David Carley, owner of YESCO Southwestern Ontario, discovered almost two-thirds of YESCO franchisees across the U.S. and Canada had pre-existing sign companies. Photos courtesy David Carley, YESCO
How David Carley propelled his business forward by embracing a YESCO franchise
By Carly McHugh
“Why would I buy into a sign franchise?” David Carley once asked a YESCO salesperson. Carley was the owner of Sunset Sign Co. Ltd. and had been managing sign programs for retail and restaurant customers across Canada for 35 years. “I already own a sign company!”, he said. However, as he learned more about the franchise opportunity, he realized that YESCO—a manufacturer of signs, displays, and billboards—was offering something Sunset Sign did well early on, but was no longer a focus: Sign and lighting service.
Starting a business requires a lot of hard work. David recalls long days at the shop, followed by evenings performing what is known in the sign industry as “spotting”—looking for signs in need of repair. After making handwritten notes, he would look up a customer in the phone book and contact them about the service needs he observed. This effort was particularly helpful, he recalls, when “things were slow in the shop.”
Carley soon discovered almost two-thirds of YESCO franchisees across the U.S. and Canada had pre-existing sign companies. These owners saw a YESCO sign and lighting service franchise as an addition to their existing sign businesses, creating a complementary effect for customers. They provide new signs and service existing ones, depending on the customer’s needs. The opportunity expands further as technicians gain new skills, including electrical contractor licensing.
After being his own boss for 35 years, it was hard for Carley to “follow the model” of a franchise business. However, after six months, he had seen the value of the franchise and saw its growth potential. He then hired a general manager for Sunset Sign and put all his energy into YESCO and the franchise opportunity.
Today, he is the proud owner of YESCO Southwestern Ontario, with six territories and five trucks specializing in outdoor lighting repair. In a discussion with Sign Media Canada, Carley emphasizes that while times have changed, signage needs remain the same. He delves into YESCO’s patrol method for identifying repair requirements, where workers drive specified routes and document outages on a mobile app integrated with Google business data. This data is then immediately accessible to sales staff who contact the customer. This proactive approach is appreciated by customers and sets YESCO apart as a service provider.
Sign Media Canada (SMC): What makes your company unique?
David Carley (DC): YESCO has a proven process of identifying service opportunities and proactively presenting them to the customer. We go out after dark and visit our customers’ places of business, taking photos and logging descriptions of any service needs related to signage or exterior lighting. Our customers are often unaware they have a problem and appreciate us letting them know.
Sign shop owners see a YESCO sign and lighting service franchise as an addition to their existing sign businesses, creating a complementary effect for customers.
SMC: How large is your facility?
DC: We operate in a 464.5-m2 (5,000-sf) workspace in Hamilton, Ont. We share space with Sunset Sign Co. Ltd. In addition, we operate a satellite YESCO branch for technicians and their trucks in London, Ont., and are currently looking for space in Windsor.
SMC: What type of services does your company primarily perform?
DC: We retrofit LED lights for pole lights, exterior building lighting, and wall and pylon signs. We also offer face replacements for multi-tenant pylons or wall signs suffering from fading or damage. Seasonal painting of pylon poles is conducted based on annual daytime inspection reports. Additionally, we provide replacement services for damaged pole lighting systems, as well as restoration work for damaged concrete bases and bollards.
SMC: What are you currently working on to help grow your business?
DC: Right now, we’re developing in the Windsor, Ont., area. We are tracking down any sign or parking lot that isn’t fully functional and researching the owner or decision-maker to present our repair services.
SMC: How much of your business is handled by your own technicians?
DC: We handle all the service work and light installations between Windsor and Toronto with our own trucks and technicians.
Carley has trucks reaching up to 18.2 m (60 ft) as well as a few 9.1 m (30 ft) trailers to transport poles and signs.
SMC: What tools and equipment do you use to complete your projects?
DC: We have trucks reaching up to 18.2 m (60 ft), as well as a few 9.1 m (30 ft) trailers to transport poles and signs.
SMC: Is technology changing the way you run your business? If so, how?
DC: As I mentioned, we have people that patrol after dark using mobile apps to take pictures and link the pictures to a specific business with geo-site technology. This data is cloud-based and accessed by the salesperson and the technicians. It is completely paperless; however, for customers who prefer to sign off on the work, the software allows that too.
SMC: What is the key to staying successful in this industry?
DC: When it comes to a service business, the secret is to have everything with you to eliminate return trips. In addition, having offices close to your target market reduces travel time, which also saves on cost. This provides scalability for regional customers, so they are served through one point of contact.
YESCO handles all the service work and light installations between Windsor and Toronto with its own trucks and technicians.
SMC: What are your plans for the growth of your business?
DC: As far as territory is concerned, the corridor from Windsor to West Toronto is my primary focus. However, as far as market saturation is concerned, YESCO still has a great deal of room for growth.
Right now, YESCO has other franchise offices in the west, in Calgary, Alta., and Surrey, B.C.; in the east, in Charlottetown, P.E.I.; and Vaughan, Kingston, and Whitby, Ont. YESCO has plans to cover other primary Canadian cities and appeal to customers with a need for service through a national point of contact.
