2019-09-01 Entrepreneur Magazine

(Darren Dugan) #1

Franchisee


66 / ENTREPRENEUR.COM / September 2019


Why did you want to
open your own business
back in 2000?
Being a first-generation immi-
grant has really pushed me to
accomplish as much as I can.
That’s how I saw myself when
I came to the U.S.: I have to
make it happen for myself. I
realized if I could incorporate
the business genes I inherited
from my grandmother with my
own pinch of creativity, I could
succeed in the sign industry.
Back then it was a male-
dominated field—fabrication,
welding, sewing—and people
said, “Are you out of your mind?
A woman can’t operate this.”
But graphic design was my
passion.

After almost 20 years in
business, why did you decide
to convert your operation
into a FastSigns franchise?
My husband and I were
exploring ways to expand our
business and attended a sign
convention, where we met the
FastSigns team. They had a
lot to offer—name reputation,
brand identity, continued
training. The beauty is that I
now have a support system for

every aspect of the job. If we’re
puzzled by anything, we just call
them, explain the situation, and
ask, “What do you suggest?”

Was any part of the transition
difficult?
Before, I had the luxury of run-
ning the business all by myself. I
could be selective about projects,
and I was a one-woman show. I
used to print, design, deal with
fabricators. When I became a
franchisee, I needed to work with
a team because of the additional
business that came in, and I had
to get out of my shell and collabo-
rate with others. But it’s amazing
and rewarding. We’ve hired three
young men we work with right
now, and it’s awesome. I feel like
I’m giving back to the community
by creating jobs.

Have your vendor partners and
operations changed?
As a small-business owner, doing
all the research and starting every
product from scratch was hard.
For example, we’re working on an
entire package of documents—
booklets, fliers, signs, and more—
for the College of Staten Island.
They called us and gave us the list
of items, and it was overwhelm-
ing for me to think about tackling
all these products. But because
I’m part of FastSigns now, I have
access to special vendors that
provide these services and offer
discounts to the company.

How did your existing customers
react to the change?
They were shocked. They asked
me why I was transitioning: “You
spent all these years to make a
name for yourself, and then you’re
just giving it up!” Their reactions
made me briefly reconsider. But
I feel confident in my decision;
being a franchisee has been exactly
what I was looking for. We’re
experiencing strong growth, an
increase of somewhere between
40 and 45 percent in terms of both
customers and sales revenue.

N


ikki Taheri grew up in Tehran during the Iranian Revolution
and was raised on tales of her trailblazing grandmother—a
six-foot-tall woman who chose to forgo a hijab and dressed as a
man in order to pursue a career in trade. Taheri never met her
grandmother, but she likes to think she inherited some of her
gumption. In 1993, as opportunity and education for women

seemed nonexistent in her home country, Taheri fled to the United


States, where she earned her bachelor’s degree, discovered a passion for


design, and eventually opened a sign-and-awning business in Bayonne,


N.J. Nearly two decades later, as business was thriving, Taheri made


yet another bold decision and converted her business into a franchised


location of FastSigns International in 2018. Joining a network of


700 locations may seem like an odd choice for a successful (and inde-


pendent) business owner, but so far, all signs point to success.

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