Signarama
Bottom line
- Total investment $245K – $638K including a $50K franchise fee.
- Average unit revenue of $916K/year (median $593K).
- Rated STRONG with a risk score of 49/100. SBA loan default rate of 0.0% across 197 loans (below the industry average).
- No protected territory and the franchisor reserves the right to compete in your area. Clarify territorial boundaries before signing.
Item 1 · who you're contracting with
The Franchisor
Yale framework · single-unit ROIC
Returns Analysis
Pulls Item 7 (investment) and Item 19 (revenue) from this brand's FDD into the Yale unlevered-ROIC formula. Override any input to stress-test it against your own assumptions.
The model · Yale framework
What would one Signarama unit return on the cash you put in?
Unlevered ROIC · per unit
11%
Below typical band (30–60%)
Overview
About
Signarama franchisees operate sign and print shops, producing custom signage, vinyl lettering, banners, and promotional materials for local businesses. Day-to-day operations involve design consulting, order management, production using cutting/printing equipment, and customer service. Revenue depends heavily on local B2B relationships and competitive pricing in a commoditized market.
Item 7 · what it costs
The Vitals
Item 19
Financial Performance
Item 20 · unit dynamics
The Growth Chart
Year-over-year franchised unit counts and net change. Source: FDD Item 20.
Item 20 · 23 states with active franchisees
The Territory Map
Derived from franchisee contact records. Shows states with at least one current operator — not where the franchisor is registered to sell new units (that data is re-extracting in a future refresh).
States derived from franchisee phone area codes (Item 20). Approximate — ported numbers may show the original state, not the franchisee's current location.
Government records
SBA Loan Data
Aggregated from SBA 7(a) loan disclosures, public data unique to FranchiseVerdict.
FranchiseVerdict rating + FDD Items 3, 5, 6, 12, 17
Risk & Legal
Signarama shows signs of systemic maturity challenges with stagnant growth, regulatory baggage, opaque profitability metrics, and territorial vulnerability that create meaningful financial risk for new franchisees.
Score breakdown · what drove the 49 / 100 rating
- 01MINORStagnant unit growth (0.4% YoY) suggests market saturation or franchisee dissatisfaction
- 02MINORNo average net income disclosure prevents ROI validation; with $500/month minimum royalty, profitability is unclear
- 03MINORMultiple regulatory actions (1993 FTC, 1996 Maryland, 2021-2022 California) indicate systemic compliance issues and earnings claims problems
- 04MINORUnprotected territory creates direct competition risk; franchisees can cannibalize each other's revenue
- 05MINORHigh investment range ($245K-$638K) with flat revenue trajectory raises payback period concerns
- 06HIGHCurrent litigation for non-payment suggests franchisee financial distress within the system
- 07MED35-year term with $49,500 upfront fee locks franchisees into long commitment with limited exit flexibility
Severity inferred from the FDD text · not a regulatory classification
FDD Items 5, 6, 12, 17 · continued from Risk & Legal
Contract & Territory Detail
Item 11
Training & Operations
Item 20
Franchisee Contacts
Phone numbers extracted directly from this brand's FDD Item 20. After purchase, you'll also receive a list of validation questions tailored to this brand.
Franchisee contacts
29 numbers
One-time purchase · CSV download · Validation questions included
FDD download
Signarama · FDD (2026) PDF