Sign Gypsies Franchise Cost, Revenue & Review 2026
Data from FDD filing + SBA 7(a) records
Analysis by FranchiseVerdict Research · Methodology
Sign Gypsies is a yard-greeting franchise that rents and installs personalized lawn-sign displays, big letters, numbers, and themed decor, for birthdays, graduations, and celebrations. Franchisees run a home-based operation setting up and removing booked displays within a local territory.
FranchiseVerdict summary · 2026
A SIGN GYPSIES franchise requires a total initial investment of $4K – $10K, including a $1K franchise fee. The 2025 FDD does not disclose unit-level revenue (no Item 19). FranchiseVerdict grade: B (Above average), an editorial assessment, not investment advice. Run a live ROI scan →
Data last verified · figures per the 2025 FDD issuance
Overview
- Investment
- $4K – $10K
- 1st pct Business Serv…
- Avg gross sales
- N/A
- Royalty
- N/A
- Units
- 588
- 62nd pct Business Serv…
- SBA charge-off
- N/A
Quick verdict · Business Services · color = vs category peers
Green = favorable by >10% vs Business Services avg · No shading = within ±10% · Red = unfavorable by >10% · Source: FDD filings + SBA 7(a)
Data from public FDD filings and SBA records. Not financial advice. Methodology
Bottom line
- COSTTotal investment $4K – $10K including a $1K franchise fee.
- RETURNSNo Item 19 financial performance data disclosed. The franchisor chose not to publish revenue figures.
- RISKVerdict B (Above average), verdict score 49/100 (higher is better).
- FLAG35 units terminated last reporting year (6.0% of the system). Ask existing franchisees why.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Corporate structure & franchisor financials
- Legal entity
- Sign Gypsies Franchising, LLC
- Predecessor
- Sign Gypsies, LLC
- Prior franchisor entity
- CEO title
- President
- Stacey Hess
- CEO experience
- 10 yrs
- Years in role or industry
- Founder active
- Yes
- Original founder still leading the business
- Incorporated in
- Texas
- HQ
- 601 S. Ohio Drive, Celina, Texas 75009
- Auditor
- Desroches Partners
- Audited financials
- Franchisor revenue
- $556K
- vs $572K prior year
Overview
About
- CEO
- Stacey Hess
- Headquarters
- TX
- Founded
- 2019
- FDD year
- 2025
- States available
- 45
Can you afford it, and what does the money buy?
Entry cost runs 97% below the typical business services franchise.
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 5–7
Full Item 7 breakdown11 line items
Initial investment breakdown
| Line item | Low | High | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franchise feenot refundable | $1K | $1K | |
| Initial Inventory of Sign Piecesnot refundable | $3K | $3K | |
| Site leasenot refundable | $0 | $1K | |
| Marketingnot refundable | $0 | $350 | |
| Hand toolsnot refundable | $0 | $250 | |
| Telephone/cell phonenot refundable | $0 | $750 | |
| Insurancenot refundable | $50 | $750 | |
| Licensing and permitsnot refundable | $0 | $1K | |
| Uniformsnot refundable | $0 | $200 | |
| Legal/Accountingnot refundable | $0 | $2K | |
| Additional funds (3 months)not refundable | — | — | |
| Total initial investment | $4K | $10K |
Line items extracted from FDD Item 7. Ranges reflect the franchisor's stated low and high per line. Total is the sum of line-item lows / highs — actual costs may fall outside this range depending on market and build-out scope.
Item 7 · what it costs to open + operate
The Vitals
- Total investment
- $4K – $10K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Liquid capital req'd
- $0 – $0
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Franchise fee
- $1K – $1K
- Top 40% of category vs category
- Royalty
- $1,000 per year minimum purchase of Sign Pieces
- Ad fund
- -n/d
Ongoing fees · Item 6
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Transfer fee | $1K |
| Renewal fee | $1K |
ROI & LBO modelsSingle-unit · 25-unit portfolio · editable
SIGN GYPSIES did not disclose financial performance in FDD Item 19. The ROIC and return models require Item 19 revenue. Without it all inputs are estimates. You can still run the calculator with your own assumptions by entering an expected revenue figure.
Returns model · single-unit ROIC
What would one SIGN GYPSIES unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
Estimated return on your total franchise investment, before any debt financing.
1495%
Above the 30–60% band. Verify revenue is per-unit average
These models are for research and scenario planning only. Not investment advice. Actual results depend on your specific location, management, and market conditions. Consult a franchise attorney and accountant before signing any franchise agreement.
Item 19 · Source: 2025 FDD
Financial Performance
This franchisor did not disclose financial performance representations in Item 19, or our extractor could not parse them.
Operator outlook
What the numbers say
Data-driven interpretation of this brand's financial disclosures, fee structure, and system trajectory.
Disclosure
Franchisor chose not to disclose financial performance representations. You will need to gather unit economics directly from existing franchisees.
Operator retention
System contracting at -22.1% CAGR over 3 years. Investigate whether closures are franchisor-driven consolidation or franchisee exits.
Source: FDD Item 19 financial performance representations and publicly filed FDD data. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Verify all figures with the franchisor and current franchisees before making any investment decision.
vs Business Services averages
How Sign Gypsies Compares
Is the system healthy?
Source: FDD 2025 · Item 20
Unit growth
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
- Total units
- 588
- Opened
- 31
- Last reporting year
- Closed
- 7
- Terminated
- 35
- Franchisor ended the franchise (per Item 20)
- Non-renewed
- 32
- Term expired, not renewed (per Item 20)
- Turnover rate
- 12.6%
- Company-owned
- 1
- Corporate units in the system
- % franchised
- 100%
- vs corporate-owned
- Net growth (3-yr)
- -22.1%
- Net unit change over 3 years
- 3-yr CAGR
- -22.1%
- Compounded over last 3 years
3-year detail · Item 20
- Opened (3yr)
- 31
- Closed (3yr)
- 7
- Terminated (3yr)
- 35
- Non-renewed (3yr)
- 32
- Transfers (3yr)
- 49
- Reacquired (3yr)
- 0
- Franchisor bought back
- Transfer rate
- 8.3%
- Owners selling to other franchisees
- Continuity rate
- 84.3%
- Units that stayed open
- Termination rate
- 11.4%
- Franchisor-initiated terminations
- Ceased ops
- 1.2%
- Units that stopped operating
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 12 · 45 states reported
The Territory Map
FDD Item 12 reports the state count, but the specific list isn't in our current data. The map will appear once we re-extract from the FDD or enough franchisee contacts are available.
45
states with franchisees (per FDD Item 12)
A system losing more than 10% of its units year-over-year is a red flag. Check whether closures are concentrated in specific regions.
SBA loan performance
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA loan disclosures. This brand has only 2 7(a) loans on file; statistical reliability is limited below 10 loans.
- Total loans
- 2
- Loan volume
- $36K
- Median loan
- $18K
- average
- Charge-off rate
- N/A
- limited sample (2 loans) — rate not shown below 10
Historical SBA 7(a) lending data, not predictive of future performance. How SBA charge-off rates are calculated
- Repayment rate (PIF)
- N/A
- 5-yr charge-off
- N/A
- Loans approved 2021+
- Active lenders
- 1
- Defaults
- N/A
Explore lender portfolios on Bank Reports or regional data on State Reports.
What could kill this investment?
Source: SBA 7(a) FOIA · FDD Items 3, 21
Risk analysis
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 4, 8, 16, 21
Risk & Legal
Six state regulatory actions (2019-2023) for selling unregistered franchises across CA, WA, VA, IL, MN, MD, resolved via consent orders with penalties and rescission offers. No Item 19 disclosure and unit contraction (-22.1%, 588 units) add concern despite positive net income ($21,183).
Litigation (Item 3)
Six administrative proceedings by state regulators alleging violations of franchise disclosure and registration laws. All settled via consent orders or assurance of voluntary compliance between 2019-2021. No admission of liability in any case. Penalties and investigative costs totaling approximately $33,250 plus refund/rescission obligations.
Bankruptcy (Item 4)
None disclosed
Audited financials (Item 21)
Yes · Desroches Partners
Franchisor revenue (Item 21)
Franchisor entity revenue (not unit-level)
Supplier relationship · Items 8 & 16
- Franchisor sells you products: Yes
- Kickbacks from required suppliers: No
- Must buy proprietary products: Yes
- Restricted to system-approved products: Yes
- Can negotiate own supplier terms: No
Score breakdown · what drove the 49 / 100 verdict
- 01MINOR6 regulatory consent orders for unregistered franchise sales
- 02MINORNo Item 19 disclosure
- 03MINORNet unit growth -22.1%
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
What are you signing up for?
Source: FDD 2025 · Items 11, 12, 17
FDD Items 12, 15, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
| Initial term | 1 year |
|---|---|
| Renewal term | 1 year |
| Territory type | Zip codes, physical boundaries, travel time and distance, and map |
| Protected territory | Yes |
| Exclusive territoryℹ | Yes |
| Online sales rightsℹ | Restricted |
| Franchisor can compete | Yes |
| Hire a manager? | Allowed |
| Owner-operator | Optional |
| Non-compete (years)ℹ | 2 years |
| Right of first refusalℹ | Yes |
| Termination notice | 30 days |
| Mandatory arbitration | Yes |
| Jury trial waiver | Yes |
| Governing law | Texas |
| Litigation count | 6 |
View Item 3 litigation summary
Six administrative proceedings by state regulators alleging violations of franchise disclosure and registration laws. All settled via consent orders or assurance of voluntary compliance between 2019-2021. No admission of liability in any case. Penalties and investigative costs totaling approximately $33,250 plus refund/rescission obligations.
Items 10, 11
Training & Operations
- Classroom training
- 7 hrs
- On-the-job training
- 0 hrs
- Training location
- Virtual Classroom Training
- Ongoing training
- Optional
- Field support
- 0 hrs/yr
- On-site visits per year
- Time to open
- 1 mo
- From signing to launch
Items 5 & 11
Franchisor Support
Item 20 · call current owners
Franchisee Contacts
1 owners to call
Name · phone · city · state. Extracted from FDD Item 20
FDD download
SIGN GYPSIES · FDD (2025) PDF
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to open a SIGN GYPSIES franchise?
The total investment to open a SIGN GYPSIES franchise ranges from $4K – $10K, with an initial franchise fee of $1K. This includes real estate, equipment, inventory, and working capital as disclosed in their Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD).
What do SIGN GYPSIES franchise owners earn?
SIGN GYPSIES does not disclose average franchise owner earnings in their FDD Item 19. Not all franchisors are required to make financial performance representations. We recommend asking existing franchisees directly about their financial experience.
What is Item 19 in the SIGN GYPSIES FDD?
The FDD section where a franchisor may disclose financial performance of its outlets. Disclosure is optional and formats vary; figures are typically gross sales, which is revenue before expenses, not profit. FranchiseVerdict extracts these figures directly from the SIGN GYPSIES FDD and qualifies whose outlets they describe.
What is SIGN GYPSIES's franchise failure rate?
SBA 7(a) loan charge-off data is not available for SIGN GYPSIES (fewer than 10 loans on file). Charge-off rates are one way to gauge franchise risk, but not all franchise loans go through the SBA program. We recommend reviewing turnover and closure data in the FDD and speaking with current franchisees.
How many SIGN GYPSIES franchise locations are there?
As of their most recent FDD filing, SIGN GYPSIES has 588 total units in the United States, including 587 franchised units and 1 company-owned units. 31 new units were opened in the latest reporting year.
Is SIGN GYPSIES a good franchise to buy?
FranchiseVerdict rates SIGN GYPSIES as a B-grade franchise with a verdict score of 49 out of 100 (higher is better), based on our analysis of investment costs, revenue data, SBA loan performance, and growth trends. Our rating is based solely on publicly available FDD and government data; we recommend speaking with current franchisees before making any investment decision. This is not investment advice.
Data sourced from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) FOIA records. Not financial advice.
For franchisors
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Data extracted from public FDD filings and SBA 7(a) loan disclosures (FOIA). This information is provided for research purposes only and does not constitute financial, legal, or investment advice. Verify all figures with the franchisor's current Franchise Disclosure Document before making any investment decision.