Signs By Tomorrow or Signs Now

The vendor opportunity at Signs By Tomorrow

Signs By Tomorrow, also operating under the Signs Now brand, is a professional-services franchise system headquartered in Michigan and owned by Alliance Franchise Holdings LLC. The network consists of 76 franchised units, with no company-owned locations disclosed in the 2024 FDD. Year-over-year unit growth was -2.564%, indicating a slight contraction. For software vendors, the immediate addressable market is those 76 locations, though the operator footprint shows 110 mapped operators, 17 of whom are multi-unit, across approximately 168 located units—suggesting some operators manage more than one location. The top states by unit count are Pennsylvania (11), Illinois (8), Maryland (7), Texas (6), and North Carolina (5).

Average unit volume (AUV) is not disclosed in the FDD. The royalty rate is 6.0% of gross sales, and the initial franchise term is 20 years. These economics matter to vendors because they frame the franchisee’s cost structure and the franchisor’s incentive to enforce technology standards that drive consistency and reporting.

Who controls software purchasing

Technology decisions are centralized. The 2024 FDD lists Joseph D’Aguanno as Chief Technology Officer, placing him at the center of any software evaluation or procurement conversation. Other C-suite executives include Michael Marcantonio (CEO), Laura Pierce (Chief Administrative Officer), Michael Cline (Chief Development Officer), and Ramon Palmer, Jr. (COO and President of True Install). For a vendor pitching operational or financial software, D’Aguanno is the likely buyer, with potential input from the COO on workflow tools and from the Chief Administrative Officer on back-office systems.

Because the franchisor mandates several core technologies, any replacement or addition to that stack will require HQ approval. Multi-unit operators—17 in the system—may influence preferences, but the FDD structure points to a top-down procurement model.

Mandated and current tech stack

The 2024 FDD mandates six technology components. Adobe Creative Cloud is required for design work. CoreBridge is mandated, likely serving as the central business management or workflow platform. Onyx Thrive and Onyx Thrive workflow software are both mandated, indicating a standardized production and print-workflow environment. A point-of-sale system is mandated, though the specific vendor is not named in the FDD. QuickBooks Online Plus by Intuit Inc. is the mandated accounting software.

This stack tells vendors several things. First, any software that integrates with CoreBridge, Onyx Thrive, or QuickBooks Online Plus has a built-in relevance argument. Second, the unnamed POS mandate represents a potential gap or an opportunity to displace an incumbent if the current solution is under-specified. Third, the presence of Adobe Creative Cloud as a mandate suggests that design-file compatibility and asset management are operational requirements.

Procurement, renewals, and timing

The FDD does not include an Item 8 extract, so the formal procurement model—whether designated supplier, approved supplier, or open—is not publicly disclosed. Vendors should be prepared to navigate an approval process that is likely gated by the CTO or a technology committee at the parent company, Alliance Franchise Holdings LLC.

Renewal terms offer a window into long-term planning cycles. The initial franchise term is 20 years, and renewal terms are 10 years. Renewal conditions include substantial compliance, potential remodeling to then-current standards, possible conversion to a different designated brand concept, and a requirement that annual gross sales not fall below $300,000 for two or more years beginning with the fourth full calendar year of operation. Franchisees must also sign a new franchise agreement and a general release. These conditions suggest that major technology changes could be tied to renewal events or remodeling cycles, though no specific contract-cycle calendar is published.

How to read the Signs By Tomorrow FDD

The 2024 Franchise Disclosure Document is the primary source for the data above. It is filed with state franchise regulators and contains detailed information on the franchisor’s obligations, franchisee requirements, and the mandated technology stack. The embedded PDF viewer below provides the full text. For software vendors, the most actionable sections are Item 11 (franchisor’s assistance, advertising, computer systems, and training), which lists the mandated systems, and Item 1 (the franchisor and any parents, predecessors, and affiliates), which names the executives who control purchasing. If you need a ranked target list of franchise systems aligned to your software category, FranCloud can help.