I spend a great deal of time talking to people about the Countrywide Signs franchise, and I have an in-depth knowledge of what the opportunity offers people. There’s certainly plenty of information I can share, and my experience working with many different franchises means I can always help you work out how this one stacks up against anything else you’re considering.
Eventually, though, I always recommend that people attend a Discovery Day, because that’s when Countrywide Signs really starts to make sense. This month, I decided to take my own advice and put myself through a full Discovery Day exactly as you would, from start to finish.
Not slides and graphs, but a real working centre
Many franchises invite you into a swish office or conference room and run you through a sequence of slides and graphs. The Countrywide Signs Discovery Day takes a different approach, built around a hands-on look at what it’s actually like to run your own business as their partner. Yes, there are presentations to make sure you have all the right information, but everything happens at a real, working centre. Seeing a working centre gives you a much clearer picture of what your own business could look like in a few years’ time than any presentation ever could.
Seeing it all in action
Riding along with the local franchisee, Gary, was probably the most valuable part of the day for me, and a real “light bulb” moment when it came to understanding what the day-to-day would actually be like. I watched him swap a sign at a property in under a minute, because the next one was already loaded and ready before we’d even arrived.
Picking up a board myself and watching how a screw goes into a post told me more about the day-to-day reality than any conversation could. I’m no natural with a drill, as my family will agree, and even I could see how quickly the skills come together.
A few things became obvious to me once I’d seen it all in person. The business really is as simple as it sounds, and a low learning curve means most people pick up the practical side faster than they expect. Built-in route guidance does a lot of the thinking for you, which leaves room for the flexibility that has drawn so many existing franchisees to the network in the first place. Demand stays steady too, because estate agents need signs up and down constantly as properties move through the market.
I went into this knowing it would be a valuable experience, but I was really surprised just how much of an impact it made on me. What stayed with me afterwards wasn’t just the presentation or the numbers, it was seeing how straightforward the day-to-day operation actually is when you see it first-hand.
Interested in seeing it for yourself?
The first step is to get in touch with me and go over any initial questions you have, as well as a possible call with Martin from Countrywide Signs. After that, if you’re interested in taking things further, we can set a date and time for your visit.