“My franchise kept the public safe at the height of the pandemic”

FASTSIGNS Leeds owner Andy Simpson used his business to help customers reopen safely. As a result, he and his team’s work became a lot more visible

Looking around, it’s clear to see this has been ‘the worst of times’ for many industries and ‘the best of times’ for others, to quote Charles Dickens.

As UK businesses survived the ‘winter of despair’, embarking on a journey of hope for the future, have you considered what this could mean for you?

For some, the desire to be in a position to support others has been brought to the fore. If only there was a way you could run a business that will positively impact customers and beyond.

For Andy Simpson, owner of FASTSIGNS Leeds, he discovered early on in the pandemic he could Lhave a positive impact and help keep the public safe through his business.

A renewed concept

As businesses quickly adapted to new ways of working, Andy and his team in Leeds were on hand to support both existing and new customers.

He says: “People were desperate to install sneeze screens in their workplaces as the first line of defence against the unknown.

“By working together as a network, FASTSIGNS has the means to create something unique for clients: bespoke protective screens.

“My business has the facilities to cut the screens down to size and we were able to brand the screens with customers’ logos. Our expertise in installing such safety equipment and signage ensured that the screens look impressive in situ.”

A guided safety measure

As well as keeping staff and colleagues safe, many business owners had to think about their customers and how to keep them safe whenever they were on site. This was the ‘age of wisdom’ and Andy knew how to guide his customers.

“Normally, we’d create bespoke signage solutions for our customers,” he says. “But with the sudden increased demand created by the pandemic, this wasn’t always possible.

“Our 25 UK locations pooled their resources and collaboratively designed an expansive suite of safety signage products as a network, including floor stickers for people to stand on when queueing and easy-to-follow directional signs to keep the public safe in a building.

“Our customers could choose what they needed, then had the option of using our unbranded version, adding their logo, or creating their bespoke design to fit their brand.

“In June 2020, I printed thousands of floor and window graphics for the three biggest shopping centres in Leeds alone.”

An important solution

Although the pandemic won’t be around in the same capacity forever, Andy and his team were a valuable part of the solution to keep Britain open.

You may not have heard of FASTSIGNS, but if you’ve been to any of its 25 locations around the UK you’d have seen the result of the company’s success.

“Being part of a global brand gave me the confidence to substantially grow my business over the last 25 years,” Andy explains.

“During the pandemic, the whole network was there for each other and it showed in the pooled ideas for work and subsequent success stories. But the reason we could do so is that we’ve always done so.”

At a glance

Established:

1985

Number of franchised outlets:

750-plus. 25 in the UK

Location of units:

international

Investment range:

£125,000-plus

Minimum required capital:

£36,000

Contact:

01785 253140 enquiries@fastsigns.com