, so he will need to spend less on equipment.

Other franchisees may start from scratch and will spend more on supplies, equipment, rent, etc and on build out depending on the condition of your store. After we receive your franchise fee (again, the franchise fee just $19,500) we give you a list of recommended and required equipment and supplies. We do not fly to your location to buy you staples for your stapler, boxes for your shelves, etc. It is your responsibility to acquire the items on the list that we will provide for you PRIOR to the representative arriving at your store. When our representative is there he will spend as much time as possible reviewing all of your training and making sure that your equipment is working properly so it is important that the store be as ready as possible when he arrives.

How do your investments compare to other stores?
Source: Entrepreneur.com (figures provided by each franchisor). We will try to keep these numbers up to date but their prices may change without notice. If you seen a figure that has changed please let us know and we will get it updated. Our own figures are updated regularly to reflect changing costs.

Total Initial Investment

*Most of this can be financed leaving your out of pocket expenses almost $0.

*Subsequent store franchise fees may be discounted by each individual company.  Check their FDD for details.  The amounts shown in the total Initial investment table above include the initial franchise fee.

**Subsequent einSigns stores are vastly discounted and from the 4th location the Franchise Fee is waived.

*Royalties are a flat monthly fee for the entire year and increase on January 1st each year by approximately 5%.

*There is never a fee to renew your franchise fee. Once you've paid for it, you own it.

Why do you charge a flat fee for your royalties?
The general practice in the franchise business arena is to charge a monthly royalty based on your gross sales, so the longer the franchised location is open and the harder the owners works, the more money the parent franchisor makes. We don't think this philosophy is fair, and just because everyone else charges more than necessary, that doesn't make it the right thing to do.

This will be YOUR business. The harder you work, the more money YOU should make. If you have to pay a royalty that is based on a percentage of your sales, however, that means that the harder YOU work, the more money the franchisor makes, and we just don't agree with that at all. At Goin' Postal Franchise Corporation, we have a hard time understanding how some retail shipping franchisors can justify taking tens of thousands  of dollars per year in royalties and ad fund contributions in order to provide the same services for their franchisees that we provide for our franchisees for a small fraction of that.

We know what it costs us to support an established franchisee each month, and we have set our monthly royalty slightly above this amount (after all, we ARE a business interested in making a profit...)

By charging a flat rate royalty, we have also streamlined the accounting process and have made substantial cost savings that can be passed on to our franchisees. Now, instead of chasing franchisees who are late in filing and paying their royalties each month (like most franchisors do), our flat rate royalty system is an efficient automatic draft on the first business day of the month. GPFC saves franchisees and the parent corporation on both time and payroll costs, and has the ability to project accurate budgets with none of the work that is involved in a percentage based system.

It also produces content franchisees. A franchisee needs less and less support the longer they have been in business. Unfortunately, the longer you have been in business and the more successful your store, the more royalties you pay to a percentage based franchisor. This unbalanced approach causes resentment and creates franchisor/franchisee conflicts when franchisees realize all their hard work is only lining the pockets of their franchisor.  Our system is much fairer for everyone. We get paid well for what we do, and the franchisees make more money for working hard.

Why should I pay royalties at all?
The sign business is complicated and you could spend 20 years learning the trade on your own.

With our help and training you will open your store knowing more than sign makers that have been in the industry fro decades.  From day one you will benefit from our training, tech support, pricing methods, in-house design services, in-house manufacturing, buying power and many other advantages.

Also, just being bale to pick up the phone and ask us a question could make the difference of selling or not selling a $10,000 job, that produces enough profit to pay your royalties for a year.

What about ad funds?
While national and local ad funds are very important for certain types of businesses which need to create 'impulse buys', traditional advertising doesn't work with this business. If McDonalds runs a commercial advertising a Big Mac, you have to eat three times today and there is a good chance they will convince you to go and buy a Big Mac, or Best Buy shows you what a great deal they have on DVD's this weekend, you may go and take a look and buy one. You cannot make someone 'impulse buy' a sign. Someone has a need for your services or they don't, and all you need to get that business is a visible location and a professional image and operation.

People go to the sign maker they are comfortable with so what we do actually gets people into your store and gets them to learn your name.

 They might not need a sign or a website today, but when they do have one they will be back in your store with their credit card in hand.

Another reason that we refuse to implement a national ad fund is that most franchisors take ad fund contributions and the actual franchisees never see much local benefit from them. If we collected $15,000 from each franchisee this year and ran campaigns in every market at Christmas with the money, most of our franchisees in rural areas would receive less benefit from those funds, and that's just not fair. The reason for this is the difference in both station availability and differing costs among markets. To run a TV ad on a large station in Los Angeles for instance, would cost far more than running the same ad in Oneonta, Alabama and the ad in Los Angeles will produce far more business for that franchisee, so why should the Oneonta franchisee pay the same as the Los Angeles franchisee? We say, he shouldn't.  We show you how to promote your business and let you get on with it.

Another little secret the franchisor community doesn't want you to know is ad funds are very good for cash flow. If our competitors each collect $1,000,000 a year in ad funds, those ad funds find their way into general revenue available for the franchisor to use for whatever they like until they decide to spend it on advertising. Our competitors also use ad funds to sell franchises which we think is completely wrong. Franchisors are in the business of selling franchises and shouldn't be paying for their business off the back of their franchisees.

A $19,500 franchise fee? What do I get for your $19,500 fee that I couldn’t do myself?
First of all, you get a much better chance of succeeding, which is priceless. Approximately 80 - 90% of small businesses fail in the first couple of years for a variety of reasons. Only between 10% -  20% of franchised small businesses suffer the same fate. The success rate is much better due to the training, support and the constant flow of new money-making and money-saving ideas shared by the parent franchisor and the franchisee.

We can save you from the years of fumbling and growing pains, and can teach you time-saving and sanity-saving techniques, give you forms to use and procedures to follow that we have developed by owning and operating our own sign business. We know what it takes to run a successful sign business from first-hand experience. We hold your hand until you are comfortable with being a bit more independent (and then we're just on the other end of the telephone or email, should you need us!), and then you still benefit from the growing public name recognition of the einSigns chain. For the $19,500 franchise fee you get the knowledge to start business with the experience to make it a success. You also get the license to our great name and corporate identity which is rapidly gaining public recognition.

There is a lot to know! But you don’t have to learn the sign business the hard way. We make it easy. We’ll teach you how to run the various types of software, how to calculate prices, how to design, how to manufacture, and  common problems that may occur with customers and how best to deal with them, how to get competitors to be your best source of customers, bookkeeping, setting up accounts for your customers, advertising tips, ways to cultivate business that will feed your shipping store, and much, much more. During your training in Florida, you will spend around 40 hours between taking various classes in the classroom, taking competency exams, and then 80 hours doing hands-on training (under our supervision and constant direction) to test your knowledge and to hone your skills in preparation for serving your customers and creating their images and signs.

Also, a big reason for buying a franchise is not being a mom and pop store as these are the main target of big businesses. When Wal-Mart comes to town it doesn't make more people buy clothes, it takes the market away from the local clothes store. The same goes for tax franchises, tire shops, pharmacies, shipping stores, and other 'on-demand' businesses. The small independent store owner cannot compete with the prices, appearance, standardized service, or organized system that big chains bring with them.

Why is einSigns so much LESS expensive than other sign franchises?
The primary reason for our low cost is that we spent years working hard for other people . We knew that we were smart and hard-working, and we knew we could find a better way to make a decent living and to enjoy our lives again. First we created Goin' Postal, and when we saw how well we were doing with our first store, we decided that we needed to start franchising so that we could teach "regular people" like us how to be financially independent. Everyone deserves a shot at the "American Dream" if they are willing to work for it so we knew we had to keep the initial investment low.  Now we are recreating the success of Goin' Postal with einSigns for the more artistically minded franchisee.

By keeping our initial investment low, we have ABSOLUTELY no competition and will expand as  rapidly with einSIgns as we are with Goin' Postal. We are continually signing up new franchisees that were already in negotiations with the other large chains, and then they discovered us.

We try not to use franchise brokers. We advertise our franchises online and through word of mouth. If a franchisor pays a broker $15,000 for pushing you into their franchise, that money has to come from somewhere, and it's coming out of your pocket (as the franchisor certainly isn;t going to eat it...). We let our franchisees success sell our franchises. Also, as we charge far less than other franchisors, those exact same brokers will never sell an einSIgns franchise if they have the opportunity to sell a far more expensive franchise. If they can get a third of $30,000 or a third of $19,500 for the same amount of work, where will they direct your wallet? We actually received a call from a broker recently who said that he would like to introduce his friend as a potential franchisee as he wanted what was best for him, but that he would never have called us if it was a regular customer since he'd make far more money by selling him a franchise other than ours. At least he was honest! That franchisee is now one of our happiest, most successful store owners!

We also keep our own corporate overhead down. If we don't spend it, we don't have to collect it from our franchisees. A perfect example of this is the work ethic of our staff. Instead of purchasing a large, flashy office building, we purchased an older, run-down office building, and the entire staff worked late nights after regular work (for nothing but pizza and beer) to get it cleaned, painted and renovated. By saving close to a quarter of a million dollars on our headquarters we could do more for our franchisees while lowering their investment too.

Where does the money go?
Our goal is expansion. The majority of the licensing fees we receive will go toward expansion of the einSigns chain and the development of future services and products and to maintain our technical support system.

How am I expected to pay the $19,500?
You are welcome to pay by credit card, cash or check, whichever is most convenient for you. You may pay for your minimum required purchases system with a credit card or a check when you sign up as a franchisee.

Can I get a refund?
Once we receive your initial franchise fee you are supplied with a large amount of proprietary information that we have taken years to develop. For this reason once you have signed your franchise documents you are bound to the non-competition agreements until the end of the term. Should you decide that you would like to sell your franchise, we are always happy to help in finding a suitable buyer. This is also necessary due to the fact that we provide you with a protected territory as soon as we receive your franchise agreement, and as a result, we turn away any other parties who are interested in your location.

How long does my initial licensing fee last?
Our term is valid for 15 years but their is no renewal fee to 're-up' at the end of your franchise agreement. Most of our competitors expect you to sign up for 20 to 35 years!  We can't imagine anyone wanting to commit to something longer than their mortgage!

What is included in the Goin' Postal set-up package?
With our initial set up package we will hold your hand through every step of setting up your business, including:

• License to use the einSIgns name and corporate identity.

• You will be licensed to use the Goin' Postal trademarks and the corporate identity.

• Location assistance: We ask that you send photos and descriptions of several locations that you are interested in pursuing as potential sites for your store.  Be sure to include information about square footage, parking, traffic patterns, and nearby businesses. We will help you to choose the best one, but the final decision will be up to you.

• Licenses & Permitting assistance: We know what you need in general, plus we’ll help you find out what you need to best serve the customers in your neighborhood.

• Financing help: We have several lenders willing to loan money to start a new Goin' Postal franchise.

• Equipment purchasing and training: We know what you need, and we’ll teach you how to use it!  (some of the training will also be provided by third parties dealing with specific machines).

• Store Layout, design and construction consultation: We know what works and what doesn’t.  We will also send a crew to help you set up your store if necessary.

• Training, training, and more training. Part of the set-up package is our intensive training program at our Sign University. You will visit our headquarters and main store in Florida, and will train in both a classroom environment, and then by serving customers alongside us and will manufacture signs in our facility. We will teach you EVERYTHING in three weeks from network set-up to customer service to design to manufacturing, and more. When you are ready to open your einSigns store you will also have one of our representatives on-site to do refresher training, to assist you in serving your customers, and to help with your store set-up.

• Computer system design and training: Sign making is all about computers and software. Our techs are superb and very helpful.

• Store management training: Anyone can open a store, but staying in business is another thing. We'll be here for you!

• Phone support for your business.  We will never leave you out on your own. We are here to help.

• The einSigns Set-Up Manual and New Franchisee Primer is our very own useful step-by-step guidebook that will help you to navigate the waters of setting up your store and learning the ropes.

• Our Operations Manual is an invaluable collection of guidelines and training information that covers the operation of your entire business We will keep your manual up-to-date as we improve upon it by making it available on the owners' section of the website.

• Co-op advertising: We produce professional commercials for you to run in your own market.

What type of training will I get?
Our training will cover both the business and practical sides of owning and operating your own shipping store. You will also get a priority toll free number to call when you have any questions. You will do a week of mandatory training at our headquarters in Zephyrhills, then one week in our factory making signs, and another week in our main corporate store.

You will pay for your own lodging, transportation, and meals during that time. We then send a representative to your store to help you get it ready and put the finishing touches on your shop, to do a little refresher training if you feel that you might like some, and to open your doors with you for the first few days. You will be responsible for the representative's lodging, meal allowances and transportation, but our representatives travel in the least expensive manner possible and only utilize economy transport and economy lodging. We want you to get started for the least amount of money possible, so that you can see a return on your investment as quickly as possible! We are all about saving you money, and helping you to make money

The training you will get will include:

• QuickBooks Pro

• Computer Setup, configuration, and initial problem diagnosis

• Customer Service

• Point Of Sale Training

• Proper Design Techniques

• Pricing

• Manufacturing

• Shipping Signs

• Advertising and Promotion

• Business Expansion & Idea Building

What about continuing education?
We run a 2 hour class every Thursday at 6:00pm via conference call and webinar to teach various aspects of the business and we also provide a wealth of continuing education materials on the Owners' Section of the website. These c.e. materials include quizzes and tests and exams, answer keys, fun crosswords and word searches and other items, and we are always updating the existing materials AND adding new materials. The c.e. materials will soon include video tutorials as well. We also revise the manuals often, and the updates are available to all franchisees, 24 hours a day via the restricted Owners' Section. Franchisees are encouraged to utilize these materials themselves, and to use them to train their employees. GPFC also provides a standing offer for any franchisee to return to training in Florida, at no cost (the franchisee pays his/her own travel expenses, lodging, meals, etc.) for the duration of the contract term. GPFC also updates its comprehensive Operations Manual weekly, sends out all-franchisee email newsletters that contain valuable updates, notices and tidbits of information, and encourages the franchisees to stay informed by visiting the carriers' websites on a regular basis in order to stay up-to-date with the latest rules, regulations, and developments in the shipping industry.

How long will it take for me to get up and running?
That really depends on you. If you are truly earnest about starting your business, you could be up and running in about 6 weeks.

Can I sell other services in my store?
Yes. While we expect all stores to offer the minimum set of services such as vinyl signs and full color digital printing, we encourage enterprising ideas and will happily add services that you invent, or find to be positive, to the corporate line-up. All services must be cleared with Goin’ Postal Franchise Corporate Headquarters prior to being offered. This is to ensure that all services provided by shops bearing the einSigns name offer only the highest quality services and products from reputable vendors.

Some of the other pre-approved services in addition to signs are:

• Embroidery

• Web Design

• Business Cards and Literature Design

• T-shirt Printing

• Copies

• Fax

• Lamination

• Photographic Services

• Ad Specialty

• Trophies

• Print Services

Community Involvement is VERY important to us.
In keeping with our strong commitment to professional service and superior customer care, GPFC strongly encourages community involvement. Whether it’s joining the chamber of commerce, the local Kiwanis, organizing a community clean-up, speaking to the local Girl Scouts, volunteering to read to the blind, sponsoring a Little League or Police Athletic League team, walking dogs at a local shelter, or doing whatever you like, please be sure to give some of your time and positive energy to your community. We personally spend A LOT of time involving our staff and ourselves in community events. It's fun, good for your community, and good for your business! Spending a few hours a week helping out will make you more successful than spending $5,000 per month on advertising.

If you do things for your community, not only will it be a nicer place to live, but you will also get noticed for your participation...and the folks in your area will want to see you succeed. This is true in both small towns and in big cities.

Positive energy breeds success. The restricted Owners' Section of the website features detailed materials for planning, advertising and conducting well over 100 effective, unique and unusual events and promotions on a budget.

What about territory?
Once you open an einSIgns tore, we will not allow anyone else to open an einSigns store in your protected area. Should you wish to open additional einSigns stores in your protected area, we will expand your territory as long as it does not interfere with another einSIgns store owner's protected territory. We will also not open any stores owned by the einSigns parent corporation in your territory, further protecting you and your einSigns physical address for your store so that we can create a territory map for you, with your store as the epicenter of your protected territory. Important Note: A protected territory doesn't exist unless and until you send in a fully executed contract, exact physical address (so that we can make a map with your store as the epicenter), and accompanying payments are received by GPFC AND approved in writing by GPFC.

How big is a protected territory?
The size of einSigns protected territories varies due to the demographics of the various communities across our nation. For example, we wouldn't assign a territory of 25 square miles if a franchisee wants to have his einSigns in Midtown Manhattan (New York City), but that might be a reasonable request from a franchisee who wants to have an einSigns store in a small town in rural Texas. You can help us to assign you the best territory for your area by supplying us with facts about your community, such as the population, zip codes in your area, the number of retail venues and types of commercial industry in your area, traffic patterns, population, etc. This information will also help you to select your location for your store. If your desired areas are outside of a current franchisee's protected area, we can assign a territory to you, should you wish to become an einSigns franchisee.

What other benefits do I get?
Access to industry leading vendors and suppliers: We are always working closely with the biggest names in the country to bring great deals to our franchisees.

Support from our management team & experienced representatives: If you have a problem, we’ll try to help you solve it, whether it is interim financing, or how to fire a member of staff without getting sued.

Group Health Insurance: As our numbers grow we will be able to negotiate better rates for our independent owners and their staff. We are currently in the final stages of getting a group plan from Aetna.

Our company is based on a family-type attitude where we like to get to know our franchisees, as our success depends upon their success. Our chain is made up of small family-owned stores. We base our business model on an idea different from many of the franchises available. We help you to get established with a total investment of approximately $80,000.

 We think our method is wiser as we let the business pay for its own expansion instead of throwing $200,000+ into a single store just to get the doors open (like some of our competitors). You can obviously spend more on your equipment and supplies if you choose to do so, but we will help you to save as much money as we possibly can by helping you to set up your store, and by sharing our money-saving tips with you.

So, are you ready to get started?
Give us a call with any questions and then contact us and we will assist you with filling out your contract.  Call us at 813-782-1500. Even if you are sure you have your contract filled out correctly, give us a call just to make sure as it saves us occasionally sending them back for corrections.

Send in your contract (FDD that is initialed on each page, signed in the appropriate areas, and has your store location and other required information) along with your initial franchise fee payment of $19,500, to Goin' Postal Headquarters ATTENTION: New einSIgns Franchises, 4941 4th Street in Zephyrhills, Florida 33542.

Then the next steps will be to:
Find your location for your store and have it approved by GPFC.

Use the training date booking form located on the restricted Owners' Section and contact Megan at training@goinpostal.com. She will set up your training dates and will be your point of contact from this point forward for training and scheduling and we will walk you through from that point onwards.

Obtain your occupational license, do your incorporation (if you need help with incorporation, contact Biz Filings and they will do it quickly and inexpensively), obtain your federal tax i.d. number, etc. (We have a manual to help you with all of this.)

Read the comprehensive "Store Set-Up Manual & New Franchisee Primer" (available ONLY to franchisees on the password protected Owners' Section), take your entrance exams (which will be emailed to you once your payment is processed), and begin to set up your accounts and your location by using the easy step-by-step directions that appear in the "SSM & NFP."

After you have read the website carefully and have taken the time to read the FDD, please give us a call at 1-888-346-7441 and we'll cheerfully answer any questions that you may still have.

In owning your very own einSIgns store, you are investing in yourself and in the future success of our entire GPFC team. We look forward to working with you to build a successful future together.

Call 1-800-504-6040 and we'll be happy to answer any questions.