Paul LeBlanc thought that buying a FASTSIGNS franchise and opening it in Vancouver in 1996 was one of the smartest business moves he ever made. He was confident that it would turn profitable in less than two years.

He was right about the smart move part, but way off the mark about when it would start earning.

Carrollton, Texas-based FASTSIGNS designs, builds and installs custom
signs and point-of-purchase graphics products for businesses. Launched in
1986, the company has 550 independently owned franchise locations worldwide.

No stranger to running a small business, prior to purchasing a FASTSIGNS franchise, LeBlanc, 46, bought a bankrupt property-management company in Halifax and turned it into a profitable enterprise. Once the company was on secure financial ground, he became restless and longed to conquer new entrepreneurial waters. He sold the property-management company to his employees and looked at the sprawling franchise market for a company with tremendous growth potential.

FASTSIGNS fired his adrenaline because it met all his criteria. At the top of the list was that it was a B-to-B franchise (a business he understood), and it had a very low failure rate. Once he spoke to management and several franchisees, he was sold.

Tough start

LeBlanc anticipated that the first 18 months in business would be tough; after that, he expected to break even and then turn a steady profit. The reality was that his first couple of years were disastrous – to the tune of an $80,000 loss. Two years later, in 1998, the franchise broke even, which LeBlanc took as a good omen for better things ahead. He was wrong. The following year, his franchise lost money, but then turned around slightly in 2001.

By 2002, LeBlanc was fed up and ready to throw in the towel. He was working too hard, and so was his small six-person staff. He felt as if he was on a treadmill going nowhere. His franchise dream had turned into a nightmare.

Just as things were looking pretty grim, LeBlanc attended a motivational business seminar that gave him a whole new slant on his disappointing business. Rather than pulling out and moving on to greener business pastures, he decided to take a fresh new look at his business. He started questioning and re-evaluating it – especially his sales and marketing strategies – and his attitude toward the franchise.

LeBlanc decided that he was going to turn the business around and build it into a profitable enterprise. “The seminar taught me the importance of relying on fundamental bedrock business strategies,” he says, “the most important of which was setting achievable short-term sales targets. I also realized that I had to spend money to make money. So I cranked up an online advertising program, which paid off in a big way.”

LeBlanc’s business epiphany changed his world. Not only was he motivated with new energy and a sense of mission, but he also inspired his employees. After all, their livelihood depended upon the franchise’s success. He offered his employees a powerful motivator – cash performance bonuses.

The happy conclusion was that LeBlanc’s strategies and positive attitude paid off – in a big way. By mid-2003, the company was on a solid growth track. In 2004, FASTSIGNS racked up sales of $581,000; in 2005, they jumped to $882,000, and after that, they continued to head skyward, with LeBlanc’s setting new sales goals every year. Last year, LeBlanc’s franchise broke the $1 million sales mark, and for 2009, he’s confidently projecting sales of $1.36 million.

“That’s not bad for a slow economy,” he says with a chuckle. “I realized that not all companies are suffering in this slow economy.”

As for making unrealistic assumptions in his start-up years, “I’ll never do that again,” LeBlanc confesses. “I tell new entrepreneurs the same thing. Stick to business fundamentals: Spend wisely, set achievable goals, and most importantly, work smart.”

Paul LeBlanc can be reached at 604-327-3278, or visit his Web site at www.fastsigns.com/653.