How do people find out about a equestrian business? A survey showed that up to 44 percent of people learned about a company because of their business sign!
Your business sign can inform people about your equine business even before they ever see your business address and many times what a sign tells a person is not what the business owner would like it to say. Let me tell you a personal story about an experience I had with someone’s horse signs…
My family and I were going horseback riding at a place that we had never been to before, so we called ahead and received directions, which included watching for several business signs along the way since the place was way out in the countryside.
Well we missed the first turn we were suppose to take because there was no farm sign at the corner where the business manager said it would be. Then we nearly missed the second turn because at that corner was a ancient and faded sign and it was hanging so crooked that we have to twist our heads sideways to try to read it. I was starting to grumble about the fact that it was much harder and taking much longer to find this business than it needed to be because they didn’t maintain their business signs. Then we came to the last turn we all strained to find their sign. After a minute my son spotted it lying in the roadside ditch half hidden in the muddy water. The sign was so old that it had rotted off its post!
Well we should have been forewarned that trouble lay ahead but we kept on going and finally arrived at our designation. Their main farm sign on their company building was not in much better shape than the ones on the road.
The condition of the signs rang true for the whole establishment from their attitude, customer service, the unkempt trails, and even to the saddles on the horses’ backs; some of which were held together with shoestrings. Believe me I will ever again visit any equine business that cannot provide professional signs for their business.
A hand scrolled banner might be OK for a child’s birthday party but your customers expect and deserve nicely designed and easy to read signs. You are only cutting your chances of business success with anything less.
Business Sign Tips
1. Get one! Make sure you have more than one sign if your business is off the beaten tail like the horseback riding stable mentioned in the story above.
2. Size counts: Make sure your farm sign is large enough to read with easy from a good distance.
3. Make it memorable and unique: Ride around and snap some photos of signs that draw your interest and note their size, shape, coloring, how high they are hung, and if they lighted for night viewing. If you have local competition make sure to check out their signs and make yours original.
4. Use your Logo: Brand your sign with your business logo if you have a good horse logo design.
3. Consider the Maintenance: You want a sign that will stay nice looking without a lot of maintenance and expense. But be willing to pay more for a sign that is made to hold up to the environment better. If you are just starting out and have to get budget priced signs make sure to plan to upgrade as soon as your business is rolling along.
4. Shop around: Always consider checking out two or more sign shops and talk with them about your needs. Don’t just use low price as the reason to go with one instead of the other, make sure to pick sign company that shows a genuine interest in your business and your needs and ask and don’t forget to check references!
5. Check local laws! Make sure to check local zoning regulations and laws before you purchase and install your sign. You don’t want to get in trouble or purchase a sign you can not use.
The two pictures of horse signs shown above were sent to me by past custom logo clients. I know that others must have also had signs made with their new horse logo designs but I don’t have the time to check back with most to ask for photos of their business signs. Guess I should try to do that a little more as I do enjoy seeing the farm signs with their logos on them. If you are a past logo client of mine and you purchased a sign with your horse logo on it please send me a photo of it. Thank you!
Articles about signs:
Learning Center | Hub City Signs First – ABCs of the Importance of your Sign
5 Tips on Creating Memorable Business Signs
Sites selling horse signs:
Horse Signs | Custom Horse Sign | Danthonia Designs
Custom Horse Farm Signs from Spring Valley Signs ®
equestrian signs,horse farm signs, horse signs, equine signs, Carved wood horse signs, equine signage
Have a favorite sign shop? Or a sign story to tell? Let me know about them in the comments below…
I completely agree. Most people, including myself, are very visual and need to see a picture, sign or video to really pull them in to a business, website or perhaps a book. I also think that a logo or signage should stand apart from the rest. Have something different than others, make a bold statement with your logo/sign!